Technology is transforming Alabama’s economy — and women are helping to lead the charge. The 2025 Women in Tech list honors 25 professionals across the state whose achievements are shaping the future of industries from biotechnology to infrastructure, cybersecurity to advanced manufacturing.
These trailblazers are launching startups, managing multimillion-dollar programs, driving research breakthroughs and mentoring future innovators. Their work is not only redefining what’s possible in Alabama but also setting a national standard for innovation and impact.
Meet the women redefining tech — one breakthrough at a time.
CHRISTIE AITKEN, marketing and communications manager for Alabama State Parks, directs media strategy for 21 parks statewide, including more than 50 social media pages and websites. Aitken launched the Plan Your Adventure Online portal and leads the Alabama State Parks Newsletter. Aitken founded Redeeming Red, a digital campaign that transformed her family’s dyslexia journey into World Dyslexia Day. She is part of Leadership Montgomery’s Class 41 and is the creative force behind the MGM Reel Movement. Aitken was named the 2024 Chapter President of the Year for the Public Relations Council of Alabama and the Southern Public Relations Federation. She established PRCAcon in Montgomery. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, management and research and an associate degree in business administration, both from Troy University.
SHANNON ALLEN, director of Innovate Alabama’s talent development strategies, works in Alabama’s tech ecosystem, driving strategies to build a future-ready workforce. She leads statewide initiatives that bridge the gap between higher education and high-growth industries, with a special focus on cybersecurity, software development and entrepreneurship. Allen has connected thousands of students to real-world tech opportunities and empowered organizations through more than $4 million in strategic funding. Allen has more than a decade of experience in strategic partnerships, economic development and creative leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and lives in Birmingham.
MIRANDA BYRNE-STEELE is the COO and vice president of R&D at iRepertoire in Huntsville, which develops multiplex amplification technologies for comprehensive and inclusive analysis of the adaptive immune receptor repertoire. iRepertoire uses molecular snapshots of the immune system as an early and ultrasensitive biomarker of human health, disease and treatment response. Byrne-Steele has helped shape iRepertoire since its inception, leading innovation and operations across the organization. She co-developed key technologies such as RepSeq+ for multichain TCR/BCR analysis, the single-cell platform iPair and the immunophenotyping panel ImmunoSight. Byrne-Steele received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in mathematics from the University of South Alabama. In 2009, she received her doctorate in biotechnology science and engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
TAMBRA CLARK is a library/media specialist and technology leader at Birmingham City Schools. An Apple Distinguished Educator, she spearheads technology initiatives, optimizes Apple-exclusive and STEM learning environments and aligns educational goals with district leadership. Clark mentors emerging educators through the Computer Science Teacher Association/MITRE organization and Samford University’s Black Alumni Association. Clark is a Robolink Ambassador, member of Penn State’s E3 program, on the Homewood Library Foundation board and member of Birmingham Women in Technology. Among her recognitions, she was selected for the inaugural Momentum Works leadership development program, is a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow state winner and an ALTEC Challenge $10,000 pitch winner. Clark is pursuing a doctorate in education and organizational leadership from Samford University.
SARA COOPER leads a team at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology that uses genetic and genomic tools to study cancer. The goal is to improve cancer diagnosis and personalize cancer treatment. The Sara Cooper lab is particularly focused on breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Cooper, who has been with HudsonAlpha since 2010, also leads the institute’s Information is Power community outreach effort. She completed undergraduate work in genetics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, received her doctorate in genetics from Stanford University in 2006 and completed her postdoctoral work at the University of Washington in Seattle in 2010. HudsonAlpha is based in Huntsville.
CATHLEEN DE LA GARZA is president of Uniti Fiber, a real estate investment trust that acquires and constructs communication infrastructure and provides fiber and other wireless solutions for the communications industry. As of December 2024, Uniti owns about 145,000 fiber route miles and 8.8 million fiber strand miles throughout the U.S. De La Garza, among the first female combat pilots in the U.S. military, flew an F-15C for 12 years. De La Garza holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a master’s in organizational management from George Washington University. Uniti Fiber is based in Spanish Fort.
SHARON JOHNSON is deputy director for the Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education (CCRE) at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Johnson is an engineer with more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, modeling and simulation, software and testing. She developed and operated the CCRE Cyber Force Incubator. Johnson also has worked for and maintains relationships with Special Operations Command, Program Executive Office-Aviation, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and U.S. Army Threat Systems Management Office. She holds Defense Acquisition University Level III Certifications in program management, test and evaluation, and systems engineering. Johnson received a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from UAH.
KATIE McCANN, an engineer for Polaris Sensor Technologies in Huntsville, has more than a decade of engineering design, assembly and test experience developing small-to-large scale optical systems for various commercial and defense-related applications. She specializes in opto-mechanical design of advanced imaging systems used for visible waveband to long-wave infrared sensing. McCann plays a key role in overseeing the integration and testing of those optical systems to ensure performance and reliability, while also lending program management support to Polaris’ facial recognition, navigation and counter-UAS programs. She received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2014 from Auburn University and serves on the Auburn University Mechanical Engineering external advisory board.
