ABOUT US

Even at a young age, Avis Yates Rivers demonstrated a unique ability to envision possibilities and recognize opportunities, and credits growing up with five siblings in New York City as an important period in her life that prepared her well for the challenges that lay ahead. During the early part of her professional career, Avis enjoyed a highly successful eleven-year tenure at Exxon, five of which were spent selling early technology solutions to firms in lower Manhattan. This experience formed the platform from which she would eventually launch her own business. When Exxon sold off its Office Systems Division in 1985, it left a temporary void in the marketplace, which provided Avis with the opportunity to establish her first technology company and continue to service Exxon’s customers.

Never shying away from hard work and always willing to do what was necessary to succeed, Avis has accomplished a great deal as she continues to build on her 30-year career in the world of business. A strong believer in the late Shirley Chisholm’s ideal that “service is the rent you pay for the privilege of living on this earth,” Avis subscribes to both the principles and the practice of being ‘in service.’ She is a long-time advocate for the increased utilization of minority and women-owned businesses, and a change agent for increasing the meaningful participation of women and people of color in technology.

In that vein, Avis authored a book that breaks down the challenges of getting more women and people of color into tech. It also provides a road map to solving this ever-expanding problem. Avis’s book, Necessary Inclusion, was published in December 2017 and is available here. You can also go to avisyatesrivers.com for more information about her life, the book, book signings and personal speaking engagements.

She serves as a Director on the Board of a select group of non-profit organizations and is the National Spokesperson for NCWIT’s Sit With Me Campaign. Avis also serves on the board of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO).

She is a highly sought after business leader, a nationally recognized thought leader and social entrepreneur, and an effective, in-demand international speaker. Other awards and honors include Entrepreneur of the Year, Woman of Distinction, the Shirley Chisholm Award for Business, Top 10 Women in Technology and Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs & Business Owners, among many others.

Edwina joins TCGi as our Chief Operating and Chief Growth Officer. Edwina’s amazing career spans over 3 decades as an IT and business executive.

Edwina began her career in Washington, DC at IBM Corporation as a sales representative. She esteemed herself as Rep of the Year before leaving to pursue a career as VP of Sales with a large government integrator. She later joined Lotus Development as a Business Development Executive during the global launch of Lotus Notes.

Edwina is an innovator, pioneer, and skillful business development leader. Under her leadership, she has architected and implemented global site licensing programs, transformed businesses burdened by multi-million dollar distressed programs; lead DEI initiatives in UK and in the USA, as well as successfully managed global organizations with a P&L over $250M.

Her global leadership has been instrumental in creating Organizational Change Management solutions for Global Fortune 100 companies, enabling them to seamlessly onboard and adopt digital modernization and transformation solutions for ERP implementations, Human Capital Management (HCM) Workforce Management and Cloud migrations with minimal disruption while accelerating the realization of corporate objectives and outcomes.

Edwina is a highly sought after trusted advisor with C-Level executives seeking strategic counsel for optimization of business growth, IT and business alignment and rationalization, and global operational transformation.

She is a passionate People First leader who fervently believes in establishing healthy corporate cultures that both attract and retain high performing individuals where people are encouraged to be authentic and are valued.

Edwina is an alumna of Boston University and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She has been married for over 30 years and is the proud mother of 4 amazing adult children. She is sought after as a speaker, mentor, and women's group leader.

Her passions include mentoring women, traveling with her husband, and serving at her church Transformation Church, Tulsa OK.

As a seasoned Chief of Staff and Project Officer, Lyria combines strategic vision with operational excellence. She navigates complex organizations skillfully, building high-performing teams that drive transformative results. Lyria's keen eye for detail and efficiency optimizes processes and resources, achieving ambitious goals. Her diplomatic approach and clear communication foster collaboration at all levels. Leveraging extensive project management expertise and adaptable leadership, Lyria delivers exceptional outcomes in dynamic environments, whether leading critical initiatives or advising executives.

Lyria’s extensive experience spans a variety of corporate roles and clients, such as Technology Concepts Group Int’l (TCGi), Chubb Insurance, The Department of Veterans Affairs, America Online, Iron Mountain, Starr Insurance, and The Depository Trust Corporation, to name a few.

