Announcing the 2020 Women Tech Award Recipients

Women Tech Council recognizes top tech talent for leadership and innovation through COVID-19

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a year driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Women Tech Council (WTC) is fighting back by identifying and recognizing the women who are propelling economic growth, driving innovation and inspiring the community through the Women Tech Awards. Now in their 13th year, these awards accelerate the career and work of the women recognized, including their innovations to fight COVID-19, and magnify the economic impact they are making in their companies, industries and the global economy.

“In a year when each of us has lost so much, the vision and inspiration these women bring through their stories and accomplishments has never been more needed,” said Cydni Tetro, president of WTC. “Through their innovations and leadership in healthcare, education, fintech, AI, engineering and nearly every other tech field, they are creating economic opportunities, uniting the community and inspiring the technology workforce to lift each other above the obstacles we are all facing.”

Each award recipient was selected for their impact on the technology sector and economy, and their community contributions. The Student Pathway award recipient was given to an undergraduate student in the midst of their STEM degree for their promising work and dedication.

The 13th annual award recipients are as follows:

• Technology Transformation Excellence: Kristiane Koontz, Zions Bancorporation
• Founder Leadership: Linda Klug, Airin
• Trailblazer: Margo Georgiadis, Ancestry
• Digital Education Innovator: Melissa Bueno Hamilton, Murray City School District
• Strategic Innovator: Qun (Maxine) Liu, Health Catalyst
• Technology Leadership: Rebecca Whitehead, HealthEquity
• Operational Excellence: Seraphine Kapsandoy-Jones, Intermountain Healthcare
• Leadership Excellence: Wendy Steinle, Adobe
• Student Pathway: Jennifer Morales, Weber State University

In addition to this recognition, the awards program also marked the launch of the Women Tech Talent Pipeline Alliance as a joint effort by Women Tech Council, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Code in Color, Latinas in Tech Utah, United Way, Department of Workforce Services and Tech Moms. This alliance will work to expand the talent pipeline for women in technology across all demographics, races, socio-economic statuses, and life situations. Combining the efforts and reach of these organizations will increase the opportunities, resources, outreach and support offered to these women, ultimately enabling greater reach and impact.

In addition to the award recipients, the following finalists were also honored:

• Aimee Smith, Manager Enterprise Architecture, Zions Bancorporation
• Bonnie Uresk, Program Manager Satellite Avionics, Space Dynamics Laboratory
• Christine Thayer, Principal Engineer, Micron Technology
• Dana Ardovino, Global Communications and Operations Lead
• Debi Mofford, Senior Vice President of IT and CIO, WCF Insurance
• Elke Leeds, PhD, Dean and Academic Vice President, College of Information Technology, Western Governors University
• Erica Cuttitta, Director of Profile and Shared Services, Pluralsight
• Heather Kirby, Chief People Officer, Recursion
• Ishita Majumdar, VP, Analytics Platform & Product Management, eBay
• Karoline Pershell, COO & Director of Strategy and Evaluation, Service Robotics & Technologies
• Kathleen Merkley, DNP, APRN, Senior Vice President - Clinical improvement Services, Health Catalyst
• Lisa Kimball, SVP, Product and Strategic Programs, Finicity
• Misty Frost, CEO, Carrus
• Steffanie Nestor, Data Security Engineer, MX
• Vandana Sharma, Senior Manager, Oracle

The awards were held in partnership with Ancestry, Dell Technologies, Domo, Health Catalyst, Pelion Venture Partners, Vivint Smart Home, Pure Storage, Sorenson Capital and In the Event.

About Women Tech Council:

Founded in 2007, The Women Tech Council (WTC) focuses on the economic impact of women in driving growth for the technology sector. WTC builds programs that amplify and create tech talent to support more women in technology careers from high school to the board room. Through these programs, WTC offers mentoring, visibility, opportunities and networking to more than 10,000 women and men working in technology, has activated more than 17,000 girls to pursue STEM fields, and helps organizations create business environments focused on high performance, not just diversity, where men and women can succeed. These efforts propel individual careers and the talent pipeline by ensuring a strong, diverse, and entrepreneurial technology workforce.

For more information on Women Tech Council, visit: www.womentechcouncil.org.