Makers announces winners of the 2020 Women in Software Power List

The winners of the 2020 Women in Software Powerlist have been announced by software academy Makers.

Launched in partnership with Level 39, and Google Startups UK, the software bootcamp hopes the list will shine a light on some of the women working in the software development sector.

Independent judges helped whittle hundreds of initial applications down to 30 women who are considered rising stars in the software sector across various industries and who have made a significant contribution to software development in the past 10 years.

Evgeny Shadchnev, CEO of Makers Academy, said: “During this difficult period of economic uncertainty, it’s important to emphasise the skills that are needed to advance our digital future. Coding continues to be the most sought after requirement for businesses, making it an ideal career move, especially in a post-Covid-19 world where technology will be critical to offering work flexibility and expertise to spur on innovation in everything from healthcare to cyber security and research. 

“We hope that initiatives such as the Women in Software Power List will encourage more women to play a part in developing tomorrow’s breakthroughs and therefore helping to shape all of our lives for the better. There’s so much talent in the UK, and through our Power List, we are extremely thrilled to identify some of the best, high-calibre and game-changing women who are advancing our community for the common good.”

The number of women in the tech sector has remained stagnant over the past 10 years at around 16%, with those in the sector arguing that a lack of role models in the sector could prevent other represented groups from seeking to join the sector in the future.

Young women have even admitted in the past they want more encouragement from, and access to, women in technology roles.

By publishing the list, Makers aims to make some of the role models in the software industry more visible and accessible, much like other initiatives such as Computer Weekly’s list of the top 50 most influential women in the UK’s tech sector.

The women on this year’s list, in no particular order, are:

• Paula Muldoon, backend engineer, BRYTER.
• Yasmin Desai, product owner, Revolut.
• Genevieve Leveille, CEO and founder, AgriLedger.
• Anna Holland-Smith, internal developer advocate, Automattic.
• Lina Chan, CEO and co-founder, Adia Health.
• Andreea Ionescu, software developer and co-chair of Women’s Developers Group, Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
• Danielle Booysen,  junior front-end developer, Vodafone UK.
• Jessica Falk, software engineer, Improbable.
• Keltoum Boukra, automation team lead, LabGenius.
• Evelyn Utterson, software engineering educator, Lloyds Banking Group.
• Cassie Evans, front-end developer, Clearleft.
• Emma Steeley, CEO, AccountScore.
• Suze Shardlow, coding instructor, director of Women Who Code London and chapter lead of Ladies Of Code London.
• Nicole Fu, consultant, Nav.Marketing.
• Akua Apeagyei, engineer apprentice, Lyst Ltd.
• Samira Cheurfi, senior android developer, Trainline.
• Katya-yani Vyas, vice-president of product and innovation, Azur.
• Visnja Drinjovski, tech lead, MVF.
• Kim Diep, associate software engineer, M&G Plc.
• Mansata Kurang, founder, VR Revival.
• Sjoukje Ijlstra, software engineer, JP Morgan.
• Merve Taner, senior software engineer, Zencargo.
• Eli Schutze Ramirez, web engineer, Monzo.
• Tanya Eccleston, software engineer, Depop.
• Allie Gillon-Livesey, vice-president, digital Innovation, J.P. Morgan.
• Mathilde Ferrand, iOS engineer, Ford Mobility Europe.
• Melanie Rogan, software engineer, Financial Times.
• Mabintou Kolley, creative director and digital designer, Clamp Agency.
• Phillipa Rodney, software delivery manager, Freddie’s Flowers.
• Aurelija Stankunaite, senior agile lead, Smart Pension.

Alongside this year’s Women in Software Power List, Makers launched a ‘Changemakers’ list to recognise teams who have been involved in initiatives or projects with the aim of increasing diversity and inclusion in the tech sector.

This year’s Women in Software Changemakers are:

• OneTech.
• Code First Girls.
• Tech Returners.
• The Women in Tech (WIT) network at Unilever — Stacey Wills.
• Coding Black Females.
• The Tech She Can Charter.
• Women Driven Development.
• Like Minded Females –  Sonya Barlow.
• Zoopla’s interview guide.
• Dassault Systèmes EuroNorth Lean In Circles.

When launching this year’s Powerlist, Makers emphasised the need for a “change in narrative” surrounding the ongoing discussion about the lack of women in tech, admitting gender should not be the only focus when it comes to diversity in the sector, and highlighting that much more needs to be done to promote diversity and inclusion in the industry.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus outbreak, changes to sponsorship arrangements mean there will no longer be a cash prize or overall winner.