Under Lyria’s strategic guidance, implementing a high-stakes client engagement marked a significant milestone at TCGi, showcasing her adeptness in managing complex projects and her commitment to operational excellence and client satisfaction. This initiative fortified the client relationship and was a model for future engagements.

Lyria's exceptional program management skills were demonstrated when she rescued an $8M multinational digital transformation project, reducing delivery time by 25%. Her consultancy with The Department of Veterans Affairs saw her leading strategic initiatives for the CIO, including developing an executive dashboard for Congress and restructuring IT departments. As a certified leadership coach, Lyria integrates coaching expertise into her projects, fostering project success and team member growth. This unique approach results in cohesive teams and superior outcomes, distinguishing her in project management.

With an impressive track record and a proactive approach to overcoming challenges, Lyria continues to inspire and lead in every endeavor, making her an asset to any organization aiming to innovate and excel in a dynamic global market.

Paul Mayne’s passion for technology has taken him from different roles as a consultant (interim CIO) at PWC to Convergys as a Professional Services Director. He was also CIO for Cable and Wireless, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago, and Unicomer International. He has been a Business Consultant with EMC/DELL and Practice leader/director for CIBER, focusing on telecommunications, retail, finance and hospitality. His experience in enterprise architecture, customer experience, digital transformation, billing and settlement, cloud services, mobile applications, and business intelligence has led to key roles in companies including Del Monte Foods, Verizon, Cable & Wireless, T-Mobile USA, and Hilton Worldwide.

Jeff’s career began as a Networking Engineer at Burroughs (later Unisys), travelling the world installing specialized communications processors. He soon transitioned to Data Processing and Networking for many large corporations in the Las Vegas Valley as an Interim Data Processing Manager, Data Processing Managers Association President, and Independent Consultant – even founding the very First Commercial ISP in Metro Las Vegas. Jeff spearheaded the development of a comprehensive Mutual Fund Simulation System for the training of Investment Fund Managers connected to Forbes, as well as Benefits and Scheduling Management Systems for eWomenNetwork, an International Women-owned Business Support Organization in Dallas, the Radio Advertising Trafficking System for the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) in Dallas, and the Service Activation system for activating the WiFi Services onboard American Airlines aircraft for Sprint, in Fort Worth. When not flipping bits, Jeff has a passion for Real Estate Investing and is one of those “flippers” (although he wouldn’t call himself that).

Tjani Gomez is a seasoned financial professional with extensive experience in overseeing financial operations, ensuring accuracy in reporting, and driving strategic decision-making. In his role as Financial Controller at TCGI, Tjani is focused on maintaining the organization’s financial health, streamlining processes, and providing valuable insights to support business growth.

With a 12-year background in finance and accounting, Tjani has held various leadership roles, where he developed expertise in streamlining financial processes, optimizing performance, and supporting organizational growth.

Outside of work, Tjani enjoys spending time in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, playing the piano, and unwinding with his favorite anime series.

Chris Vechik brings over two decades of seasoned expertise in tactical sourcing, strategic sourcing, purchasing management, and materials management. Chris engages in collaborative coordination with internal and external stakeholders, strategically utilizing market insights to formulate and implement optimal outsourcing strategies. With 15 years of contract negotiation and supplier development & management experience, Chris is adept at employing contract management practices to secure competitive agreements swiftly and effectively.

Chris coordinates closely with business partners, ensuring alignment with sourcing strategies while addressing evolving business requirements through robust supplier relationships. Leveraging his experience in RFX Methodology, RFQ, RFP, and RFI, Chris systematically evaluates vendor capabilities and offerings to fulfill organizational needs.

Guiding project teams through the intricacies of the sourcing and procurement lifecycle, Chris provides invaluable insights and recommendations, steering initiatives towards success while adhering to industry best practices.

Facilitating comprehensive vendor evaluations through meticulous bidding processes and capabilities assessments, Chris maintains a focus on performance, promptly addressing any discrepancies and implementing remediation plans as necessary.

Chris provides projects timely, accurately, and within corporate budgets. He will manage any project, of any size to completion in a professional and tactful manner. His overall performance will be an asset to any organization that acquires his expertise.

Chris received his bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Akron in 2000. When not at work you can find Chris on the beach or running in the local half marathon.

