Wouleta Ayele, Chief Technology Officer of sweetgreen, Joins the Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA)

LOS ANGELES, March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Driving enterprise-wide digital transformation at scale, Wouleta Ayele has joined the Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA), the invitation-only peer mentorship organization of high-level women leaders across industries.

Wouleta serves as Chief Technology Officer of Sweetgreen, where she leads the company’s technology strategy, modernizes its infrastructure, and advances customer- and retail-focused digital platforms that power continued growth. With more than 25 years of experience in technology innovation and operational leadership, she is known for building high-performing teams and delivering complex, enterprise-wide systems that transform organizations and drive measurable business impact.

Prior to Sweetgreen, Wouleta held senior technology leadership roles at iconic global brands, including Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, and Hyundai. Her experience spans cloud and digital transformation, AI/ML, IoT, scalable distributed infrastructure, enterprise risk management, business ecosystems, data and analytics, and M&A integration. Throughout her career, Wouleta has consistently driven always on operational reliability while implementing technology architectures that enable agility and competitive advantage.

“Wouleta’s leadership exemplifies the power of innovation paired with operational discipline,” said Larraine Segil, Founder and CEO of Exceptional Women Alliance. “Her ability to architect scalable technology ecosystems while cultivating strong, collaborative teams makes her an extraordinary addition to the EWA community.”

Beyond her executive leadership, Wouleta has served on the boards of Everside Health and the University of Washington Information School, providing strategic oversight on emerging technologies, institutional effectiveness, and the evolving role of digital capabilities in long-term organizational strategy. She has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as a standout business leader for her impact and forward-thinking approach and was honored by Chain Store Age as a 2025 Retail’s Top Women Awards honoree for her leadership and contributions to the industry.

Wouleta holds a Master’s degree in International Finance from Mercer University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Cumberland University.

“I’m honored and thrilled to join Exceptional Women Alliance and collaborate with accomplished leaders who are committed to excellence, growth, and meaningful impact. The opportunity to be part of a trusted community of executive peers who support one another’s journey is truly invaluable,” said Wouleta Ayele.

Through her participation in EWA, Wouleta joins a global community of accomplished women executives committed to peer mentorship, principled leadership, and sustained impact across industries.

About Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA)

The Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA) is an invitation-only peer mentorship organization where high-level Exceptional Women from across multiple industries are hand-selected and invested in, to grow, learn, share, and succeed. In addition to the achievement of significant success, the criteria for acceptance include character traits that are defining of the EWA Culture – Kindness, the Spirit of Generosity, Transparency, Gratitude, and Willingness to Share their knowledge. The Foundation is a powerhouse of peer-to-peer mentoring that provides guidance, deep connection, and leadership, propelling each woman to sustainable success—one woman at a time. The life-long program enables each participant to be connected as alumnae in the ever-expanding EWA global community, as their fellow women leaders continue to move into positions of significance.

Learn more at www.exceptionalwomenalliance.com