OUR BOARD
tina akinyi
Tina is a higher ed professional who specializes in creating a culture of inclusion and belonging for historically underrepresented students in Science,Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). My academic background in Engineering set the launching pad for my career in STEM student services and instruction at the collegiate level.
As the Director of the Puget Sound LSAMP Alliance, I manage a National Science Foundation grant which supports the enrollment, retention and completion of historically underrepresented students in STEM. I have also served as an Engineering Recruiter and Navigator at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, a GEAR Up Coordinator at the Des Moines Area Community College, and I have also taught various STEM courses. I love analyzing academic institutions/systems and leveraging data-driven strategies to help these institutions better support their students.
Outside work, I enjoy reading traveling, fitness, paddle boarding, music, time with friends, family, and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
ginny kozemczak
Ginny Kozemczak is a Privacy Industry Specialist at Amazon with prior experience at civil society organizations including The International Digital Accountability Council and The Open Society Foundations, where she led high-impact strategic planning initiatives. She is a current member of the Washington State Bar and has obtained degrees from New York University, Columbia University, and Cardozo School of Law. Ginny is passionate about the transformative power of education and continues to be inspired by her mom, who was a high school science teacher for over 25 years.
dr.nadia despenza guy
Dr. Nadia Despenza Guy is a distinguished educational leader with extensive experience in leading K-12 institutions toward academic excellence and equity, holding a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University. As the founding principal of Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle, she innovatively integrates rigorous college-preparatory academics with professional work experience and character development, preparing students for higher education. Before this role, she was the Managing Director of Schools and Program at Explore Network, overseeing operations for eight public charter schools and significantly impacting over 2,000 students.
Jon Madamba
Founder & Board CO-Chair
he/him
Jon is a Filipino-American who, through 20 years of experience in technology fields, saw just how important diversity of thought and experience is to any business, and formed STEM Paths Innovation Network to build a pipeline of opportunity for girls & students of color in STEM. He has led technology development at several international organizations including T-Mobile, Software AG and various cloud computing and big data tech startups. Jon was a founding partner at the SODO Makerspace and STEMPaths Labs in Fremont. Furthermore, he has been engaged on many boards and strategic planning committees including Seattle MESA, King County STEM Network, the Roadmap Project, and the Governor’s Extended Learning Opportunities Council driving advocacy for resources and support for economic and workforce skills development in the tech industry.
EDEN GEBRETSADIK
Treasurer
SHE/HER
Eden has been working as an aerospace engineer for 5 years and currently works at Blue Origin. Fascination with the moon and space stems from her childhood in Ethiopia which led her to study Aerospace engineering. To Eden, Space represents infinite opportunities for imagination, creativity, and curiosity. She is inspired by the daring mission to make space accessible to everyone and she advocates to ensure black and brown girls have this same chance to expand their intellectual boundaries. Eden is very energetic and passionate about building communities. She enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, swimming in Alpine lakes, and reading.
Liliana ruiz Diaz
Secretary
She/her
Dr. Liliana Ruiz Diaz is from Mexico and graduated from University of Arizona where she researched solar concentrators for high efficiency multi-junction solar cells. Before that, she also studied physics and photonics at the University of Texas. Currently she is an Optical Scientist at Reality Labs and holds over 30 patents and has published in several areas of optics and materials.
dr. Rania hussein
Prof. Rania Hussein is a faculty member of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Washington. She is the Founder and Director of the Remote Hub Lab (RHLab), and an Associate Director of the UW Industrial Assessment Center (IAC).
She has over 15 years work experience in higher education as an educator and mentor to hundreds of students and alumni of electrical and computer engineering and computer science. Before joining UW, she was a research engineer at the Walt Disney Company.
Dr. Hussein has extensive experience in project management and community leadership. She has served as a founder, board member or executive director for non-profits to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her DEI efforts contributed to the building and passing of SB-5166 Bill into WA State law in 2019.
Dr. Hussein is an award-winning educator who has been nationally recognized. She is also the recipient of IEEE region 6 outstanding engineering educator, mentor, and facilitator in the area of STEM award for the year 2022.
Angela Templin
co-chair
SHE/HER
Angela is the Regional Commissioning Manager and firmwide government market sector lead at Glumac, a sustainable building systems engineering firm. She received a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington and is a licensed Professional Engineer. In her career of more than 20 years, Angela has helped the Seattle-area’s rapidly growing built environment to be more sustainable, efficient, and functional. She combines senior-level management skills, technical knowledge, and hands-on field experience to commission facility systems, troubleshoot problems, and verify that all the diverse technical systems are operating according to the owner’s needs. She has commissioned the massive Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel, Vulcan’s South Lake Union Amazon Headquarters, and the North Satellite Expansion of Sea-Tac International Airport. Angela believes in the power of STEM education and regularly promotes STEM jobs for the next generation of women engineers, whether recent UW grads, colleagues, or her daughter’s friends who receive STEM toys for every birthday gift.