I think the point behind that was not about her per se, but that she (as a "techie") was on the red carpet in the first place. In a city like LA I imagine you'd see movie stars or rock stars, and zero techies, whether they're VP of a $60BN company or not.
The actual event referenced by the article was the opening of the Symphony season, which is an event available to anyone who wishes to purchase a ticket. No actual red carpet was in evidence in the photos. Those who attend and wear clothes by top designers are more likely than others to get their photo in the society page. It's not really about tech people being respected in the bay area in this example, it's about tech people who happen to be interested in the arts and who also wear clothes that cost a few thousands of dollars.