Her Story
About Kumba
Kumba Janga is a data and AI governance architect with over 20 years of experience in technology. She spent the past 14 years at JPMorgan Chase, where she progressed through roles including data warehouse QA lead, compliance liaison lead, rules engineering, and data governance architect overseeing risk data attributes in the community and consumer banking segment. Prior to that, she worked for six years at PHH Mortgage in QA and compliance-related projects involving Dodd Frank and RESPA. Janga earned her degree in information systems from Drexel University in Philadelphia with a minor in business and performing arts. She also holds an AI governance and strategy certificate from UPenn and continuously pursues training to stay current in the rapidly evolving field. She is the chapter president of Blacks in Technology in Philadelphia and volunteers with the Knowledge House in New York, a tech workforce development program for youth. In 2022, she was recognized as a Realist Engineers Honoree on Technically's list of most influential technologists in Philadelphia.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kumba
01What do you attribute your success to?
My father and family kept me grounded. I was a teenage mother and didn't want to disappoint my family, so my father gave me the push I needed to not give up and keep moving forward.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Educate yourself, continue to learn, be a lifetime learner. Always expand your network. And always be ready and available.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Always believe that you belong there in the room. In a male-dominated field, you have to always tell yourself that you belong there. Stand straight, shoulders up, you belong there.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenge is myself - imposter syndrome, especially in technology where things change drastically. Opportunities in AI governance, responsible AI, and helping organizations implement regulations like EU AI Act and NIST frameworks.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Morals and moral grounding. Family is important - whether blood or adopted family. Being a good person and treating people the way you want to be treated.
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