OREANDA-NEWS. January 12, 2016. Time Inc.’s ESSENCE, PEOPLE and PEOPLE EN ESPANOL are partnering with Intel for the first time to present the inaugural “Women Who Spark” Awards, honoring female trailblazers in the field of technology. The invitation-only awards celebration will take place on January 7, 2016, during the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the OMD Oasis, the CES Thought Leadership Center created by media agency OMD, at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

The “Women Who Spark” Awards will feature opening remarks from United States Chief Technology Officer

Megan Smith and will recognize four notable female honorees for their outstanding achievements in technology:

  • Alba Colon – Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

  • Kimberly Bryant – CEO, Black Girls Code

  • Telle Whitney – CEO and President, Anita Borg Institute

  • Shantell Martin – Visual Artist

“This powerful first-time collaboration—combining the forces of ESSENCE, PEOPLE and PEOPLE en ESPA?OL—provides a diverse platform with broad reach to celebrate four extraordinary trailblazers from around the world, women whose work has broken gender barriers and inspired today’s high-tech evolution,” said ESSENCE President Michelle Ebanks. “Together, these influential Time Inc. brands and Intel are on the cutting edge of creating a movement to encourage future generations of female technologists to follow in the footsteps of these iconic ‘Women Who Spark’.”

"Innovative women have always been trailblazers in science and tech, but so often they are left out of history or are missing in our day-to-day media,” said United States Chief Technology Officer

Megan Smith. “In order to fully realize our country's potential, it's critical to celebrate all of our innovation heroes. Congratulations to this year's ‘Women Who Spark’ award winners and the organizers—ESSENCE, PEOPLE and PEOPLE en ESPA?OL—who are working to bring this needed and rightful visibility.”

“Intel is proud to partner with Time Inc. and honor women technology leaders for their unprecedented accomplishments.” said

Danielle Brown, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Intel Corporation. “Women such as

Ada Lovelace, regarded as the first computer programmer, and

Rosalind Franklin, who helped to unveil the structure of DNA, inspired us all to trail blaze. Alba, Kimberly, Telle and Shantell build on the early work of tech pioneers and pave a path for all women to follow.”

For more exciting news about the “Women Who Spark” Awards, including exclusive, behind-the scenes content, visit ESSENCE.com and PEOPLEENESPANOL.com.