Laine Powell

Dr. Laine Powell is the founder and CEO of Tech Sassy Girlz, a Florida based non-profit organization dedicated to building the future workforce by transforming the lives of adolescent girls to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields through career readiness, mentoring and entrepreneurship.

Taking on the challenge head-on of addressing the notable shortage of girls and women in STEM fields, Dr. Powell created the organization in 2012 to address the critical shortage of women and minorities being represented in high-tech STEM careers. She firmly believes that leveraging technology is an opportunity for girls to be content creators, makers and entrepreneurs. To date, Tech Sassy Girlz has served over 3,000 girls.

In 2026, Dr. Powell received the Linda Landman Gonzalez Leadership Award and the University of Central Florida College of Business Entrepreneurial Knight Award. In 2025, Dr. Powell received the Frost Luminary Award presented by Congressman Maxwell Frost. As part of this distinguished acknowledgement, Dr. Powell’s name has been officially entered into the Congressional Record. Also in 2025, Dr. Powell was recognized by Winter Park City Magazine as a Woman of Influence. In 2024, she was recognized as one of Orange Appeal Magazine’s 2023 Woman of the Year, 2022 Heart of Florida United Way Change Maker, Onyx Magazine’s 2022 Woman on the Move, Orlando Business Journal’s 2021 Women Who Mean Business, 2021, Orlando Magic Social Justice Game Changer, Orlando Magazine’s 2020 Woman of the Year, WESH 2 News and Orlando Magic Community Champion and received the 2021 WTS International Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership award, African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida Eagle Award, i4Business Magazine Spirit of Collaboration award, University of Central Florida Trailblazer Award, featured on PBS, NPR, ABC, Fox and received a host of other community and professional awards. Dr. Powell has been published in the Orlando Sentinel and the Orlando Business Journal.

Dr. Powell was featured in the Legacy of Excellence: Phenomenal Black Women in Central Florida Exhibit at the Women’s History & Cultural Center. Created to highlight the lives and legacies of African-American women who have significantly contributed to the Greater Orlando area, this exhibit featured women from a variety of professional fields who have shattered glass ceilings and laid the foundation for generations to come.

In the community, Dr. Powell is a member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the University of Florida Alumni Association, and serves on the board of Florida Network of Youth and Family Services, and the Women’s Business Center at Seminole State College. Dr. Powell recently served a four year term on the board of Florida Polytechnic University.