The 5 most impressive women in technology
Women only earn 28 percent of all computer science degrees, and just 7 percent of partners at top 100 venture capital firms are women. Still, there are more than a few chips in the “glass ceiling.”
Plenty of women are inspiring the next generation of start-up founders, software designers, programmers, and developers. Here are five women in technology you should get to know in 2018.
Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook)
Forbes magazine has named Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, the most powerful woman in tech for six (that’s right, six) consecutive years.
But Facebook isn’t her only claim to fame.
Sandberg’s organization, Lean In, actively pushes for more female C-suite executives — which is important since women only hold 5 percent of CEO jobs in the S&P 500 (according to a recent CNN survey).
“We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.” — Sheryl Sandberg
Susan Wojcicki (YouTube)
Over at YouTube, Susan Wojcicki rules the roost.
This inspirational technology leader has spoken out about the gender gap in the C-suite and encourages more women to move to Silicon Valley. Wojcicki took over the video-sharing platform in 2014, and since then, she’s increased the number of female employees from 24 percent to nearly 30 percent. Pretty impressive, right?
“You see a lot of powerful women on the internet, but I wish there were more,” says Wojcicki. “I think the internet really could use a lot more women.”
Khalia Braswell (Apple/INTech Camp for Girls)
There are fewer black women in tech now than there were 10 years ago. But women like Khalia Braswell are in the process of reversing this trend.
The self-proclaimed “digital diva” has thousands of followers on Twitter and works as a user experience engineer at Apple. However, it’s her work for the INTech Camp for Girls in North Carolina that’s got everyone talking. Braswell established the camp to inspire more young girls to break through into the tech sector.
Meg Whitman (Hewlett-Packard)
Frequently listed as one of the most successful women in tech, Meg Whitman has worked for a handful of multinationals, including Walt Disney, DreamWorks, Hasbro, eBay, and Procter & Gamble.
Today, Whitman serves as Hewlett-Packard’s CEO, where she encourages business growth and makes decisions that have huge ramifications in the tech industry. Many up-and-coming startup founders and business owners cite Whitman as a major inspiration.
“You can kill a man, but you can’t kill an idea.” — Meg Whitman
Whitney Wolfe (Bumble)
Whitney Wolfe left Tinder and established Bumble, a dating app that turns the tables and puts women in control. The female-built app is officially one of the most popular apps in the dating sector and has even inspired a spin-off, Bumble BFF.
To date, more than 21 million people have signed up for Bumble, making Wolfe one of the biggest players in the app industry.
“Have a dream, chase it down, jump over every single hurdle, and run through fire and ice to get there.” Whitney Wolfe.
These five powerful women have had an immeasurable impact on business, and they continue to shape the tech zeitgeist. Sandberg, Wojcicki, Braswell, Whitman, and Wolfe have gotten to where they are because of their talent, innovation and will to succeed. So the question is: Who’s going to be next?