KAREN MIMMS, a senior director on the enterprise program management team at Torch Technologies Inc., in Huntsville, is program manager for the Oasis contract and oversees a portfolio valued at approximately $4 billion. With more than 35 years in the defense industry, she specializes in program management, business development, modeling and simulation, and data management. Her leadership roles include chief of staff, deputy program manager for the $800 million AMCOM Express contract and program manager for the $377 million missile element simulation contract. She holds a bachelor’s in computer science and mathematics from Murray State University and a master’s from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
RACHEL MOOREHEAD is the executive director of infrastructure and operations at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she provides strategic leadership and fosters key partnerships to advance the university’s enterprise technology goals. She directs and oversees all facets of the university’s virtual and physical IT infrastructure, data centers, Windows and Linux servers, databases and cloud services, adhering to ITIL best practices. Moorehead establishes the strategic vision and direction for infrastructure and operations departments and is proficient in evaluating, monitoring and managing cloud providers and integrations. Moorehead designed and executed the establishment of a $26.5 million IT data center and personnel space, accommodating 100 workstations and a 375kW Tier 2 data center facility. She also teaches as an adjunct faculty member in the computer science department at UAB.
ANGELA PELLE is an engineering faculty member at the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) in Huntsville. She holds a master’s in environmental engineering from the University of Alabama and a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee. Her specialties include computational hydrology, data science and stream restoration. Pelle has worked in a number of research centers such as Oak Ridge National Lab, the National Water Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and multiple universities. She has also worked in industry as a consultant for the Department of Energy and as a stream restoration specialist. Transitioning to education, she is now a high-school engineering instructor.
SHAY PILCHER started her first company, Archangel Industries, in 2022, focusing on R&D for a new type of artificial muscle technology. While talking with other small businesses in the area, she discovered a lack of prototyping and design support available to young entrepreneurs. Three years later, she has added Sindri LLC to her portfolio to bring manufacturing and prototyping capabilities to the area at prices that are more affordable for new companies as well as smaller businesses. She lives in Auburn, where she received both her bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering from Auburn University.
CAROL TRULL PITTMAN is founder and CEO of RedKnot Resource Group, a consulting firm based in Birmingham. Pittman played vital roles in Top 5 bank mergers, including the most extensive treasury management integration in U.S. banking history. She has led multi-million-dollar technology platform implementations, including lead roles in change management, migration journey strategy, development, testing, deployment and post-conversion optimization. She is on the National Small Business Association leadership council, past president of the Alabama Treasury Management Association, past president of the UAB Department of Communications advisory board, past board of directors member of the Central Alabama Women’s Business Center and member of the Association for Financial Professionals. Pittman also holds the distinguished Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional certification (AIGP) from the IAPP. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
JENNIFER RIGGS-SAUTHIER is chief development officer and vice president, chemistry, at Score Pharma in Huntsville. She has more than 25 years’ experience in drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry. Riggs-Sauthier accomplishments include the generation of 14 development candidates, 10 investigational new drug applications and two marketed medications with more than 50 patents. Riggs-Sauthier has held various positions, including co-founder & CSO of Nova Mentis Pharma and COO of Foresight Biosciences. She has served on both the BIO Alabama board and Southeast Family YMCA board for six years. Riggs-Sauthier received a bachelor’s in chemistry from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Notre Dame and executive education in business from the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.
BECCA RILES is manager of the business intelligence team at Abacus Technologies, in Birmingham, where she leads a team of data professionals dedicated to helping clients optimize their businesses through data-driven solutions. Her team specializes in consulting and assessment, technology strategy, data visualization, process automation, and Magnify — Abacus Technologies’ Business Intelligence platform, designed for CPAs. Before joining Abacus, Riles held multiple roles at a Fortune 500 company, including serving as a technical SAP trainer. She earned her undergraduate degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and holds a master’s in business administration and business analytics from Auburn University.
PEGGY SAMMON, CEO of GeneCapture Inc., is a serial technology and social entrepreneur who has co-founded or led multiple disruptive technology companies and innovative nonprofits. Her focus is on transformative technologies that create new market categories by solving previously intractable problems. At GeneCapture, Sammon and her team of biomedical, biochemical, software and hardware engineers have developed a portable, multi-pathogen instrument and cartridge that can test for dozens of pathogens in less than an hour and for less than $20. Sammon has raised $18 million from government contracts and private investors and won $345,000 in business plan competitions. She received her bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University. Sammon lives in Huntsville.
ANNIE V. SAYLOR is CEO and president of Simulation Technologies Inc. in Huntsville. SimTech supports missile performance evaluations through situation and field tests for high-technology defense-oriented requirements. Saylor co-founded SimTech in 1983 and was previously an engineer with Boeing and an instructor of advanced mathematics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Saylor received her doctorate and a master’s degree in numerical analysis from the University of Kentucky. Under Saylor’s leadership, SimTech has quadrupled in size and expanded to include new customers at Redstone Arsenal and Eglin Air Force Base. Saylor’s community work includes with the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Council and Wellstone.
