Women of Color magazine annually recognizes innovation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Recent award winners were honored during ceremonies held as part of the 29th annual WOC STEM Conference, which took place from October 3 to 5, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan, and on the Digital Twin Experience (DTX) platform.

The winners included emerging early-career researchers and pioneering professionals in STEM who are making significant contributions to our world.

Nominees included winners of leadership awards in financial technology (fintech), whose work exemplifies excellence as they push boundaries and improve processes for a better world.

Mentorship is a cornerstone of these careers, and many winners have developed programs to ensure the next generation is not left behind.

For example, Carol Kaisy Majanga is empowering young girls in her home village in Kenya, creating opportunities where none existed before.

For her, giving back isn't just an obligation—it's a mission.

"We have to show these young girls that they can be scientists, engineers, and leaders," Majanga said. Her efforts have opened doors for hundreds of young women, providing them access to STEM education and mentorship.

Majanga began her career as an accounting manager in Nairobi for a sugar company. After relocating to Texas, she worked for a corporation that provided technology consulting solutions.

She served as an accounting manager for a company offering roadmap, strategic, and business intelligence services. Then, at a consulting firm specializing in CFO, controller, and accounting support, she held various roles including senior accounting consultant, financial analyst of fixed assets, senior financial analyst, and business planning analysis manager for an eye care device company.

Majanga spent over a decade with a public accounting and investment services firm in the Dallas-Fort Worth area before moving to Abbott as a financial planning and analysis manager, and then as assistant controller.

Sam Robbins, who decided to pursue a career in finance at the age of 17, is now the finance director at Zipcar Incorporated.

She has demonstrated exceptional leadership by guiding her team to achieve record-breaking financial results. Under her leadership, Zipcar's processes have transformed, resulting in significant multimillion-dollar expense reductions year after year.

Her impact goes beyond financial metrics—Robbins is a role model in STEM, leading a dedicated team focused on driving revenue.

She is well-known for her commitment to efficiency and data management, as well as her ability to inspire those around her.

Among her notable achievements is the creation of a headcount position management tool that achieved a 40 percent savings in a single year, and the revitalization of a payment processing system that consistently reduced bad debt.

However, Robbins considers her most significant accomplishments to be helping others advance in their careers, gain promotions, and access opportunities in financial technology.

Olga Brown-Leigh serves as a portfolio manager at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she manages a diverse workforce and oversees the programming, budgeting, and allocation of $170 million.

This portfolio supports critical information technology systems at the heart of the National Weather Service's mission to protect life and property.

One of the key initiatives she has led is the creation of the Professional and Technical (ProTech) Weather Domain.

This initiative involved managing $3 billion in indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity multiple-award contracts, several awards, and a single-award blanket purchase agreement vehicle.

The contracts are organized into five domains: satellite, fisheries, oceans, weather, and enterprise operations.

The ProTech Weather indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity has been well received, awarding over $315 million for scientific engineering services within four years of its five-year contract project.