Dyuthi Gurijala is a Senior Ambassador for Women in Technology (WIT) Girls in Atlanta, where she develops workshops and mentorship programs to inspire young girls in STEM. A student at Wheeler High School’s Center for Advanced Studies in Science, Math, and Technology, she has excelled in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Computer Science, and advanced mathematics, and has been recognized for academic excellence in biology and as a State Level Nominee for the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program.

Dyuthi has volunteered over 175 hours at Grady Hospital, contributed to health walks through HOSA, and supports her community through temple service. She is also an accomplished musician, holding a diploma in Carnatic music and serving as concertmaster in her orchestra. Passionate about women’s reproductive health and STEM education, Dyuthi plans to pursue a career as an OB/GYN while continuing to advocate for young women in technology and science.

Sarah O’Brien is a Data Scientist at Southern Company in Atlanta, where she applies machine learning and AI to enhance customer and employee experiences. A proud Georgia State University alumna, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Computer Science and a focus on data science. Sarah co-founded GSU’s first all-female hackathon, “HackHers,” served as VP of Girls Who Code, and received the Royal Flame Leadership Award and Undergraduate Service Award.

She is the Personal and Professional Chairwoman for Technical Women in Georgia (TWIG) and mentors through RISE in Computing. Selected as a delegate for the Rewriting the Code x Pure Accelerate 2025 conference, Sarah is passionate about advancing women in tech, mental health advocacy, and inclusive leadership. Beginning August 2025, she will pursue a Master of Science in Analytics at Georgia Tech.

Kassundra Evans, a proud native of Houston, Texas, is an IT Analyst at Graphic Packaging International and a 2024 graduate of the WIT Single Moms Program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Huston-Tillotson University and is a devoted mother, poet, and problem solver. As a single mom forging her path in the tech industry, Kassundra has built her career on resilience, faith, and a deep commitment to growth.

Rooted in her values—God, family, and friendship—she is passionate about creating inclusive spaces where others feel supported and empowered. Whether she’s solving IT challenges, writing poetry, or playing Uno with her son, Kassundra approaches life with intention, grace, and heart.

Being nominated is a testament to her journey and the strength of the community that continues to uplift her. She is honored by the recognition and hopes her story inspires other women to pursue their purpose with courage and confidence.

ZsaVette Eze is a visionary technology executive and the Vice President of Technology at Synchrony Financial. With over 20 years of experience spanning FinTech, cloud transformation, and digital innovation, she leads major initiatives in partnership with Amazon, including the launch of Amazon Pay Later. A 2024 CEO Award winner, ZsaVette is known for her strategic leadership, technical fluency, and inclusive approach to product development.

Tech Expertise – ZsaVette’s expertise spans cloud architecture, financial services platforms, secure API development, agile transformation, and ethical AI. She is passionate about building inclusive solutions that scale and adapt across regulatory, product, and customer landscapes.

Tech & Leadership Journey – ZsaVette’s career began in research and technology in the FinTech sector, where she played a pivotal role in developing the first “Pay by Check” button for eBay—powered by CheckFree. This innovation was one of the earliest examples of digital payment modernization and laid the foundation for the scalable financial technology platforms we know today. She earned her PMP over 15 years ago, became Agile certified, and earned AWS Cloud certification in 2020. Along the way, she mastered API development, led CI/CD transformations, and managed globally distributed dev teams. Today, she blends technology, law, and ethics to shape AI’s responsible future.

Key Achievements

• 2024 Synchrony CEO Award Winner

• Launched Amazon Pay Later product ecosystem

• Led API + CI/CD implementation across global teams

• ELT – American Heart Association Atlanta

• Raised $28K+ for Atlanta Women’s Foundation

• Pursuing MLS at Emory University School of Law to bridge tech, AI & governance

Shana Sanders is the Founder and CEO of We Create Tech, a fast-rising nonprofit committed 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 leads national and global initiatives focused on youth empowerment, certification access, and workforce readiness.

Under her leadership, We Create Tech has partnered with Microsoft, Google, Best Buy, CompTIA, and the U.S. Department of State via the Mandela Washington Fellowship. She is the creator of TechRise, a digital ecosystem for student success, and is leading efforts to launch a free tech hub in Atlanta.

Shana was recognized as a trusted voice in Microsoft’s UniversalHer program and is widely known for her bold, equity-centered approach to education, mentorship, and innovation.

Kerri Sauer (She/Her/Hers) is a Global Technology Leader and Catalyst for Change known for a keen focus on delivery, execution, transformation, and change management. Sauer currently serves as the Leader for the U.S. Payments Practice at Sia Partners where she guides the firm’s go-to-market strategy, client delivery, and team development across major accounts. With deep expertise in Payments Modernization, Digital Transformation, and Scaled Agile Delivery, Kerri has led numerous companies through complex engagements across card processing, core banking modernization, and regulatory compliance. Her ability to deliver results in fast paced, high-stakes environments has made her a trusted advisor to senior executives in the C-Suites across banks, fintechs, and processors. Prior to joining Sia Partners, Kerri served at the Officer level as the Vice President of Transformation for Fannie Mae, the leading source of mortgage financing in the United States.

