Dirt road born and raised in rural South Carolina, Michele Heyward’s one of five children and was known for being quiet unlike the confident leader she is today. She is not your typical tech startup CEO. Michele may appear as an extrovert, but she’s actually an ambivert at heart. And while she hated coding in school, she loved math and its endless possibilities.

As the founder and CEO of PositiveHire, Michele is dedicated to empowering Black, Latina and Indigenous women in STEM. Her innovative software, PH Balanced, focuses on retaining underrepresented women in STEM management positions. Through her work as a People Analytics Consultant and Certified ISO-30415 Diversity & Inclusion Professional, Michele helps companies create equitable and inclusive workplaces for all.

Michele holds a BS in Civil Engineering and an MS in Industrial Management from Clemson University. She has experience as a construction project manager in the energy sector building the power grid…it’s women’s work, so someone had to do it!