Kaya Orkand currently works as a Manager for Orion Technology Solutions, a consulting firm focused on large-scale systems for the processing of international royalties for digital music. This is a cooperative effort involving over fifty associations in forty different countries and representing over half a million musicians. Orion has also performed system integration support for the financial services industry, credit card agencies, and large news organizations.
Kaya graduated from Bates College with a BA in English Literature. Starting her career as a Consultant at Booz-Allen & Hamilton, she played a key role in analyzing the status of Department of Defense environmental cleanup initiatives. This role deepened her involvement in the technology arena and she later joined Step 9 as a lead analyst, where she developed workflow management systems for emerging telecommunications carriers. Kaya then served as a project manager at Information Concepts, leading the gathering of business requirements and development of a web-based financial system for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Kaya lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Shane Sleighter, and their children. She is an active volunteer in her local community and deeply involved in the Orkand family’s philanthropic activities which are focused on health care, higher education, and K-12 education. She is responsible for screening and assessing potential recipients and evaluating current recipients’ results. Kaya has also served on the Ron Brown Scholar Program Selection Committee from 2014 to present.