MICHELLE KENNEDY SCOTT is founder and CEO of Mobile-based Gulf Sterilization Inc., which creates safe, sustainable sterilization solutions in the medical manufacturing industry using chlorine dioxide gas technology. Scott led Gulf Sterilization through the ISO 13485 process and continues to drive innovation in CD technology, including process optimization and packaging development. Scott is a member of Bio Alabama and Women in Bio, the biotechnician task force for AACS and the Florida Medical Manufacturers Association. Supporting building Alabama into a hub for life science innovation, Scott collaborates with AACS, the University of South Alabama, Bio Alabama and Hatch Fairhope, an innovation hub.
ROCHELLE SILVEIRA, managing director of Gener8tor’s gBeta programs, is a business leader and innovation strategist with experience helping entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. Under Silveira’s leadership, Huntsville-based Gener8tor has worked with nearly 200 startups that have raised more than $80 million in capital and created more than 1,000 jobs. Silveira fosters innovation and economic impact by equipping founders with mentorship, preparing them for investment and connecting them to Gener8tor’s robust local and national networks. Born in Brazil, Silveira launched her first fintech company, Bela, at 15 years old, revolutionizing banking and operations for tourism. Over 15 years, she has led fintech, SaaS and payment innovations across B2B and B2C markets.
ANNIKA BROETZMANN SNEAD, network architect for Hibbett, is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Germany whose career has carried her to both countries. She earned a master’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Applied Science in Darmstadt, Germany, and worked as a Cisco certified instructor for seven years, largely on U.S. miliary bases in Europe. She worked with the military and other customers to help them learn more about their networks and pass their certifications. In 2015, she moved to Gadsden, working for Progress Rail as a network engineer. In 2022, she became Hibbett’s first senior network engineer and became the IT network architect for the Birmingham-based company in 2024, converting 1,200 stores within 14 weeks to an overhauled network design without downtime in the stores.
ANGELA SPEETJENS is co-founder and chief science officer at Shipshape AgWorks, which develops environmentally responsible farming solutions. Graduating with a horticulture degree from Auburn University, specializing in hydroponics and fruit and vegetable production, Speetjens worked for nearly a decade in the dental and surgical field before turning to agriculture, including sustainability, food security and innovation. She and her team have developed hydroponic systems that integrate AI, renewable energy and advanced climate control all aimed at making vertical farming more efficient and more accessible, serving communities in urban and more remote regions. Speetjens lives in Birmingham, where Shipshape AgWorks is based.
DESPINA STAVRINOS, director of the University of Alabama Institute for Social Science Research, is also a professor of psychology and chief human factors research and development officer for the Alabama Transportation Institute. Stavrinos is the founding director of the TRIP Lab, where she has led pioneering efforts to merge simulation, automation and behavioral science — including the development of the world’s first SUV driving simulator and a second high-fidelity system through a partnership with Mercedes-Benz International. Her work has been featured on CNN, NBC’s “Today” show and in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. Stavrinos’ research focuses on real-world applications of technology to improve safety and performance. A recognized voice in applied AI, Stavrinos is the only woman leading the Human-AI track of Google Summer of Code.
KAILA SZMAJDA, global demand planner at Trussville’s SPOC Automation, holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an MBA from Auburn University. She has built a career at SPOC leveraging data and technology to drive meaningful change in the energy sector. Her expertise lies in bridging the gap between sales and operations, fostering alignment that enhances performance and delivers results. Outside of her professional work, Szmajda is a licensed Ham radio operator and a dedicated weather enthusiast, using her skills to support local communities and maintain communication during severe weather events.
EMILY TERRY is a senior analytics engineer at DigitalOcean, pioneering an analytics platform that delivers actionable insights into customer behavior. Terry began her career in Birmingham at CTS, a consulting firm where she contributed to major enterprise implementations at Regions and BBVA. These formative experiences immersed her in Birmingham’s vibrant technology ecosystem and sparked her passion for data. At BBVA, she later served as a big data product owner, leading a multi-year transformation initiative that unified more than 80 legacy systems into a modern, scalable data platform — laying the foundation for advanced analytics and data governance across the organization. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama.
SHANDA TUCK is the strategic business officer at Auburn University, where she plays a pivotal role in optimizing the utilization of business systems within the business and administration division. Tuck supports various organizations, including human resources, finance and facilities management. In her role, Tuck is responsible for integrating and aligning business systems to enhance management capability and improve efficiency, effectiveness and work execution. She also collaborates with different departments and external partners to ensure the successful implementation of new systems and processes. Prior to joining Auburn, Tuck worked as a consultant for several firms implementing finance and HCM systems for more than 20 years. Tuck is an Auburn University graduate and is pursuing her MBA.
This story originally ran in the May 2025 issue of Business Alabama magazine.
