We are excited to announce that eleven honorees have been selected for the 10th Annual Central Exchange STEMMy Awards celebrating Kansas City’s women in STEMM!

These amazing women and companies are blazing paths and breaking barriers in their STEMM fields, and we had the honor to surprise them with the announcement of becoming honorees. We hope you’ll join us in October for our celebration events as we spotlight our honorees’ stories of success and inspiration.

For more information about the STEMMy Awards including category descriptions, tickets to the benefactor’s roundtable discussion on October 12, the awards ceremony on October 26, and sponsorship opportunities, go to CXSTEMMYS.COM today!

Student Achievers

USHINDI MAMBO
University of Missouri – Kansas City

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“As a freshman at UMKC, Ushindi discovered her love of math and tinkering with things, which would lend itself nicely to a career in civil engineering. I’ve continued working with her over the last 3 years and have watched her grow from being intimidated by the challenging path that ahead of her to someone empowered by being the first engineer in her family.”

USHINDI IN THREE WORDS:
Energetic. Resilient. Hard-Working.

BRITTANY MARTINEZ
University of Kansas Medical Center

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“In 2017, Brittany, a starting graduate student at KUMC, began what would become a truly outstanding contribution to two institutions. She made a formal affiliation between the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) and Rockhurst University (RU). Her goal was to provide RU undergraduate students biomedical research experience working with PLs at KUMC. This has transformed not only the education experience of RU students, but also the experience of KUMC faculty, students and KUMC as a whole.”

BRITTANY IN THREE WORDS:
Passionate. Goal-Oriented. Empowering.

WiSTEMM Educators

CHRISTINE LEMMON
St. James Academy

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Christine is one of those rare educational leaders who left a job in the tech industry after recognizing the need to improve Computer Science education in her children’s schools. She currently works at St. James Academy and is particularly passionate about helping students see the creative side of STEMM. She shares her vision and thinks beyond her classroom by working with multiple elementary schools and parent organizations to develop their technical skills while learning how to better navigate the digital landscape and find balance with technology in their lives.”

CHRISTINE IN THREE WORDS:
Persistent. Broad Visioned. Opportunity Expander.

DR. MANDI SONNENBERG
St. Teresa’s Academy

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Mandi is a huge cmapion of women in STEMM fields as she is always showcasing women who are achieving and aims to bring them to our students as role models. I am so impressed by how she has created internships and externships with involve getting our students out into the community to observe and shadow women in STEMM fields.”

MANDI IN THREE WORDS:
Energetic. Smart. Kind.

Enterprising Innovator

KIMBERLY ROBINETT
TREKK Design Group

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Kimberly is one of only a few female business owners in the Kansas City engineering community. In fact, it was the need for more quality diverse businesses in the engineering industry, coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit, that drove her to start TREKK Design Group more than 20 years ago. Kimberly’s desire to help others and impact the community is evident in TREKK’s mission to improve lives. Her inclusive and collaborative style of leadership fosters a work environment of caring and equality where all voices are heard and considered.”

KIMBERLY IN THREE WORDS:
Compassionate. Thoughtful. Driven.

Corporate HERO

BARR ADVISORY

FROM THEIR NOMINATORS:
“Based in the Kansas City area, BARR is a cybersecurity and compliance solutions firm that has put diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at the forefront of its company culture. As with security compliance, BARR views DEIB as more than a checkbox exercise; instead, promoting diversity and gender equity ar ongoing activities at BARR – from teaming up with schools and nonprofits to help young women and career-changers, to creating opportunities for female associates to learn and advance in their careers, to prioritizing flexibility and inclusivity so all associates can thrive at home and at work.”

Rising Trendsetters

DR. ELIN GRUNDBERG
Children’s Mercy Kansas City

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Elin is an exemplary scientist who is a leader in the application of genomics to clinical medicine. She is dedicated throughout her career to the rigorous and consistent use and implementation of new genomic tools. Her remarkable commitment to data sharing has shifted the attitude of collaborative work. Not only is she an outstanding scientist with an incredible list of achievements which had a true impact, but she is also a supportive mentor and a considerate collaborator.”

ELIN IN THREE WORDS:
Achiever. Leader. Visionary.

DR. MICHELE PRITCHARD
University of Kansas Medical Center

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Michele’s research has been consistently funded since starting her independent research career and she continues to make significant discoveries in wound healing and female reproductive aging research. She exhibits outstanding accomplishments to this stage of her career and is on an impressive trajectory to continue her impactful work as a valuable scientist, educator, mentor and leader at KUMC, all while continuing to support women in STEMM. Michelle is the complete package! ”

MICHELE IN THREE WORDS:
Catalyst. Advocate. Collaborator.

Groundbreaking Leadership

LYNELLE N.B. PIERCE
The University of Kansas Health System

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Calling her a nurse is an understatement. Lynelle is a Certified Critical Care Nurse Specialist who is internationally recognized as a critical care expert on mechanical ventilation and sedation. She has been deemed a key practice influencer in implementing evidence-based critical care practices at the bedside at KUMC, and has been crucial in propelling the health system’s ranking among comprehensive academic medical centers. Lynelle believes that best practices are developed by reviewing the evidence then guiding, leading, and mentoring inter-professional teams comprised of all health professions and supporting hospital departments to a unified patient-centered goal.”

LYNELLE IN THREE WORDS:
Role Model. Intelligent. Graceful.

CATHY WEBER
Black & Veatch

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Cathy is a strong advocate for women’s leadership and takes an active role in developing women who are emerging leaders throughout Black & Veatch. Her career serves a a model for all emerging leaders as well. Cathy has blazed the trail to the highest levels of our organization by consistently producing excellent results, taking on increasingly challenging roles, and solving internal problems with a great pragmatism focused on reality.”

BRITTANY IN THREE WORDS:
Altruistic. Fearless. Compassionate.

WiSTEMM Champion

TAMMY BUCKNER
WeCode KC

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Tammy, a dedicated advocate for women’s empowerment, serves as an influential mentor, inspiring young women to explore diverse opportunities and embark on various career paths. She firmly believes in the inherent potential and strength within every woman she encounters and actively encourages them to recognize their own champion spirit.  She recognizes the under representation of black women and middle-aged women in STEMM careers and is committed to effecting positive change. By providing guidance and nurturing potential leaders, she aims to shatter barriers, uplift communities, and foster inclusivity within these fields.”

TAMMY IN THREE WORDS:
Champion. Innovative. Fearless.