In her role as the head of Transformation at Fannie Mae, Kerri was responsible for the design and execution of their Digital Transformation Roadmap, support and oversight for cross-functional program management, ongoing maturation and expansion of the Enterprise Operating Model and training strategy, as well as the DevSecOps and Agile Practices, including the Agile Center of Excellence.

She has 25 years of experience in Consulting, IT, and the Financial Services & FinTech industries. Prior to Fannie Mae, Sauer ran the Agile Center of Excellence at Truist Bank (SunTrust & BB&T), and previously worked with North Highland and Elavon. Kerri has a reputation for being the go-to leader to engage for impact, regardless of the situation and believes in bringing your whole self to work and any situation. Because of this philosophy, Sauer has a significant track record of building high performing and engaged leadership teams that have an immediate effect on the entire organization.

Kerri is also a highly engaged community leader within Atlanta, serving on non-profit boards, volunteering, and advocating on behalf of various causes, and is particularly known for being a STEAM champion (don’t forget the A!). She has served as a Board Member of Hands On Atlanta and a member of the Advisory Council for Chris180, WIT (Women in Technology)’s Director for their Executive Coaching Program, UNCF Atlanta, Out Front Theatre Company – Atlanta’s only LGBTQIA+ theatre (founding Board Member, former President and Chairwoman of the Board and subsequent Advisory Board member), Girls Inc. of Atlanta, and Theatre Emory. She is a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2017 and Leadership Cobb’s Class of 2022.

Kateau James is the Global Chief Information Officer (CIO) at McKinsey & Company, where she leads the Technology & Digital organization – the technology arm that designs, develops and manages cutting- edge technologies that empower all firm colleagues worldwide and shapes the future of work. She leads teams to advance operational excellence, enhance collaboration, and deliver exceptional outcomes for both colleagues and clients.

From overseeing global device management, office technology, improving colleague productivity, and championing new digital experiences to driving global CRM, finance and payroll transformations, her work is redefining how McKinsey operates, collaborates, and delivers value. Kateau oversees a mission-critical tech organization, scaling its capabilities to match firm growth ambitions. She leads strategic “buy vs. build” decisions, builds high-performing diverse teams, manages vendor partnerships, and ensures the seamless integration of robust data infrastructures. Kateau is responsible for ensuring that digital solutions are not only implemented but embraced and maintained across the organization.

At the heart of her leadership is a vision for creating a seamless and productive digital workplace that drives impact at scale. Before joining McKinsey in 2023, Kateau was the Global Chief Operations Officer (COO) for Deloitte Technology, where she led global IT operations and governance, IT transformation, enterprise architecture, enterprise data and innovation strategies. With over 20 years in informational technology, she has consistently delivered transformative results via from full life cycle software development to organizational change and tech strategy. Kateau is a PhD candidate at Hampton University, holds an MBA in Finance from Auburn University, a BS in Business Information Systems from Albany State University, a CIO certification from the Technology Association of Georgia, and a master’s Certification in IT Project Management from George Washington University.

Kateau is an active board member of the Boys and Girls Club of America and NPower, working to advance economic and educational opportunities for underserved communities. She is also an active board member of Georgia Future Business Leaders of America and a member of the Georgia Department of Education Information Technology Advisory Committee, Georgia CIO, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Kateau currently resides in Atlanta, GA.

Women In Technology (WIT) @ Kennesaw State University connects students with industry leaders and peers to advance careers in STEM and technology. During the Fall 2024/Spring 2025 school year, the club hosted two major events: the Internship Panel on February 5, 2025, co-hosted with the Coles Fintech & Payments Club and Business Technology Association, which drew over 60 students and featured insights on internships, networking, and professional development; and the Amazon Tech Panel on March 25, 2025, engaging another 60+ students with Amazon professionals sharing career pathways and recruitment strategies. Feedback highlighted the value of connecting with both peers and industry mentors, emphasizing the impact of these opportunities on students’ professional growth.

In addition to hosting events, WIT @ KSU partnered with Books of Africa for four volunteer sessions, contributing to the local community and reinforcing the importance of giving back. Club members who represented KSU in the Job Shadow program included Nallely Rendon, Alondra Sanchez, Annie Bui, Clarissa Guzman, Run Par, Jennifer Aguilar, Fatima Seck, and Esmeralda Melendez. While the club did not participate in the Group Mentoring Program during this period, they plan to expand member engagement with additional support and resources in the upcoming school year.