It's no secret that the tech industry has been dominated by men. But did you know a woman is responsible for some of the core innovations that drive the internet today? In 1843, Ada Lovelace published instructions for the world's first computer program. She was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine include what is recognized as the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine. Because of this, she is often regarded as the first computer programmer. She was the first of many that followed. Enter, ELLE magazine's second annual Women in Tech Power List, celebrated by an intimate dinner hosted by ELLE Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers, and presented by St. John, at Prospect restaurant in San Francisco. The 2015 honorees include 10 of the most influential and inspiring women in technology today-ranging from founders to funders to execs to engineers. The women were chosen, in part, at the suggestion of last year's honorees.
"We're very dedicated at Elle to looking at women and talking with women in the culture, who are building the culture, and who are starting the conversation," Robbie Myers said. "If there's anybody who is building the culture right now, it's women in technology."
The 2015 honorees: Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), Elizabeth Iorns (Science Exchange), Jane Park (Julep), Tracy Chou (Pinterest), Mary Grove (Google), Sara Haider (Periscope), Aileen Lee (Cowboy Ventures), Selina Tobaccowala (SurveyMonkey), Grace Garey (Watsi), Michelle Zatlyn (CloudFlare)--were toasted by Myers, along with Ruzwana Bashir, Karen Behnke, Michelle Draper, Sally Kay, Libby Leffler, Jessica Livingston, Mariam Naficy, ELLE Publisher Kevin O'Malley, Jennifer Pahlka, Deepa Pakianathan, Alison Gelb Pincus, Nola Weinstein, Grace Woo, Victoria Yeager, and more.
It has been 95 years since women got the right to vote. History has shown that American women are a force to be reckoned with; realizing the potential of women isn't just the politically correct thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. The data is clear and President Obama agrees, "When women succeed, nations are more safe, more secure, and more prosperous." Here's to the future!
To learn more about the honorees pick-up the July issue at newsstands nationwide or go online.