As a seasoned Business Development Executive with over 7 years of experience, Ryan drives growth, new business opportunities and strategic partnerships at TCGi. Specializing in market expansion, client acquisition, and revenue generation, Ryan has a proven track record of identifying new opportunities and cultivating strong relationships across various industries such as healthcare, government, legal and technology.

Ryan is passionate about understanding client needs, developing tailored solutions and facilitating long-term collaborations that deliver measurable value. With a background in technology and healthcare, Ryan brings a data-driven approach to business growth and a deep understanding of market and industry dynamics.

Prior to joining TCGi, Ryan held key roles at software, technology and healthcare organizations, where he led successful business initiatives, expanded customer portfolios, and drove sales processes to significantly boost company revenues. Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology & Health from Iowa State University.

In his free time, Ryan enjoys traveling, new experiences and adventures, spending time with family and friends, and cheering on the Cyclones, all of which contribute to his passion, persistence and strategic approach.

processing purchase orders, and analyzing data to help clients with their Tail-Spend Management. Her career has been in the customer service space for the last 8 years, primarily in IT support. She now uses her Data Science certification from Correlation One to aid clients in Tail-Spend Management. Martina can be reached at mdavis@technologyconcepts.com

to customers for products and support renewals, processing all purchase orders, and supporting customers through order tracking and problem resolution throughout the order lifecycle. Heath has 14 years of experience in this role. He started as a Customer Service Specialist with Perfect Order / Versatile Systems, Inc. in 2005, supporting a large sales team for this VAR (Value Added Reseller) working in the IT solutions space. Along with being a customer service representative, he began managing customer IT support contracts as part of the maintenance team by providing proactive renewal quotes to facilitate contract renewal and helping customers avoid coverage lapses for all their IT hardware and software. He later also took on the role of Purchasing Coordinator, processing all customer orders and maintaining strong relationships with vendors and distributors. Heath has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Penn State University. Prior to his sales support roles, he worked for 8+ years in human services, acting as a mental health case manager coordinating mental health services and providing support for children with mental health needs in residential, school, home, and community settings. In his free time, Heath is an avid sports fan. He enjoys playing golf, as well as playing baseball, basketball, tennis, and shooting pool with his 3 kids.

Rigobert Sendze is a results-driven Contract Administrator with over five years of experience in managing complex contracts. His expertise encompasses the negotiation, drafting, and coordination of various contract types, including MSAs, SOWs, RFPs, SLAs, and NDAs. Rigobert is passionate about driving lean initiatives that enhance operational efficiency within teams.

With a strong attention to detail, Rigobert ensures that all contracts are meticulously reviewed and executed. His comprehensive understanding of business principles supports his ability to maintain compliance and mitigate risks effectively. He is skilled in using tools like SAP Ariba, Microsoft Office, and DocuSign to streamline contract administration processes.

Throughout his career, Rigobert has collaborated with cross-functional teams, including Legal, Marketing, Finance, and Sales, to develop contract templates and ensure adherence to regulatory standards. His leadership in designing and implementing sales offer approval processes has resulted in improved efficiency and reduced cycle times across the organization.

Rigobert is known for his collaborative approach and ability to juggle multiple projects while maintaining confidentiality and compliance with laws and regulations. Committed to delivering exceptional results, he is a valuable asset to any organization, consistently driving improvement and fostering teamwork.

Houston Rye brings over 12 years of comprehensive experience in strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, and category management, establishing himself as a pivotal figure in the procurement field. His expertise encompasses a deep understanding of advanced sourcing techniques and the intricacies of negotiating complex contracts. His adept use of industry-leading tools such as Ariba, Oracle, and the Microsoft Suite has enabled him to streamline sourcing processes and optimize procurement performance.

Throughout his career, Houston has demonstrated an ability to build and sustain strong supplier relationships. His technical approach to running RFXs, RFQs, and managing vendor interactions has resulted in enhanced supplier performance and reliable partnerships. His commitment to fostering transparent and collaborative relationships with suppliers has consistently contributed to successful outcomes and strategic advantages for his organizations.

Houston's extensive experience is marked by his ability to navigate and resolve complex procurement challenges, leveraging his strong analytical skills and industry knowledge. His career reflects a consistent track record of driving procurement excellence and delivering substantial value through innovative sourcing strategies and effective contract management.

Houston's leadership in the procurement domain underscores his role as a trusted advisor and a key contributor to the success of the organizations he has served.