Lori D. Coombs: Going Against the Grain

Women have made remarkable progress in the workforce and have risen to the top of their fields. In some fields like engineering, aeronautics, defense, and space women are disproportionately represented. Women are highly under-represented in these sectors as they are perceived to be soft-spoken and generally “unfit” to manage critical roles. In a bid to change the dynamics of such industries and support organizations to bring about change, Lori D. Coombs founded WWCM to provide practical solutions and deliver strategic capabilities. 

Initial Journey 

Lori holds a bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and two master’s degrees. The first is a master’s in Business Administration, and the second is a master’s in Systems Engineering. Additionally, she has completed courses in financial planning and aeronautical space engineering. Lori is currently pursuing a D.Sc. in Cybersecurity from Marymount University.   

Lori D. Coombs mentions that her parents allowed her to work at age 14, and this provided her with a sense of responsibility and helped her understand how to manage money efficiently. Soon after, she started working on Capitol Hill for Connecticut state Senator Chris Dodd and Senator Joe Lieberman. Lori was appointed Female Delegate when Lieberman was running as the Democratic nominee for Vice President in the 2000 US presidential election. She was responsible for assisting government agencies to submit correspondence for the President’s Budget. This proved to be a great learning opportunity for her and played a pivotal role in shaping her career as a businesswoman. 

Inception of WWCM 

Lori D. Coombs founded WWCM with a mission to support organizations in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) to achieve their goals. WWCM also works toward accelerating the development of safe, high-volume flight operations by bringing together the broad community involved in developing Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystems from an Aircraft, Airspace, and Community Integration perspective. 

The key services that WWCM offers are cyber security, cloud integration, (C5ISR), defense weaponry, and next-gen systems. WWCM co-sponsored the 26th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference which aims to leverage advanced air mobility and traffic management by deploying next-generation systems and AI and machine learning. Further, assisting users with moving data infrastructures securely into the Cloud that meets Agile SAFe, ISO, NIST 800-171, and DFARS 7012 compliance is one of the many services that WWCM offers. Its ramp-up process is designed to empower organizations to develop strategies that enable teams to execute time-sensitive tasks, milestones, and objectives. WWCM also works with vehicle industries and assists with services such as fabrication, engine making, next-generation systems, and cybersecurity, besides offering next-generation services such as virtual reality and data analytics to help businesses stay in alignment with the digital world. 

Lori has worked in various industries that are otherwise highly dominated by men, and NASA is one such organization. Her team worked on moving NASA’s data into the Cloud. WWCM currently supports efforts at NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, and manages the tasks of several Engineering teams for Earthdata Infrastructure and Earthdata Login missions. Lori gained experience moving data infrastructures into the Cloud through onboarding initiatives with the Next Generation Application Platform (NGAP) Operations team. NGAP provides a cloud-based Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution for Customer applications. In addition, she has gained experience supporting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the (DNI) – Open-Source Center, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) and the US Senate. 

The Inception of WWCM Academy 

Lori D. Coombs also initiated the WWCM Academy, a not-for-profit outreach venture in the DC area, with a vision to provide an accessible STEAM-focused curriculum to students of all ages to enhance their current educational base while promoting the culture of lifelong learning to guide them along their future career paths. The initiative functions on donations and grants, and Lori aims to make the programs more accessible across the country. “When you enjoy what you are doing, it does not feel like work. It becomes your passion and helps you take the lead in life. Each day, I am filled with the urge to help others. It is my passion and something that drives me to keep moving forwards in life,” Lori says. 

For over a decade, Lori has served as a Judge and Website Evaluator for “FIRST” Robotics Competitions assisting high school students with autonomous robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI). She also mentors STEM subjects for Girls in Technology (GIT).  Helping Disabled Veterans drives her passion for supporting the DoD and the US Intelligence Community (IC). 

Hiccups Along the Way 

Navigating the storm of being a woman in a male-dominated industry was not easy for Lori. The global pandemic made situations more difficult. Lori intended to open a physical academy for students, but due to COVID-19, the plans did not materialize. Currently, she operates an online academy to help students. Anyone can visit the WWCM Academy website and donate/purchase things to support the cause. The money received will be used for the children’s outreach program. 

Word of Advice 

Lori’s story is one of inspiration and determination. Carving a path in a male-dominated enterprise is an achievement in itself. Having donned many hats, Lori has gained diverse knowledge and expanded her way of thinking, and believes that women entrepreneurs should do the same. “I feel women bring more perspective to the marketplace, which can help innovate and expand a business. So, being a female should not be considered a weakness. Instead, work on your ideas and strengths and keep moving ahead on the path to progress,” Lori adds.