There is no shortage of prominent men in science and technology, from Bill Gates to Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerberg to the late Steve Jobs. The tech industry, like any other, appears to be dominated by men. Women hold only 26.5 percent of executive and senior-level positions in S&P 500 corporations, according to statistics. Given these depressing figures, it’s past time to shine a light on today’s prominent and powerful women in technology.
Female tech employees range from 20% (Microsoft) to 23% (Facebook) at big tech corporations like Facebook, Apple, Google, and Microsoft (Apple, Google, Facebook). While there have been pioneering women in technology history, such as Ada Lovelace, who have transformed the world, women are still underrepresented in the industry today. That is, however, slowly but steadily changing for the better as more females learn to code and master computer languages, making them a part of women’s history.
Here’s a list of ten well-known and significant women in technology whose work in computer programming, information technology, programming languages, digital transformation, and new technologies has inspired us.
Rediet Abebe
Rediet is an Ethiopian computer scientist from Addis Ababa. Rediet has an exceptional educational background, having received a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a Master’s degree in applied mathematics from Harvard University. She is the first black woman in Cornell University’s history to receive a Ph.D. in computer science.
Rediet has found a way to use emerging technology to make the world a better place, despite devoting her time to algorithms and artificial intelligence. Mechanism Design for Social Good (MD4SG), an initiative to combat inequality, was co-founded by Rediet. It employs machine learning algorithms to provide historically disadvantaged communities with better access to opportunities.
Given everything Rediet had accomplished by the time she was 30, much more is anticipated of this extraordinary scientist.
Kamelia Aryafar
Kamelia Aryafar, Google’s current Chief Algorithms and Analytics Officer, is one of the most powerful women in technology today. Her main focus is on leveraging her machine learning knowledge to create Google Cloud AI solutions for various sectors. Kamelia is also a member of a number of boards, including Overstock.com, Persian Women in Tech, and the Initiative of Analytics and Data Science Standards (IADSS).
Kamelia helps Google users tailor their search experience by using data analytics and artificially intelligent code. Her team connects clients with the most appropriate products, services, and information while also stimulating their desires.
Safra Catz
Safra Catz, one of the two CEOs of Oracle Corporation, was named one of Forbes’ most powerful women in business in 2009. Oracle is a well-known computer corporation that specialises in database software, cloud software engineering systems, and enterprise software applications. Oracle was named the world’s second-largest software firm in 2019 based on revenue and market share. (Microsoft is the first.)
Safra is one of the highest-paid female CEOs in the United States, because to her unflappable business acumen. She is also a member of The Walt Disney Company’s board of directors.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra
Roshni Nadar is the first woman to run a publicly traded information technology business in India. HCL Technologies, a software services firm, is the technology company. It is a multinational company with offices in 44 countries and 250 Fortune 500 businesses among its clients.
Roshni earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and later an MBA while studying in the United States. She was named to Forbes’ list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in 2019. Despite her very hectic schedule as the CEO of a worldwide firm, Roshni continues to volunteer. She is committed to assisting India’s economically disadvantaged as well as the preservation of the country’s indigenous species and natural environments.
Zhou Qunfei
Zhou Qunfei, a Chinese businesswoman and the creator of Lens Technology, is China’s richest woman, with a net worth of over $10 billion. Zhou had a difficult childhood, and at the age of 16, she had to drop out of school and work as a migrant worker to help support her family. Later in life, she took part-time classes at Shenzhen University. She learned computer programming, accounting, customs processing, and a variety of other skills there.
Lens Technology, her company, is a touchscreen producer. It makes everything from touch panel coverings to touch sensor modules, and it’s always coming up with new and better ways to do things. Her journey to becoming a self-made billionaire has served as an inspiration to women in the computing industry all over the world.
Maria Raga
You may have heard of Depop, a fashion app that allows users to sell secondhand garments (or “pre-loved” clothes as the service calls them). It is quite fashionable, with over 140,000 products for sale each day! Depop, which bills itself as “a fashion marketplace for the next generation,” attracts largely Gen Z consumers with its bright, graphical user experience. Maria Raga, the CEO in charge of this super-app, is the one who pulls the strings.
Maria enables Depop users to develop their own distinct style and voice, and some have even made selling on Depop a full-time job. She recognises that rapid fashion is nearly extinct. Users, particularly the younger generations, desire long-lasting, ecological fashion. They want clothes that can be repurposed rather than being dumped in great condition. Maria Raga and Depop have figured out how to do just that.
Ginni Rometty
Ginni Rometty, the former CEO of IBM, is arguably one of the most well-known and prominent women in technology today. She is still on the board of directors of this multinational technology corporation that invented the hard drive, floppy disc, SQL programming language, UPC barcode, and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), among other things.
Ginni concentrated IBM’s cloud computing, analytics, and cognitive computing technologies throughout her tenure as CEO. She began her career at IBM as a systems engineer, but through hard work and perseverance, she rose to the top of the company, receiving numerous accolades along the way.
Gwynne Shotwell
Gwynne Shotwell, another member of our list of female mathematicians, is the President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX. Elon Musk established and owns SpaceX, a well-known American space transportation corporation. Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics are Gwynne’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively.
Gwynne joined SpaceX as a vice president of business development and is currently in charge of day-to-day operations. Her responsibilities include overseeing all customer relations and establishing growth strategy for the organisation. Her heart also beats for more varied spaces in science and technology, as well as the inclusion of women in computer science as a requirement for society’s progress.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that Silicon Valley is largely regarded as a men’s playground, notable female technologists are not in short supply. When it comes to women in technology who have achieved enormous success and fortune via their expertise and experience, this list is merely the tip of the iceberg.