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Manifesting Success: Sandy Martins ’08 Honored at TECH10 Awards
Each year, Rhode Island Monthly Magazine honors the state’s biggest innovators in the technology field at their TECH10 Awards. Among the 2025 honorees was JWU alumnus Sandy Martins ’08, who graduated from Johnson & Wales with a degree in Computer Graphics and New Media (now our Design program).
The Boston, Massachusetts native has always had a fascination with computers, technology and design. Though she explored some college options in her hometown, she ultimately chose JWU to gain some independence in a new city. “The freedom of being in Rhode Island away from my family and establishing my own self had me curious, so I took the leap and here I am 20+ years later still living in Rhode Island!” Martins laughed. 
Those 20+ years have been spent building a seasoned career in technology, operations and project management — a career that Martins says technically started in her first year at JWU. “My work-study job was being a lab assistant in the computer lab,” she explained. “I maintained the printer, helped with the summer updates, upgrades and anything of that nature. So that's how I got a little handy with the hardware and software things, and I ended up working there the entire four years I was at JWU.”
Her JWU professors offered her a lot of support and even helped her land an internship with a tech company, Carousel Industries, that ultimately led to her first job. She started as a documentation specialist but was quickly pulled into the project management office. “That's where I really got to be hands-on with the company side of things,” she said. “I stepped into that role and learned more about project management and how that dovetails with the level of technology and working with people.”
She continued working part-time with the company throughout college and was offered a full-time position right after graduation. “I spent six years there, learning and taking in as much as I could,” Martins said. “I was proud to be a young project manager, the youngest one in that office. But it was really cool to work alongside some of the senior project managers who I'm still in contact with to this day.”
Continuing her career in IT project management, she moved on to positions at RI Quality Institute and then Collette Travel. A couple of years into her time at Collette, the COVID pandemic hit, bringing the travel industry to a halt. By the summer of 2020, the company had to start letting go of employees — including Martins.
“It was my very first time not having a job during the summertime,” she said. “But I made a conscious decision to not worry about work for the next two months. I wanted to take the time back for myself and really understand my next path and where I'm going. I’m really big on manifesting and planning out my future, so I decided to call that time my ‘fun employment.’”
She spent the summer making jewelry, biking and spending time with family. By August, she was ready to start manifesting new opportunities, so on a visit to the beach, she contemplated what she wanted to do next. “I knew I wanted to keep myself in the technology sector, but I wasn't sure which path I wanted to go into next,” Martins said. “I loved project management, it's always going to be a passion of mine, but I wanted to move on to the next level. I wanted to have a leadership role, to have more responsibilities and really help drive decision making related to technology and operations. Sure enough, I manifested that job.”
A couple of days later, she got a message on LinkedIn from a recruiter who thought she’d be a perfect fit for a director of information technology (IT) role. The position was with MENTOR, a nonprofit organization that helps develop structured youth mentoring relationships across the U.S. Within a month, she was hired and hit the ground running.
But stepping into a leadership role in a new industry didn’t come without its challenges. “I feel like I was spoiled coming from the corporate world, because it's very structured and you have a support system,” she said. “At MENTOR, I had to learn how to develop that internally with less because it’s a smaller organization.”
Still, she managed to implement a new three-year strategic plan which included embracing new technology to improve the organization’s operations. “I learned a lot about change management, how personalities clash and how to work through difficult conversations,” Martins said. “I think that's one huge thing that I can take from this organization, learning when to meet people where they are and hold their hands, and when to step back and be more patient.”
Aside from the obvious challenge of helping people embrace new technology, Martins also revealed some of her personal challenges in navigating the IT field. “Working in the technology sector is very hard,” she said. “A lot of times I am the only woman in a room or I'm the only black woman in the room, so the imposter syndrome and self-doubt kicks in. It’s challenging to go through those ebbs and flows.”
"Insert yourself — don't wait for someone to invite you to that table."
In a moment of confidence, she decided to nominate herself for the TECH10 Awards. Months later, she had forgotten all about it — but the congratulatory email from TECH10 came at the perfect time. “I was having a moment where I was asking myself ‘Am I doing the right thing? Should I move into another industry?’ and I was looking for some reassurance or a reminder. That’s when I got the email that I had won.”
Getting that recognition validated her career decisions and allowed her to reflect on what she has accomplished. “I think back to all the professors and teachers who saw something in me that, at times, I didn't see in myself. And I think back on having to be the only black woman in the room and being looked over countless times before in other organizations. But this recognition proves that no matter what challenges I have gone through, I’m meant to be in this position, I’m ready and have been ready for the role I’m in and I should continue on.”
She hopes to be an inspiration to other young black women who want to get into the technology field, and she shared some great advice. “It can be challenging to keep up your morale and feel like you’re invited to the table, so a lot of times you have to insert yourself,” she said. “I make sure that I show up as personable as possible and be my authentic self to get to people's heart first, before I get to their mind with my expertise. So, my advice is to be true to yourself, don’t back down from challenges and insert yourself — don’t wait for someone to invite you to that table.”
