Detroit International Women's Day Innovation Summit

Welcome to Detroit International Women's Day Innovation Summit - "Break the Pattern in Michigan's Tech Ecosystem"

Call for Speakers: Submit Your Session(s)

Sign Up for Compass Detroit

"Break the Pattern"

Join us for Detroit International Women's Day Innovation Summit on Saturday, March 28th at Little Caesars Global Resource Center downtown for an energizing day of talks, workshops, and celebration dedicated to women in technology. Guided by Women Techmakers' 2026 global theme, "Break the Pattern," this summit will explore how women are disrupting traditional tech pathways, challenging systemic barriers, and creating new models for innovation—especially in AI, emerging technologies, and leadership.

Attendees will hear from local and international speakers about cutting-edge innovation, share bold strategies for dismantling outdated career trajectories in tech, and connect with peers who are equally passionate about championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hosted in partnership with Compass and GDG Detroit, this event is part of Women Techmakers' largest annual campaign and embodies the spirit of International Women's Day by spotlighting women's contributions and catalyzing conversations on transforming the technology landscape.

Expect a day filled with insightful panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and networking sessions, all designed to inspire participants to break free from limiting patterns, forge unconventional paths, and boldly reimagine what's possible when we challenge the status quo. We look forward to celebrating International Women's Day with you and fueling Michigan's tech community to shape a more inclusive, innovative tomorrow.

Breaking the pattern means creating new possibilities. Join us in Detroit as we rewrite the future of technology together.

#InternationalWomensDay #IWD2026 #BreakThePattern #WomenTechmakers #DetroitTech #WomenInTech #CompassDetroit #GDG Detroit

This is a hybrid event. Join the event virtually at https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-detroit-presents-detroit-international-womens-day-innovation-summit/
or in person at

Little Caesars Corporate Office - 2125 Woodward Avenue Detroit, 48201

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Agenda

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Speakers

Angela Richardson - @ Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) (Governance & Council Engagement Director)

Angela Richardson, CAE, is a strategic governance and programs executive with more than 20 years of experience leading national industry councils, executive peer networks, and board-driven organizations. She has facilitated high-trust national conversations for Fortune 1000 ESG, CSR, and social media executives, guiding dialogue on accountability, reputational risk, and long-term institutional…

Bandhan Kaur - @ Slalom (Data and AI Architect)

Bandhan Kaur is an award-winning Data and AI Architect with over four years of technical experience and eight years of leadership in tech equity and community organizing. Rising from a tech startup, she’s now in the corporate world at Slalom, where she specializes in transforming complex challenges into production-ready solutions. Recognized as a ""Technology Rising Star"" by Apple and Women …

Brittanie Dabney - @ Ecosphere Organics (CEO)

Brittanie Dabney is the Founder and CEO of Ecosphere Organics, a Detroit-based sustainable materials company transforming food and agricultural by-products into manufacturing-ready raw materials. Her work sits at the intersection of climate, supply chains, and material innovation, helping manufacturers transition toward more resilient and circular systems.
With a background in environmen…

Bryant Dumas - @ MANTECH (Cloud Engineer)

Bryant Dumas Jr. is a cloud strategist, who leads the DevOps Detroit Cloud Pathways Program.
He has a background in network engineering, and has witnessed the critical role networking plays in both small and large-scale environments. Including on-prem and hybrid infrastructures.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/b…
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Bryne Berry - @ Black Girls Do Science® (MSc Mechanical Engineer, Founder and President)

Bryne Berry holds both an M.S. and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in English, from the University of Iowa. She currently works as an engineer with GE Aerospace. While in college, she founded Black Girls Do Science to challenge stereotypes about who can be scientists and to inspire underrepresented girls in grades 4–8 to pursue STEAM fields. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Bryne…

Cherice Caldwell-Williams - @ DTE Energy (Acting Director – Cybersecurity Operations)

Cherice brings more than 36 years of dedicated service to DTE Energy, with the last twenty five years focused on strengthening the company’s cybersecurity capabilities. She currently serves as the Acting Director of Cybersecurity Operations, where she leads teams responsible for protecting critical systems and ensuring operational resilience.
A committed cybersecurity professional, Cheri…

David Cardozo - @ Dataiku (Senior AI Engineer)

David is a Machine Learning Scientist at Dataiku's 575 Lab, where he works on open source tooling and ML intepretability. His technical work spans scientific computing with JAX/Flax, MLOps pipelines with Kubeflow, and deployment on GCP and Azure. He has contributed to several open source projects, including TensorFlow Addons and Julia language tutorials, and has collaborated on Spanish-languag…

