About Sylvia

Business Leader, Engineer, Entrepreneur, Rocket Scientist, Inspirational Speaker. Devout believer in the power of transformation  to change and improve lives, communities, organizations – and the world.

Author of Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist, which details Sylvia’s personal journey from the dirt streets of Las Cruces, New Mexico, to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Sylvia’s professional career advanced her through executive roles at renowned companies such as Apple, Autodesk, Dell, and IBM. 

Beyond her corporate achievements, Sylvia’s unwavering commitment to public service is unmistakable. During her tenure as CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA from 2016 to 2020, Sylvia’s transformative leadership left an indelible mark. She spearheaded the organization’s most significant program expansion in over a century, introducing 146 new badges and programs in STEM, Outdoors, Entrepreneurship, and Civics. This initiative resulted in Girl Scouts earning of over one million STEM badges in rural, urban and suburban communities.

Sylvia was also appointed by President Obama to Chair the White House initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics in early childhood leadership. Sylvia was the driver of the Administration’s Early Childhood Dual Language Education Policy.

Sylvia is an in demand speaker known for her Inspirational speeches.

Ms. Acevedo currently serves on the public company boards of Qualcomm and Credo Technologies. rId of Directors

Sylvia is a graduate of New Mexico State University, holding a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Industrial Engineering. Notably, she stands as one of the first Hispanics, male or female, to earn a graduate degree in Engineering from Stanford University. Her commitment to education and STEM leadership has been further acknowledged through an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Duke University in 2022 and an Honorary Doctorate from Washington College in 2020.