Woman of the Year: Small/Emerging Business — Driving Innovation and Equity in Tech
The 2025 Woman of the Year: Small/Emerging Business category honored leaders who are making an extraordinary impact through entrepreneurship, innovation, and creating opportunities in technology. These women demonstrate vision, resilience, and a commitment to building equitable pathways for others in tech.
Shana Sanders — Founder & CEO, We Create Tech Winner
Shana’s journey combines creativity, education, and technology. As the Founder and CEO of We Create Tech, she leads a fast-growing nonprofit dedicated to closing the opportunity divide in STEAM through culturally relevant tech education. A former Title I educator, branding expert, and Emmy-winning media professional, Shana brings her unique expertise to national and global initiatives focused on youth empowerment, certification access, and workforce readiness.
Over the past year, Shana has led We Create Tech through transformative milestones: expanding from serving 200 youth to 700+ students, providing hands-on STEAM training across all six Google Career Certificate areas, onboarding 30+ student and professional advisors for 1:1 mentorship, and launching TechRise — a digital ecosystem offering certifications, internships, and advisor connections. The organization also became an official Best Buy Teen Tech Center program in Atlanta, with plans to expand into two additional locations in New York.
“Leading We Create Tech has been about building pathways, lifting others, and creating opportunities where they didn’t exist before. Every milestone reflects a commitment to equity, innovation, and the power of tech to transform lives.”
Allison Giddens — CIO, Win-Tech, Inc. Finalist
Allison’s career is a testament to long-term dedication, leadership, and innovation in a small business setting. Over nearly two decades, she grew from assistant to co-owner and now serves as CIO of Win-Tech, Inc., a small aerospace manufacturer. In June 2025, Allison led Win-Tech through a successful Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 third-party assessment — making them one of the first small manufacturers to achieve this milestone. She has also spearheaded AI-driven workflow automation, digitized HR onboarding, and founded the Advanced Manufacturing Virtual Internship, connecting high school students with professionals in manufacturing and engineering.
“Leading Win-Tech is about more than business outcomes — it’s about opening doors for others, inspiring future engineers, and building systems that support growth, compliance, and opportunity for all.”
Celine Vignal — Founder, Seesaw Health Finalist
Celine’s journey is driven by innovation, science, and a personal commitment to women’s health. As the founder of Seesaw Health, she leads a pioneering health tech company at the intersection of biosensing, behavioral therapies, and women’s wellness. Celine launched a beta platform combining a biosensor and intuitive app for real-time parasympathetic system self-assessment and personalized breathwork stimulation, cultivating a highly engaged community of thousands of women managing chronic conditions.
“Building Seesaw Health has been about transforming personal experience into actionable innovation. My goal is to open doors for women to understand and take control of their health through science and technology.”
Explore the rest of our 2025 WIT Awards Spotlight Series: