Thursday was day one at the Women of Color Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference, which will run October 6-8.

The morning seminars launched with a session focused on constructing a stellar resume and honing the skills that get you hired.

Jeannice Fairrer Samani, CEO of the Fairrer Samani Group, returned this year with a look at bitcoins, cryptocurrencies, and other digital currency questions.

Another session explored how businesses and institutions are leveraging fintech. Before 2010, less than 6% of fintech companies had a woman as a founding member. By 2018, that rate had doubled to 20%, and by 2020, it was almost 30%.

These early female startups signify a new era of financial companies with enhanced diversity, progressive thinking, and redesigning the potential of FinTech. Our panel of trailblazers shared stories on how to gain access to the world of fintech.

After 5 events included an in-person Welcome Reception held at the Detroit Marriott, followed by a tech talk that draws attention to the varied experiences of women at key points in their STEM career journey.

This year's participants included a senior executive of the National Security Agency, an IBM Corporation retiree, a vice president from Peraton, a privately held technology company; the founder of WithYouWithMe, a human resource consulting company in Washington, D.C., and the founder of UMA, who recently published "The Goddess of Go-Getting: Your Guide to Confidence, Leadership, and Workplace Success."

Thursday's evening closed out with music in the STEMulating Lounge. Friday promises even more, including the Technology Recognition Luncheon. Awards given at this venue include the Technology All-Stars award and the Technology Rising Stars award.

Technology All-Stars are accomplished women from mid-level to advanced stages of their careers (approximately 22 or more years in the workforce) that have demonstrated excellence in the workplace and in their communities. Rising Stars are young women, approximately 1 to 22 years in the workforce, helping to shape technology for the future.

These prestigious awards have earned widespread praise as they advance the conference’s mission to recognize excellence as a means for sustaining and growing the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline. Click here for the full schedule.