Dichondra Johnson - @ DRJ & Associates | University of Michigan (CEO/Founder | Doctoral Research Associate)

Dichondra R. Johnson, MBA, MPA, CBSP is an economic development strategist, entrepreneur, and doctoral business scholar with more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of community development, public investment, and entrepreneurship. She is the founder of DRJ & Associates, where she advises municipalities, nonprofits, associations, corporations, and small businesses o…

Dr. Donna Bell - @ Dunamis Charge (Chief Product Officer | Founder - The Executive Table)

Dr. Donna L. Bell is a technology executive, engineer, and leadership strategist with over three decades of experience leading innovation in the automotive and mobility industries. She currently serves as Chief Product Officer at Dunamis Charge, where she leads the development and commercialization of electric vehicle charging technologies supporting the transition to electrified transportatio…

Dr. Emily Jacobs - @ Empowered Moms (Founder)

Dr. Emily Jacobs is a board-certified doctor of nursing, author, and leadership coach helping high-achieving women break free from burnout and lead with clarity and purpose. She’s the founder of Empowered Moms, a national community supporting women through life’s biggest transitions in any season, as well as a sought-after event and workshop speaker featured on FOX2, CBS. As a 2x TEDX and Glob…

Eberechi Ogbuaku - @ Broadstreet Legal (Attorney)

Eberechi Ogbuaku is an Attorney that does work in probate, estate planning, family, and juvenile law. She’s worked in BigLaw and Public Accounting. Eberechi is also the host of the Young Professional African Collective (YPAC) podcast where she talks to people doing work on the African continent or work pertaining to the African continent. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and da…

Hoda Solati - @ BraunAbility (UX/UI Designer)

Hoda Solati is an award-winning and forward-thinking UX designer with expertise in innovative technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and robotics. Holding a Master’s in User Experience Design from the College for Creative Studies and an MFA in Animation from Art University, Hoda blends creativity, technology, and design to craft user-centered experiences.
Curr…

Ida Byrd-Hill - @ Automation Workz (CEO)

Ida Byrd-Hill, MBA, catapulted from a roach-infested Flint housing project to CEO of Automation Workz, a behavior insights firm that engineers corporate revenue and profits increases through culture audits, executive coaching and training of 17,000+ front-liners in AI/ Machine learning, cybersecurity, Data Analytics, IoT and Network engineering. Ida is best known for increasing Dr. Bronner’s r…

Jahsiah Kidd - @ General Motors (Digital Transformation Project Manager)

Jahsiah Kidd is an AI strategist, speaker, and engineer who helps people turn artificial intelligence into a real advantage. With a background in engineering, business problem-solving, and workflow optimization, he is known for breaking down complex concepts into practical strategies that drive productivity, innovation, and opportunity. His engaging talks empower audiences to move beyond casua…

Jenna Ritten - Chief Developer Advocate & Architect @ IBM Research (Summit Organizer & Founding Executive Director @ Compass)

Jenna is the visionary behind Detroit's Innovation Summit series and Founding Executive Director of Compass (Collective of Minority Professionals and STEAM Societies), the organization bringing together Michigan's diverse tech talent to combat brain drain and create local opportunities. As Chief Developer Advocate & Architect at IBM Research, she leads IBM's technical community while scali…

Jeseekia Vaughn - @ Detroit Hacker House (Director)

Software Engineer with a passion for growing the community through teaching/promoting STEM education, youth mentoring, and entrepreneurship.
Over the years I have transitioned from front end web development to full stack software engineering including API development and vehicle connectivity.My longstanding interest has been in AI/ML, however, until now most of my work took me int…

Julea Ferrara - @ J. Ferrara Consulting Solutions (CEO / Founder)

Midwest Latina Investor ~ Founder ~ Community Leader ~ RootIntelligence™ Architect 👩🏽‍💻🫚📶
Advancing Integrated Human Systems, Capital & Social Impact via AI-Enabled Multidimensional TechnologyJulea Ferrara is a Midwest Latina investor, founder, and community leader working at the intersection of technology, community ecosystems, and social impact innovation across Chicago, Mil…

Kendall Braxton - @ Braxton Management (CEO)

Braxton is a proud Detroit Native. She brings over ten years of administration and operations management experience. She earned her BBA from Eastern Michigan University and MBA at Wayne State University. She is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business Program. She founded her first business in 2014 and operated it for ten years. She is the CEO of Braxton Manage…

Lilah Kole

Lilah Kole is a Power Platform Developer and AI implementation strategist who makes enterprise technology accessible, engaging, and actually fun to learn. Known professionally as a "tech diva" who bridges the gap between C-suite objectives and cutting-edge Microsoft solutions, Lilah specializes in Generative AI, Microsoft Copilot adoption, and Power Platform architecture. She is a Microsoft sp…

