Women in CT Legacy Awards to Feature CE Pro’s Julie Jacobson at CES

Women in Consumer Technology honors six exceptional women with its 2017 Legacy Awards at CES 2017, including our own founding editor Julie Jacobson.

Published: December 15, 2016CE Pro Editors

Women in Consumer Technology, recently renamed from Women in CE, has announced the recipients of its 2017 Legacy Awards, which honor top-level executives from the retail, publishing, research, manufacturing and entertainment segments of the consumer technology industry.

The 2017 Legacy Awards ceremony will recognize six exceptional women who are transforming the consumer technology industry through leadership at its annual networking reception on Jan. 5, 2017, during CES 2017 in Las Vegas.

“We've seen some incredible technology innovation this year, but even more remarkable is that we've witnessed women playing an integral role in its advancement,” says Carol Campbell, founder of Women in CT. “We're pleased to announce our class of 2017 Legacy Award honorees and couldn't be more inspired not only by these remarkable recipients but also by all of the nominations we received. These women continue to push the boundaries at their companies and are a driving force in empowering other women across the industry.”

The Women in Consumer Technology 2017 Legacy Award honorees include:

Julie Jacobson is the founding editor of EH Publishing's CE Pro magazine. A leader in the custom electronics space for nearly 25 years, she is a recognized expert in the areas of home automation, security, networked AV and home systems integration. She was also recently named a top influencer by Inc. magazine in the area of IoT.
Sandy Conrad is the senior vice president of merchandising at HSN. She has more than 28 years of experience and a proven track record as a senior merchant executive with strong leadership skills. With a keen ability to recruit, hire, mentor, and inspire, Conrad is being recognized not only for her ability to sustain phenomenal growth in direct to consumer retail sales at HSN, but also for serving as an inspiration to all women who want to succeed in a male-dominated corporate industry.
Karyn Schoenbart has worked for The NPD Group for more than 33 years, and now serves as the company's president and COO. For more than 10 years, she has managed all of NPD's commercial teams, including the technology business sector, which is one of the largest groups at the company. She was named to CEO Connnection®'s 2015 and 2016 Top 25 Most Influential Women of the Mid Market.
Sally Washow has worked in the consumer technology industry for more than 20 years. Currently serving as CEO of Cedar Electronics Holding Corp., Washow provides executive leadership for the company's portfolio of brands, as well as directs overall strategic growth. She helped establish the company's partner mentorship program with the University of Illinois for students that are pursuing a master's degree in electrical and mechanical engineering programs. She is also a highly engaged member of the executive board for the Consumer Technology Association.
Carol Campbell Inspiration Award recipient is Shelley Zalis. She left the corporate world to found OTX (Online Testing Exchange), which became one of the largest and fastest growing research companies in the world in just nine years and sold to Ipsos in 2010. Creator of The Girls' Lounge, a one-of-a-kind destination for women to connect, collaborate, and empower each other, Zalis supports and mentors women to help them stand out and transform corporate culture through their unique leadership powers.
Woman to Watch honoree is Paris Bradley. Product marketing manager for DISH Network, Bradley built a communications system to drive internal and external education for all of the company's products and technologies. She also formed DISH's first diversity group, The DISH Women's Network, to support the growth and success of women on a personal and professional level through networking, career development, and education.