AnitaB.org Recognizes Five Inspirational Women Technologists with 2020 Abie Award Honor

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Aug 03, 2020, 13:07 ET

BELMONT, Calif., Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AnitaB.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting, inspiring, and guiding women in computing and organizations that view technology innovation as a strategic imperative, today announced the winners of the 2020 Abie Awards in five categories: Change Agent, Emerging Leader, Student of Vision, Technical Leadership and Technology Entrepreneurship.

"The 2020 Abie Award recipients are creating a future of inclusive technology where the people who build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it," said Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO of AnitaB.org. "Every individual honored has built a pathway to help empower the next generation of women technologists, in addition to their own technical achievements. We're excited to highlight their accomplishments as we work together in building the workforce of tomorrow by empowering the leaders of today."

2020 Abie Award Winners:

The Change Agent Abie Award honors an outstanding international woman (non-U.S. resident) who has created or expanded opportunities for girls and women in technology. The 2020 Change Agent Winner is Dr. Jessica Wade, tackling gender bias one Wikipedia page at a time.

The Emerging Leader Abie Award in Honor of Denice Denton recognizes a junior faculty member for high-quality research and significant positive impact on diversity. The award honors the life and career of Professor Denice Denton (1959 – 2006), an engineering faculty member and the first female dean of a school of engineering in a major U.S. research university who worked throughout her life to give minorities a voice and support diversity in higher education. The 2020 Emerging Leader Award Winner is Dr. Olga Russakovsky for fighting bias in Artificial Intelligence through research and mentorship.

The Student of Vision Abie Award honors an undergraduate or graduate student dedicated to creating a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for which they build it. This student is passionate about impactful technologies and inspires others to help build them. The 2020 Student of Vision Award winner is Pelagia Majoni for Empowering Zimbabwe's girls to address the country's food supply challenges through technology.

The Technical Leadership Abie Award is our most prestigious award and celebrates a woman who led or developed a product, process, or innovation that made a notable impact on business or society. The award winner demonstrates a commitment to increasing the representation of women in technology. The 2020 Technical Leadership Award winner is, Dr. Lisa Su a CEO who transformed her company from near bankruptcy to industry leader.

Technology Entrepreneurship Abie Award recognizes a woman who is the builder of an innovative, ground-breaking, and game-changing technology venture startup (within a larger organization or not). She takes direct responsibility for turning an idea into a profitable finished product through assertive risk taking and innovation. She provides a strong role model for young women coming up the pipeline; she turns technologies into viable businesses, transforms markets, and creates change. The 2020 Technology Entrepreneurship award is awarded to Tracy Young for changing the way construction leverages technology.

Through their achievements and life stories, Abie Award winners demonstrate that each of us has the power to improve our world, individually and collectively. The five winners will each receive their respective award at the Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration in September 2020 where they will also each speak. Stay tuned as AnitaB.org highlights each of these five inspirational women on social media through the month of August. For more information, visit ghc.anitab.org.

About AnitaB.org

AnitaB.org is a nonprofit social enterprise committed to increasing the representation of women technologists in the global workforce. AnitaB. org engages with tens of thousands of women and leading organizations around the world to build diverse and inclusive workplace cultures. Founded in 1997 by our namesake, computer science visionary Anita Borg, our organization works toward a future where the teams that create technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it.

Media Contact Information:
Glo Lindenmuth
The Sway Effect
(908) 616-8936
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SOURCE AnitaB.org