The Heart Behind DIGI

DIGI International Society isn't just led by a team, it’s led by a family. Three generations of women who grew up in or gave back to, and are now building for South King County.

Shyla Martinez· Founder & CEO

Shyla grew up in South King County, attending school in the Renton School District, the same communities DIGI was built to serve. She spent years leading global community engagement and strategic partnerships at Amazon, designing corporate-nonprofit collaborations that reached communities across the globe. That work showed her two things clearly: cross-sector partnership is one of the most powerful tools for change, and authentic transformational impact requires a holistic approach. DIGI's Five-Pillar model came directly from that gap. Shyla built the organization she wished existed when she was growing up, one that invests in every part of who a young person is becoming. She also founded ShyMar & Associates, LLC, a community impact strategy consulting firm, and co-founded GLOW Retreats, LLC, a luxury-brand women’s restorative wellness retreat; bringing cross-sector fluency and a deep commitment to cultural humility to everything she builds.

Kathy Phillips· VP & COO

Before Shyla ever set foot in a boardroom, Kathy was already teaching her what community looks like. Not as a concept, but as a practice. Kathy brings decades of lived experience and operational instinct to DIGI's day-to-day foundation. As VP and COO, she is the steady hand behind program logistics, organizational infrastructure, and the countless details that keep a mission moving forward. Kathy's presence at DIGI isn't symbolic. It's strategic. She carries the institutional knowledge of what South King County families actually need, because she raised one. Her leadership ensures that every operational decision stays rooted in the community DIGI exists to serve.

Zoila Martinez· Programs & Partnerships Coordinator

Zoila represents exactly what DIGI is building toward: a young leader who grew up in South King County and chose to come back and invest in the next generation. As Programs and Partnerships Coordinator, she is the connective tissue between DIGI's vision and the students, schools, and community partners who bring it to life. Zoila's proximity in age and experience to the young people DIGI serves isn't incidental. It's one of the organization's greatest strengths. She understands what resonates, what falls flat, and what it takes to build real trust with the youth this work is intended for.

Three Generations. One Mission.

DIGI's leadership isn't generational by coincidence. It's generational by design. Kathy built the values. Shyla built the strategy. Zoila builds the bridge to the young people walking through the door. Together, they bring something no org chart can manufacture: a shared history with the community they serve, and a personal stake in its future.