10th Annual STEMMys | Awards Ceremony + Gala Luncheon

Did you know women make up only 27% of the workforce in STEMM fields, and approximately 52% of these highly qualified women leave their jobs mid-career? One of the easiest ways to overcome this staggering statistic is to build confidence and create a community of women in STEMM through sponsorship and advocacy.

Each year Central Exchange celebrates the accomplishments and puts a well-deserved spotlight of all women in KC who are setting trends and breaking barriers in their STEMM fields at the Annual STEMMy Awards Benefactor’s Roundtable Discussion and the Awards Recognition Gala Luncheon.
 
Award categories include Enterprising Innovator, Corporate HERO, Groundbreaking Leadership, Rising Trendsetter, WiSTEMM Educator, Student Achiever, and WiSTEMM Champion. The winners of these awards make changes for a better today and brighter tomorrow.  Their influence on a global and local level makes a difference, not just for our community, but around the world and for the next generation of STEMM leaders.

10th Annual STEMMy Award Honorees:

Student Achievers:
• Ushindi Mambo | University of Missouri-Kansas City
• Brittany Martinez | University of Kansas Medical Center
 
WiSTEMM Educators:
• Christine Lemmon | St. James Academy
• Dr. Mandi Sonnenberg | St. Teresa's Academy
 
Enterprising Innovator:
• Kimberly Robinett | TREKK Design Group, LLC
 
Corporate HERO:
• BARR Advisory, P.A.
 
Rising Trendsetter:
• Dr. Elin Grundberg | Children's Mercy Kansas City
• Dr. Michele T. Pritchard | University of Kansas Medical Center
 
Groundbreaking Leadership:
• Lynelle N.B. Pierce | The University of Kansas Health System
• Cathy Weber | Black & Veatch
 
WiSTEMM Champion
• Tammy Buckner, MBA, CSM | WeCode KC


The 10th Annual STEMMys Award winners will be recognized at this year’s luncheon at the Fiorella’s event space in south Overland Park. The event will be emceed by 2021 WiSTEMM Champion, Kisa Caruthers of Burns & McDonnell and this year’s keynote speaker is Maria Flynn of Ambiologix and our first ever Enterprising Innovator award winner in 2014! Maria will speak about her journey from engineer to executive to entrepreneur to community builder, and the lessons she learned along the way.

Please help us raise awareness of the innovation, leadership, and success women bring to STEMM by becoming a sponsor or purchasing tickets to the 10th Annual STEMMy Awards Ceremony + Gala Luncheon on October 26, 2023, and help us recognize the outstanding 2023 STEMMy Award Honorees!

Learn more about all the 10th Annual STEMMy Awards Celebrations

and Sponsorship Opportunities at CXSTEMMys.com

 

EMCEE:

Kisa Caruthers is an accomplished licensed electrical engineer in Kansas and Missouri. With more than 24 years of experience, she has led the design of electrical building systems for new construction and renovation projects across the United States and internationally. Kisa has designed medium- and low-voltage systems for various buildings, facilities, institutions, and utility plants. In addition, she makes sure that her designs comply with national and local building codes.
Kisa earned a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering from Tennessee State University and a Master of Business Administration and academic certification in project management from Webster University.

Kisa serves on the Board of Directors for Jackson County CASA and as a Missouri State University advisory board member for the Women in a Leadership program. In addition, she is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE), American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE), and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Kisa Caruthers is a recipient of various awards, honors, and recognitions. The awards include the WiSTEMM Champion STEMMY award, LIFT HER UP honoree, 2022 Women of Inspiration International Mentorship award, Burns & McDonnell 2021 X-factor award recipient , 2022/2023 Blue Quill award recipient and 2022 NIA Volunteer of the Year award recipient. 
Kisa?s passion for youth encouragement has allowed her to participate as a keynote speaker for the Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day (IGED) hosted by SWE Kansas City, Mo, participate as panelist for the SMART Girls conference hosted by the Kansas City, Mo Boys and Girls Club, and participate as a workshop lead and panelist host annual conferences hosted by the National Congress of Black Women of Kansas City, Mo. 

Kisa devotes her time serving as the youth choir director at Grace Baptist Church of Greater Kansas City, encouraging youth in the juvenile detention center, and teaching you during summer Vacation Bible School through her church ministries. She tutors math students of all ages. Lastly, Kisa actively participates in KC STEM student career days and mentoring youth initiative programs.
 
Kisa was awarded the 2021 WiSTEMM Champion Award. 


KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Leveraging her experience as an entrepreneur, executive, engineer, investor, and coach, Maria Flynn works with select emerging and high-growth leaders, companies, and investors, helping them to Make Opportunity Happen.

As CEO of Orbis Biosciences, Maria built a technology company that improved pharmaceutical manufacturing, won awards for its novel innovation, and was acquired by Adare Pharmaceuticals. As Managing Director of Techstars Kansas City, Maria invested in and coached companies across health tech, biotech, fintech, deep tech, and consumer tech. As a business growth guide, she has worked with founders from over 30 companies.

Maria was a Director at Cerner Corporation, where she held P&L responsibility for a life sciences business unit that provided drug safety software and services to pharmaceutical companies. She also created a new enterprise within Cerner for regional healthcare software.

Maria was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneurial Women to Watch and received the Pipeline Entrepreneurs’ Inspiration Award and Central Exchange’s first annual STEMMy Enterprising Innovator Award in 2014. Maria serves on the Board of Directors of BioNexus KC and earned degrees from the University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Kansas State University.