ATLANTA, February 8, 2018 – Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) is proud to announce its 2018 award recipients: Mr. Christopher Gray, Ms. Yoli Chisholm and Dr. S. Keith Hargrove. These recipients will be honored at the 14th annual Technology Achievement Awards Ceremony on March 9, 2018 at The Renaissance Dallas Hotel in Texas.
As the Founder & CEO of Scholly, Christopher Gray’s success in leveraging technology to bridge the gap for students to access scholarship opportunities, has simply revolutionized the search process. Ultimately, nearly $100 million dollars has been awarded to students to further their educational endeavors. Technology impacts every aspect of our daily lives and his achievements in technology have secured his recognition as a Beacon Award recipient.
Yoli Chisolm, Chief Marketing Officer, STEAMrole.org is being recognized as a senior-level executive who leverages innovation and technology to reshape an organization’s culture, business practices, products or services to effectively impact their position in the marketplace. Her achievements at Microsoft both domestically and internationally, and the principles in which she supports STEAMrole.org serve as a roadmap for aspiring and accomplished leaders.
Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, Dean of the College of Engineering, Technology, & Computer Science, Tennessee State University (TSU), is dedicated to the education and advancement of students in the STEM disciplines. His achievements at TSU have inspired and educated hundreds of students. He also serves as a Founding Board member of STEM Preparatory Academy in Nashville, TN, and serves on the advisory STEM boards of several local K-12 schools. These examples amplify Dr. Hargrove’s commitment to developing tomorrow’s STEM leaders.
“All three of these award recipients have demonstrated a commitment to advocating for and advancing diversity in the technology industry. As a role model, influencer and game changer, each embodies the work of ITSMF: to positively impact the STEM pipeline and increase the representation of black professionals in technology,” said Viola Thompson, President and CEO for ITSMF.
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 2018 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. Historically, these events have been hosted by companies like Bank of America, Lowes, Hewlett-Packard and PepsiCo. For the first time in ITSMF’s history, an individual, Kelvin Beachum, Jr., will join that roster.
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 https://itsmfleaders.org.