Women in Consumer Technology (WiCT) has announced the recipients of its 2025 Legacy Awards, celebrating seven exceptional women whose leadership and accomplishments are shaping the future of the consumer technology industry. These honorees, representing integration firms, manufacturers, and trade associations, will be celebrated during the WiCT annual luncheon at CEDIA Expo 2025. New for this year, WiCT has introduced a new award category: the Technical Excellence Honoree, which recognizes a woman who has demonstrated exceptional skill, leadership, and innovation in the technical side of the industry.
Introducing the 2025 Class of Legacy Award Honorees
- Michelle Lueck – Vice President Client Services, Centricity: Michelle Lueck is a visionary leader with three decades of experience driving innovation and operational excellence in the retail and service industries. Known for cultivating enduring partnerships with clients like Walmart, Apple, and Verizon, Lueck excels in sales strategies, impactful training, and mentorship to foster team growth. A passionate advocate for women, she has served on the WiCT Advisory Board since 2015, founded She-Roc, and leads WiCT’s Connect Circles. Through these initiatives, she empowers women by creating mentorship opportunities while promoting professional growth. Lueck’s dedication to advancing women’s roles in technology reflects her enduring legacy of leadership and giving back.
- Shari Sally – Vice President of Sales and Business Development for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA): Shari Sally oversees exhibit and sponsorship sales for CES, the world’s leading tech event, with 4300+ exhibitors across 2.5 million square feet. With over 15 years in the tradeshow industry, Sally has risen through CTA’s ranks, and is known for her strategic selling and relationship building with Fortune 500 companies. Under her leadership, CES’s footprint has grown by 45%. Shari pioneered the vehicle tech category, establishing CES as a top automotive event. In 2018, she was honored as one of Trade Show Executive’s inaugural “Women to Watch.”
- Michelle Troupe – Supply Chain Operations PA and Supplier Manager, Boeing: Michelle Troupe excels in managing suppliers and overseeing aerospace projects, with a focus on audio and video technology integration. With over 25 years at Definitive, she built expertise in vendor management, procurement, and marketing while delivering exceptional customer experiences in the consumer technology industry. A recipient of awards like Powerful Woman in CE Tech and the WiCT Carol Campbell Inspiration Award, Troupe is also dedicated to organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters. Her passion for technology, people, and innovation bridges aerospace and consumer tech, showcasing her commitment to excellence, creativity, and raising industry standards across both fields.
- Amanda Wildman – Co-Owner, TruMedia: Amanda Wildman has been a leader in delivering advanced home automation, electrical, and entertainment solutions across Michigan for over 20 years. TruMedia is known for creating customized smart home systems that enhance lifestyles with seamless, user-friendly technology. Wildman’s commitment to innovation extends beyond her business. As Vice Chair of CEDIA’s Board of Directors and Chair of the Governance Committee, she plays a pivotal role in shaping industry standards, workforce initiatives, and professional development. Holding certifications such as CEDIA ESC, CIT-SME, and IST-SME, Wildman combines expertise with hands-on experience as an electrical apprentice. With a focus on intuitive design and community impact, Amanda has positioned TruMedia as a trusted name in smart home technology while driving progress in the industry at large.
- Woman to Watch – Ellie Doherty, Western Regional Sales Manager, DMF Lighting: Ellie Doherty is a passionate lighting professional with over 10 years of experience in intelligent lighting design, fixtures, and control systems. She excels in specification and engineering design layouts, making lighting accessible and exciting for dealers. A certified Lighting Specialist by the American Lighting Association, Doherty has completed HTSA’s Lighting Levels I, II, and III courses. Her career includes roles such as director of sales for the Lighting Division at Powerfull Systems in Los Angeles and automated lighting and shades specialist at Doherty Design Group and TriPhase Technologies. She has worked extensively with architects, builders, and homeowners, delivering luxury lighting solutions and driving innovation in the design-build community.
- Carol Campbell Inspiration Award – Jana Stevens, Owner and President, Phoenix Systems: Jana Stevens, a visionary leader, has shaped the residential integration industry for over four decades. Co-founding Phoenix Systems in 1979, she built the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier home integration company, serving iconic clients like Bill Hewlett and Larry Ellison. Under her leadership, Phoenix Systems pioneered innovations like the AudioAccess product line, now in the CEDIA Product Hall of Fame. After Harman International acquired Phoenix Systems in 1993, Stevens repurchased the company in 2000, becoming one of the first women to independently own an integration firm. Her suggestion, “Why don’t you start a trade association,” inspired her husband Chris and his friend Tom Doherty to create CEDIA. A mentor and advocate, she helped form WiCT and played a pivotal role in advancing professional collaboration, mentorship, and standards within the industry.
- New! WiCT Technical Excellence Award – Gabi Hughes, Owner, EJ Fire Ltd (UK): Gabi Hughes is the director and lead engineer of EJ Fire Ltd (also known as Avinity), a UK-based leader in bespoke technology integration and lighting control solutions. With over 25 years of experience in the AV and electrical industries, she has contributed to high-profile projects worldwide. Her work includes supporting Coldplay’s record-breaking Music of the Spheres world tour, where she played a key role in lighting the inflatable planet spheres during the Buenos Aires live stream. She has also designed and installed bespoke home cinema and smart home solutions across the UK, as well as networking and AV control systems for marine projects in New Zealand and Europe. Beyond her professional achievements, Hughes is deeply committed to industry education and certification. She volunteers on CEDIA’s CIT and IST exam panels and was recently elected to the CEDIA Certification Committee for 2025, where she will collaborate with global industry experts to shape the future of CEDIA’s education strategies. She holds CEDIA CIT (Cabling and Infrastructure Technician) Certification and CEDIA IST-SME (Integrated Systems Technician-Subject Matter Expert) Certification.
Save the date for the 17th Annual WiCT CEDIA Expo Networking Reception and Luncheon now featuring the 2025 Legacy Awards celebration. The event will take place on Friday, September 5, 2025, during CEDIA Expo 2025, providing an inspiring setting for networking, recognition, and celebration of women who are driving innovation in consumer technology.
For more information, visit www.womeninconsumertechnology.org.
