Photo credit: Laura Kinser of Kinserstudios.com

The Women Tech Awards has become the premier awards program for women in Utah's thriving technology community. Now in its 16th year, the Women Tech Awards program recognizes and celebrates women who have positively impacted and innovated technology in Utah. 

Cydni Tetro, Co-Founder and President of the Women Tech Council (WTC) and CEO of Brandless, formed the WTC to focus on the economic impact of women from high school to the board room. The council prioritizes opportunity, networking, mentoring, and visibility for women in technology. 

“When we created the program there were no platforms to show visibility to these great women in technology,” said Tetro. “So we created the awards. We knew that if we could shine a light on the amazing impact that women had in all of these different fields in technology, it would change what happens in the industry, and it truly has.” 

By bringing visibility to the women who are creating new technologies, leading technology companies, driving innovation and inspiring the tech community, the Women Tech Awards accelerate their career trajectories, elevate the entire technology sector, and help inspire thousands of high school girls and other women into STEM careers.

Building on this success, the WTC created a popular program for high school girls, SheTech, which has become the largest industry-led STEM program of its kind, attracting over 12,000 girls in grades 9 through 12 each year at its annual event, Explorer Day, which next year takes place, appropriately, on Pi Day, 3/14/24. 

As is always the case, SheTech participants have numerous opportunities to interact with Women Tech Nominees and Awardees. This year was no different. On October 11, 2023 at the Grand America in downtown Salt Lake City, hundreds of SheTech girls mingled with women tech leaders in the Grand Ballroom and plush hotel corridors for the sold-out Women Tech Awards ceremony. Its the premiere annual event for the women in Utah's thriving tech and business sector and all participants dress up for it. This year leather trousers were especially popular.

This year, the women receiving Women Tech Awards are:

  • Alison Fuller, Leadership Excellence Award
  • Tami Fisher, Technology Accelerator Award
  • Kim Wittman, Organizational Leadership Award
  • Jaelynn Williams, Trailblazer Award
  • Ilana Stern, Market Leadership Award
  • Carlisha Robinson, Product Leadership Award
  • Holly Rimmasch, Transformational Leadership Award
  • Anitha Christopher, Technology Excellence Award
  • Susan Madsen, Impact Award

In addition to recognizing the accomplishments of the finalists and award recipients, this year’s awards were expanded to include more women creating impact at all levels of the tech career pipeline.

Student Pathway Awards were expanded from recognizing a single student in the midst of her STEM degrees to recognizing students at colleges throughout the state for their promising work and dedication to their STEM studies.

And the Rising Star Award recognized women at early-stage career for their impact and achievements. 

This year's Student Pathway Awardees are:

  • Alyssa Gundersen, engineering, Salt Lake Community College
  • Ashley Lujan, computer science, University of Utah
  • Davina Kamikazi, computer science, Weber State University
  • Hannah Atanasio, computer science, Brigham Young University
  • Micheryl Benally, information technology, Utah Valley University
  • Regan Tracy, mechanical engineering, Utah State University

The Rising Star awardees for 2023 are:

  • Allyson Irwin, Global Learning & Development Manager, Hakkoda
  • Cris Holbrook, Senior Infrastructure Asset Management Specialist, Adobe
  • Emily Applegarth, CEO, Gamify 
  • Kayla Rubin, Global Head of Learning and Development, Hill Air Force Base
  • Laura Ferguson, Direct Solutions Consultant, Addepar

The following award finalists, as previously noted by TechBuzz, were also honored for their contribution to the tech industry:

  • Alison Sturgeon, Electrical Engineer Acquisition Specialist, Hill Airforce Base
  • Beth Saenz, VP of Engineering Operations, Domo
  • Corrine Beaumont, Founder and CEO, Know Your Lemons Foundation 
  • Emily Togaga’e, Computer Engineer Team Lead, Hill Airforce Base
  • Erika Mahterian, Co-founder and Head of Experience, Leland
  • Irana Wasti, Chief Product Officer, Bill
  • Jaswandi Sakpal, Director of Engineering, American Express
  • Kimberly Rhodes, Academic Coach, Salt Lake City School District
  • Martyna Shallenberg, Director of Software Engineering, Myriad Genetics
  • Mary Jane Isaacs, Senior VP of Engineering, Entrada
  • Melinda Orms, CX Engine and Digistar Project Manager, Evans and Sotherland
  • Nissa Farley, Director II of Product Management, CHG Healthcare
  • Noella Sudbury, CEO of Rasa Legal
  • Robbyn Scribner, Director of Outreach, Tech-Moms
  • Robin Ritch, Tech CEO and Former President of Deseret News

 

Share this article
The link has been copied!