Columba Martinez, a senior software engineering manager at L3Harris Technologies, Inc., boasts a successful 25-year career in software development, 15 of which have been spent at L3Harris.

Martinez manages a noteworthy portion of the L3Harris Tactical Communications technology enterprise, namely the U.S. Army radio network planning software.

Martinez began working for the Army in 2008 and her work required her to comprehend multifaceted software architectures and tools, radio waveform design, and setting up radios to aid battlefield communications.

She also ensured that the product's security met national security standards by liaising with the National Security Agency.

Since 2018, Martinez has played a pivotal technical and managerial role in backing the Army on the Atom program.

Her team delivers cutting-edge radio planning software to soldiers. Atom, the software developed by Martinez's team, permits Army S6 officers to plan large-scale networks with thousands of communication nodes in a matter of hours, instead of days.

Martinez has significantly contributed to a myriad of pivotal Department of Defense documents that have driven development across the industry, and any vendor working within the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) ecosystem.

She serves as a commendable role model to those aiming to make a positive impact on the U.S. armed forces and the freedoms they protect.

The newest edition of Women of Color magazine is coming soon, featuring the 2023 Conference Issue.

Mary Hor-Lao, an executive at Abbott, won Technologist of the Year for leading groundbreaking developments in implantable pulse generators and virtual clinics that help patients with chronic pain and movement disorders.

Mary also advocates for women of color in STEM and philanthropic efforts to support children in Cambodia. In the upcoming issue, we'll cover this year's award winners from noteworthy companies like Boeing, Amazon Web Services, and General Motors.