Rhonda Childress

One of six children, Childress grew up in Kentucky.[4] Her family's source of income was low due to her father's heart condition and Childress has stated that her parents "made it very clear if I wanted to go to college, I’d have to find a way to pay for it."[4] Due to her skill in advanced math and computer science, Kentucky State University offered her a full scholarship. Later in her college career she started her work at General Motors where she received her first opportunity to work on new inventions that hadn't been done before.[4] She graduated with a Bachelor in Computer Science.[2]

Childress worked with IBM for two summers while going to the Kentucky State University for computer science before she received a job at General Motors in Michigan.[1][2][4] Later she moved to McDonnell Douglas, an aerospace company, where she worked until 1993 when IBM received a strategic outsourcing deal and Childress moved back to the company she had started in.[1][4] While raising her two boys, she worked for IBM's clients on the strategy, processing, and servicing of security systems worldwide.[5] While working with IBM Childress designed new firewall data and invented new security that compares the password's strength to the amount of time the password has been used, along with other new ideas she created during this time.[4] Over time Childress was appointed as the CTO of Security Services, a Fellow of IBM, and Master Inventor.[5]

Childress was awarded the title of Co-Inventor of the Year in 2014 by the State Bar of Texas IP Law.[6] A few years later in 2016, she was honored by The Society of Women Engineers for her individual contributions with helping teach women around her through her volunteer work at IBM Cyber Day for Girls and gave her the Spark Award.[1][6] Rhonda Childress was inducted into the Women in Technology International in 2018 for her service at IBM, her advocacy for engaging younger women in technology, and her awards over the years.[6]