Mack Hendricks - @ Detroit Black Tech (Executive Director)

I've been involved in technology since my dad decided to purchase me a Commodore Vic 20 in 1984 - I was hooked! In particular, I've always been interested in telecommunications. I remember my first modem. It was a Commodore Hayes 300 Baud Modem.
I've been in few different technical positions, but I've spent the last 15 years at Sun Microsystems and Oracle primarily focused on positionin…

Marcela Billingslea Durini - @ Meta Platforms Inc (Messenger Gen AI Creations Team, Software Engineering Intern)

Marcela is a first-generation student, Guatemalan founder finishing her senior year at the University of Michigan, where she built UtzilCare. An NSF I-Corps validated clinic management SaaS for medical practices in Latin America, from scratch. She has interned twice at Meta, raised over $25K in non-dilutive funding before graduating, is an NCWIT Collegiate Award recipient, and is currently exp…

Maridy Mazaira - @ SHPE Detroit Professional (President)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maridy-mazaira

Marilyn Nash - @ U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) (Interim Assistant Regional Director and Regional Outreach Officer)

Marilyn C. Nash currently serves as the Interim Assistant Regional Director and Regional Outreach Officer for the Midwest Elijah J. McCoy Regional Outreach Office of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) located in Detroit, Michigan. In this capacity, she leads the Midwest Region’s outreach engagements across nine states, building high-impact relationships across industry, gove…

Nagham Alsamari - @ Imkan Leadership Development (Resilience and Leadership Trainer)

Nagham Alsamari trains resilience like a muscle, as a repeatable skill, not a personality trait.
She works with high-performing leaders who look fine on the outside but feel pressure running the show on the inside. Through her framework, Train Your Resilience Muscle™ (TYRM), she helps managers move from reactive survival mode to intentional resilience building.Nagham's journey fro…

Onorio Catenacci - @ TEKSystem (Technical Trainer II)

Onorio Catenacci has spoken at several conferences and user groups both in the Metro Detroit community and outside. Among other places Onorio has spoken are:
Detroit DevDayDetroit Tech Watch MeetupsPittsburgh Tech FestCodeStockAnn Arbor TechInclusiveElixirConf 2022LinkedIn: https://…

Ramona Fellmy - @ Dapp Detroit (Founder, CTO)

Ramona Fellmy is a technology founder, SaaS strategist, and enterprise solutions leader at Dapp Detroit. Her work focuses on building low-code, AI-driven systems for complex, compliance-heavy industries, including insurance, financial services, and public sector organizations.
She operates at the intersection of InsurTech, FinTech, and ethical AI, helping organizations modernize legacy p…

Rania Hoteit - @ ID4A Technologies, Watson Institute, Electus Global Education (Multi-award-winning Entrepreneur, Impact Leader, and Executive Advisor)

Rania Hoteit is a globally recognized, multi-award-winning entrepreneur, impact leader, author, and international speaker whose trailblazing leadership has been honored by the White House, United Nations, UK Houses of Parliament, and the Global CEO Excellence Awards. A catalyst for innovation and systemic change, she brings two decades of entrepreneurial experience and a proven track reco…

Rasheda Williams - @ Inspired Life Professionals (Founder & CEO)

Rasheda Kamaria Williams is an award-winning communications strategist, former journalist
and social entrepreneur known for her ability to elevate stories that inspire action and impact. With more than 20 years of experience shaping narratives in the corporate and nonprofit sectors, she has consulted national and global corporations as well as education- and youthcentered organiza…

Rishiraj Sarkar - @ GDG Detroit (Co-Leader)

Experience in working with Network security, Trustworthy ML development, Hardware and Wifi security across various platforms and Cloud.Current Graduate student in University of Michigan, studying Cybersecurity and information assurance with focus on Network security, Cloud Security, Trustworthy AI and Security by design architecturesEx - Cyber strategy consultant at Deloitte, facilitating data…

Robin Kinnie - @ Audio Engineers of Detroit (President)

Robin Kinnie serves as President of Motor City Woman Studios, an audio post-production company and Audio Engineers of Detroit, an audio engineering trade school and recording studio. Her service for others extends to volunteering as an Advisory Board Member for Y Arts, Detroit PAL and the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. She holds an undergraduate degree from the Eli Broad College of Bus…

Dr. Shalonda Owens - @ Livonia Public Schools (Principal)

