VIRTUAL | Conversations with the 2021 Women of STEMM: Where are they now?

Did you know that women make up only 24% of the workforce in STEMM fields?

Now more than ever, women serving in STEMM fields are demonstrating how critical they are to our communities.  While those in STEMM help us stay connected and fight for lifesaving cures, we continue to be inspired and proud of so many women in STEMM in our own backyard.
 
In 2014 the STEMMy Awards were created to celebrate the accomplishments of women business and civic leaders, students and educators, and entrepreneurs and advocates who work together to increase gender diversity and who excel in their STEMM field.
 
Last year we celebrated 11 honorees at the 8^th Annual STEMMy Awards, and since then these women have already increased their alliance in the STEMM community.  Join us on September 20th as we have a conversation with Kisa Caruthers, Dr. Shelley Cooper, Ruby Rios, Tanya Smith and Krina Snider, and learn what they have been up to since they walked on the stage to receive their award in 2021.
 
Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are now available for the 2022 celebration events! To learn more about the CX STEMMy Awards and how you can be involved, visit cxstemmys.com today. 

This WiSTEMM Series is Presented By:

Kisa Caruthers is a senior electrical engineer at Burns & McDonnell and licensed professional engineer in Kansas and Missouri. With more than 20 years of design experience, she has led the design of electrical building systems for new construction and renovation projects across the U.S.  

Kisa earned a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering from Tennessee State University and Master of Business Administration and academic certification in project management from Webster University.

Kisa serves on the board of Jackson County CASA and is an advisory board member of Missouri State University for Women in Leadership. She is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, Black Women in Science and Engineering and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Kisa devotes her time serving as the youth choir director at Grace Baptist Church of Greater Kansas City, Mo, tutoring students and adults in math, and mentoring upcoming engineers in STEM professions.



Dr. Shelley Cooper is an entrepreneur and 25-year veteran educator who continued her dedication to community service by studying telemedicine and earning her Doctorate degree in 2014. Her dissertation, “Opinion Leaders’ Perspective of the Benefits and Barriers in Telemedicine: A Grounded Theory Study of Telehealth in the Midwest” laid the foundation for the 2014 establishment of the parent company, Diversity Telehealth.

The SureShow platform was founded in 2019. It replaces no-show medical appointments and late cancellations with billable telehealth appointments. Providers recoup lost revenue; patients receive more frequent care and clinics achieve higher quality measures.

Dr. Cooper also provides no-cost telehealth services for underserved families through her charitable organization, Diversity Telehealth Community Network, Inc. (501c3).



Ruby Rios is a 2021 graduate of UMKC with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and minors in Business Administration and Mathematics. As a UMKC Trustee’s Scholar, she completed her degree in three years and was named the Outstanding Senior in Computer Science.
Ruby has worked to create STEM-related educational opportunities for girls, including establishing local Girls Who Code clubs and co-founding KC STEMinists. She’s a volunteer with FIRST Robotics, mentoring a FIRST Lego League team and serving as Master of Ceremonies at robotics competitions.
Ruby has also been a featured conference speaker at KCDC, BSidesKC, the PLTW Summit, SXSW EDU, and other events, and she has given three TEDx talks about her experiences as a student in STEM. Ruby is a national winner of the "Aspirations in Computing" award sponsored by NCWIT, one of Central Exchange's 2021 STEMMy Award winners, and in 2017 she was featured by Ink Magazine as one of Kansas City's "30 Under 30". She is currently working as a Specialist Solution Engineer with VMware.


Tanya M. Smith is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Master of Business degree from Baker University, and completed graduate level coursework in Mathematics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Emporia State University.

She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Community College Leadership at Morgan State University. Tanya’s love for mathematics has endured for nearly 25 years as a public-school math teacher, visiting professor opportunities, tenured professor, department coordinator, and department chair.
In 2017, Tanya became an author and wrote “Math for Nurses: Dosage Calculations and Skill Builders.”  Tanya has presented and served as a panelist in several math and science related workshops.

In 2020, Tanya became an entrepreneur starting a clothing brand, Girli Brand Apparel where 5% of sales goes toward the Girli Brand Apparel STEM scholarship for females attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).


Krina Snider is a cybersecurity awareness professional with over 25 years of experience in strategic marketing, communications, and promotions. She puts her creativity in action through interactive training, informational events, and webinars.

Currently, Krina is the Sr. Program Manager for T-Mobile’s Cybersecurity Awareness & Training program where she’s the corporate lead for communications initiatives within the area of cybersecurity, building promotional strategies to heighten user awareness and delivering educational resources that reduce risk across the company.

Krina is a charter member of the International Association of Security Awareness Professionals and was part of the development team and Advisory Board for the premier Certified Security Awareness and Culture Professional (SACP) certification. She’s a 30-year member of the American Business Women’s Association and a 13-year award winning Girl Scout Leader.