ATLANTA, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 – Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) is proud to announce its 2019 award recipients: Dr. Paul Judge, Shari Slate, Theodore Colbert, III, and Yvette Pegues. These recipients will be honored at the 15th annual Technology Achievement Awards Ceremony on March 8, 2019 at The Whitley, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ivory Dome Award Recipient
As a former IBM Networking & Systems Engineer, now living with both visible and invisible disabilities, Yvette Pegues, Ed.D.(c) is cultivating corporate culture both architecturally and attitudinally for people of difference. She currently works with HR/Diversity Managers of Fortune 500 Companies alongside (Disability) Employee Resource Groups to maximize visibility, Diversity Education, and corporate social responsibility towards an inclusive workplace. View bio.
Beacon Award Recipient
Technology entrepreneur and investor Dr. Paul Judge has embraced innovation and driven transformational growth in the industry. Last year, his startup Pindrop closed a $90 million Series D round of funding and, in the last three (3) years, has experienced a 137 percent compounded annual growth rate in revenue. View bio.
Digital Innovator Award Recipient
Theodore “Ted” Colbert, III is the driving force behind Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ (BCA) Digital Flight Deck. A champion of data analytics within the company, Colbert focuses on demonstrating value, building trust within the team, and empowering “pathfinders” to enable real innovation. View bio.
Catalyst Award Recipient
Widely recognized for her visionary leadership and transformational views, Shari Slate is propelling Cisco to embrace new models of inclusion and collaboration to fuel innovation, accelerate market leadership, and reimagine workplace practices in the digital era. View bio.
“Our award recipients are extraordinary leaders who proactively excel responsible advancement in diversity and technology,” said D. Lena Hickman-Miott, ITSMF Board Member and CIO/COO of Miottech, LLC. “Each brings valued contributions to inclusivity, invention, empowerment, and rapid change.”
The annual Technology Achievement Awards Ceremony is ITSMF’s marquee event that recognizes today’s innovators and tomorrow’s game changers. The ceremony serves as ITSMF’s largest organizational and foundation fundraiser and occurs during the 1st Quarter 2019 Symposium. This two-and-a-half-day technology, leadership and diversity Symposium brings together nationally-renowned speakers, industry experts, entrepreneurial leaders, ITSMF members and associates, and college students for a series of engaging and content rich sessions. Atlanta-based State Farm® is the presenting partner. Cisco Systems, Inc., Cox Enterprises and Southern Company are the host partners.
About Information Technology Senior Management Forum
Since 1996, Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) has been dedicated to increasing the representation of Black professionals at senior levels in technology, to impact organizational innovation and growth. We do this by developing and nurturing these dynamic leaders through enrichment of the mind, body, and soul. At its inception, only 3% of senior-level positions in the technology industry were held by Blacks. With 1.2M computer-related job openings expected by 2022, ITSMF is committed to increasing the number of qualified Black professionals for these positions. For more information about ITSMF and the STEM Education Foundation, visit www.itsmfleaders.org.