Shalonda Owens is the principal of Cleveland Elementary within Livonia Public Schools. She has 15 years of leadership experience which includes Middle School Assistant Principal, as well as Upper and Lower Elementary Principal. Shalonda holds a Doctor of Educational Leadership from Michigan State University. In addition to being a school administrator, Shalonda is a certified life coach and th…

Sheneelia Logan - @ Detroit Edge (Founder/Owner)

Sheneelia Logan is the Founder and CEO of Detroit Edge, a housing initiative dedicated to developing modern, eco-friendly transitional housing and innovative pod-style communities in Detroit. Born and raised on Detroit’s east side, Sheneelia brings over 15 years of experience in property management and housing operations, along with a deep commitment to addressing housing instability and creat…

Shima Solati - @ BraunAbility (UX/UI Designer)

Shima Solati is an innovative and award-winning UX/UI researcher and designer at BraunAbility, where she focuses on enhancing accessibility through innovation and user-centered design. With a master’s degree in User Experience Design from the College for Creative Studies, along with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in design specializing in fashion and textiles, she brings a multidisciplinary a…

Tabice Ward - @ Walker-Miller (Chief Information Officer)

Tabice Ward serves as the Chief Information Officer at Walker-Miller Energy Services where she leads the strategic direction of the IT organization. As a technology executive, she focuses on helping organizations develop innovative and transformative technology strategies that drive business enablement, enhance security, and reduce cyber risk.
With 35+ years of experience in the energy s…

Talona Johnson, MBA, PMP, CMQ/OE - @ General Motors (International Product Manager)

Talona Johnson leads with purpose, vision, and heart. As Cadillac’s International Product Manager at General Motors, she operates at the forefront of global mobility, guiding high-performing cross-functional teams, shaping vehicle strategy, and advancing innovation during one of the most transformative periods in automotive history. From launching her career with Saturn in 1995 to leading comp…

Tatiana Jackson - @ Real Culture (Founder)

Tatiana Simone is a Detroit-based Chief Culture Strategist, Executive Producer, and ADDY Award–winning marketing leader dedicated to helping women break patterns and build powerful, revenue-generating brands. As the founder of Real Culture, a Black woman–owned media company, she blends storytelling, AI, and strategy to help entrepreneurs show up with clarity, confidence, and consistency.

Tracie Hightower - @ Collective Flow Learning, LLC (Chief Strategy and Innovation Coach)

Tracie Hightower is a strategic innovation consultant and facilitator focused on helping community-facing organizations build stamina for problem-solving, adaptive strategy, and future-ready decision-making. Her work blends innovation methods with practical tools, dashboards, and workshops which support leaders navigating complexity and rapid technological change. She is especially committed t…

Umelo Onyejiaka - @ DevOps Detroit (Founder & Cloud Solutions Engineer)

Umelo Onyejiaka is a cloud and DevOps engineer, community builder, and the founder of DevOps Detroit. He holds multiple industry certifications including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), and Terraform Associate.
Beyond certifications, Umelo’s work focuses on how people actually grow s…

Vital Anne - @ Siemens Industries Software (Program Director)

With over 30 years of professional experience spanning engineering, design, crash and safety analysis, software product management, quality assurance, and product delivery, Vital Anne brings a multidisciplinary perspective to building and leading technology-driven organizations. Having worked with both large OEMs and mid-sized consulting firms, she has gained broad experience across the automo…

Yana Grant - @ Meta (Data Labeling Analyst)

Yana Grant is a product data operations analyst at Meta, where she helps power the next generation of artificial intelligence and machine learning through high-quality data annotation, labeling, and quality assurance. A proud Long Beach, California native, Yana brings a unique perspective shaped by her West Coast roots and a passion for community empowerment.
Before joining Meta, Yana wa…

Yesha Patel - @ IBM (Senior Solution Architect & eCommerce SME)

Yesha Patel is a Senior Solution Architect at IBM specializing in digital commerce architecture and customer experience transformation. She works with global enterprises to modernize commerce platforms, design cloud-native architectures, and implement AI-driven customer engagement solutions.
With extensive experience across commerce platforms, APIs, microservices, and AI-powered personal…

Yukti Goyal - @ Kforce (Lead Software Engineer)

Yukti is a Lead Software Engineer with over 14 years of experience building large, scalable systems across insurance, healthcare, and cloud platforms. She works at the intersection of AI, agentic systems, cybersecurity, and distributed architectures. She is also an active IEEE reviewer, a regular conference speaker, and a mentor who enjoys turning deep technical work into practical, leadership…

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Partners

Little Caesars (https://littlecaesars.com)
Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars was founded by Mike and Marian Ilitch in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant. Today Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the world with stores in each of the 50 U.S. states and 27 countries and territories.

Compass Detroit (https://bit.ly/bhm-summit-website)
The Collective of Minority Professionals and STEAM Societies (formerly COMPES) was formed in 2000 as an initiative between the NSBE, SHPE, and SWE Detroit professional chapters. The mission of this collaborative partnership is to support the local Detroit community in upskilling, career growth, networking, and to provide access to new opportunities.

GDG Detroit (https://gdg.community.dev/gdg-detroit/)
The Detroit Google Developers Group is an inclusive group that meets monthly online and in downtown Detroit to help educate and provide networking opportunities for software developers in the Detroit area.

DTE Energy (https://www.dteenergy.com)
DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.3 million customers in Southeast Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE portfolio also includes non-utility businesses focused on industrial energy services, renewable natural gas, and energy marketing and trading.

MCWT (https://mcwt.org)
In our network, you’ll meet executives, students, business owners, entrepreneurs, and others dedicated to a thriving technology community. Through mentoring, leadership development, networking, and technology experiences for all career cycles—from youth summer camps, to college and graduate school scholarships, to professional networking events, and more—we are inspiring and nurturing technologically oriented women.

Google Women Techmakers (https://developers.google.com/womentechmakers)
Google’s Women Techmakers program provides visibility, community, and resources for women in technology.

College for Creative Studies (https://www.ccsdetroit.edu)
CCS provides students a rigorous and innovative education aligned with industry requirements. Our graduates are innovators, problem solvers and futurists who are prepared for a career, not just a job. CCS alumni know success. They are entrepreneurs. They are working artists. Fortune 500 companies hire them. The stories you will watch here are a testament to the impact CCS alumni are making in the art/design world. All of them dared to dream big. Let their stories inspire you.

NSBE Detroit (https://nsbedetroitprofessionals.org)
Representing Black Engineers in Detroit. NSBE Detroit Professionals strive to increase technical awareness, encourage scholastic achievement, and stimulate enthusiasm in the black engineering community of Detroit. NSBE's mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community. The NSBE Professionals inspire the next generation of technical professionals, and serve as a catalyst for transform

DevOps Detroit (https://www.devopsdetroit.io)
DevOps Detroit is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Detroit’s tech community through collaboration, education, and innovation. Founded with the mission of making Detroit a hub for DevOps excellence, we bring together professionals, students, and enthusiasts to share knowledge, build skills, and grow careers in cloud, DevOps, security, AI, and software development.

Underground Printing (https://undergroundshirts.com)
Custom Apparel Made Easy

Top Selling Custom Apparel Products for Group Orders and Businesses

SHPE Detroit (https://www.shpedetroit.org)
SHPE Detroit is transforming lives in Detroit by inspiring and motivating young Hispanic students to excel in STEM education through mentorship and community involvement and enhancing career opportunities for Hispanics by building a strong professional network.

Detroit Hacker House (https://detroithackerhouse.com)
Detroit Hacker House is where builders become founders. We run a residential accelerator and community programming designed to take you from idea to launched product.

Automation Workz (https://autoworkz.org)
Automation Workz is a post-secondary tech certification school that uses video games to train students for certification exams in IoT, Cybersecurity, Network Engineering, Linux/Python, Analytics, Digital Marketing, and Fraud Examination leading to jobs earning $40,000 to $90,000. Automation Workz can reskill your employees to seize the $9 trillion dollar Diversity Markets through scalable, customized services designed exclusively for your organization.

Techqueria Detroit (https://techqueria.org)
We’re a vibrant, 25,000-strong community empowering Latiné professionals to thrive in every corner of the tech industry. Much like a taquería serves up the best tacos, Techqueria is where Latiné tech talent gathers to connect, grow, and succeed. We provide mentorship, career development, and advocacy for DEI, ensuring that Latiné voices are represented and celebrated at every level, from emerging talent to seasoned leaders.

Why Not Collab Detroit (https://www.instagram.com/whynotcollabdet)
Why Not Collab Detroit is an initiative dedicated to creating budget-friendly visual, musical, and artistic content by fostering partnerships among Detroit-based creators. They actively promote community-driven projects, such as collaborations with Pingree Detroit and Toastique, focusing on storytelling, culture, and innovation. The initiative is driven by a desire to connect creatives in Detroit and foster momentum for local artists and entrepreneurs.

Heart of The City Photography x Shawn Lee Studios (https://www.hocxsls.com)

JAC3DG33K (https://www.instagram.com/jac3dg33k)
Just a dude that's into technology and fitness.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-bowen-a7216610/

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Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-detroit-presents-detroit-international-womens-day-innovation-summit/.