Finalists Announced for the 4th Midlands Women in Tech Awards 2023
The Midlands Women in Tech Awards have unveiled their finalists for the highly anticipated 4th edition of the event.
This year, the awards have seen a phenomenal number of nominations, underscoring the growing recognition of women who are making significant strides in the ever-evolving tech sector.
The ceremony is set to take place on 9th October 2023, at the prestigious Birmingham Eastside Rooms with headline sponsors Methods – An Alten Company and Aston University. The other supporting sponsors who have continued to support the awards from inception are Birmingham City University, NTT Data, SCC, Bootcamp Media and others to be announced shortly.
The Midlands Women in Tech Awards are dedicated to applauding the accomplishments of women who are carving a path in the tech industry, aiming to challenge perceptions and spotlight the pioneering women shaping the tech realm. By doing so, they strive to encourage more women to enter the field and realise their potential in dynamic, innovative, and fulfilling tech careers.
In a landscape where only 17% of the UK’s technology professionals are female, and a mere 3% of young women consider technology as their first career choice, the importance of celebrating and showcasing women in tech cannot be overstated. These awards play a vital role in inspiring future generations of women to consider technology as a viable and rewarding career path.
Organised and run by BEvents, known for delivering some of the region’s most respected awards ceremonies like the Birmingham Awards and Midlands Food, Drink & Hospitality Awards, this event aims to empower, inspire, and amplify the voices of women in tech.
The 2023 edition of the Midlands Women in Tech Awards will recognise outstanding women across 13 categories, including the Tech for Good Award, Best Use of Tech in a Private Sector Award, Start-up Founder Award, and Tech Entrepreneur Award.
Anita Chumber, co-founder of BEvents, emphasised the significance of these awards, stating, “These awards come at a pivotal moment in history, as information technology emerges as a sought-after skill across industries. In a landscape where just 17% of technology professionals in the UK are female, and only 3% of young women choose technology as their first career, the need to raise visibility and inspire change is evident.”
Anita continued, “There has never been such an important time for more women to be involved in technology, with advertised roles in the digital tech sector growing 36% since June, and the government seeing digital skills set to be the driving force in the economy. Women are not only needed in tech to increase innovation but they are also needed to increase revenue. It is also crucial that the people creating our technology solutions are representative of the population. This is why the Midlands Women in Tech Awards are so important as a way of celebrating and promoting the female talent we have in our region and providing role models for the future.”
Heading the esteemed judging panel and hosting the ceremony is Deborah Leary, CEO and Founder of Forensic Pathways, a multi-award-winning organisation that supplies products and software for the criminal and business intelligence market. Leary takes on the role of Head Judge for this year’s Midlands Women in Tech Awards 2023, reinforcing the commitment to recognising and celebrating the accomplishments of women in technology.
The announcement of the finalists for the 4th Midlands Women in Tech Awards 2023 brings excitement and anticipation to the tech community, shining a spotlight on the incredible achievements of women in this sector and inspiring future generations to pursue careers in tech. The awards ceremony on 9th October 2023, promises to be a celebration of talent, innovation, and empowerment in the ever-evolving world of technology.
The voting has also opened, so get voting for your favourites.
See the full list of finalists below:
Start-Up Founder Award
Pamela Aculey – MIXD Reality
Paige Deville – Palm Recruitment
Annie Godara – DineticQ
Rachel Hayward – We Are The Hookup Ltd
Allie Joy – The Syntropy Partnership
Dee Kundi – Find Me A Solicitor
Ilisha Masaun – Econominds
Janani Prasad – MojoStack Ltd
Olivia Simpson – Symbiotex
Helen Stickler – Triplo ESG
Apprentice Award
Santina Ajdari-Bunting – Arup
Chloe Bond – Jaguar Land Rover
Christa Bridges – PebblePad
Priyanka Kaintura – Sales Force
Lauren Poole – Jaguar Land Rover
Erin Purewal – Jaguar Land Rover
Hana Sharif – HS2
Stacey Watson – Arup
Rising Star Award
Adeline Barou – Jaguar Land Rover
Gabrielle Barthelemy – SCC
Lucy Bristow – Intercity Technology
Megan Butler – Arup
Emily Evans – SCC
Ashleigh Miles – PwC
Jess Moore – DRPG
Farah Shariff – PwC
Julia Vereenoghe – Sumo Nottingham
Rosie Wainwright – Jaguar Land Rover
Academic Award
Vladlena Benson – Cybersecurity Innovation (CSI) Research Centre, Aston University
Gemma Oldfield – DRPG
Kiranjit Kaur Sherghill – University of Warwick
Komali Yenneti – University of Birmingham
Tech For Good Award
Anitha Chinnaswamy – Aston Business School
Denise Chippindale – Anxious As Anything
Leocadia Foya – Utona Foundation
Laura Goodsell – Business Design Agency
Nasra Hagi – Recognise
Rebecca Hayward – Jaguar Land Rover
Michelle Ohren – West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre
Anita Shervington – BLAST
Natalie Wadley – Change Maker 3D
Innovator Award
Kate Allan – ExpHand Prosthetics
Sharon Boyd – Sharon MKLCX
Victoria Childs-Carlile – SCC
Alice Dowsett – Jaguar Land Rover
Toni Lavender PebblePad
Suzanne Maxted – Methods
Janice Rae – Tech Talent
Stacey Ryan – Oxbridge
Project Delivery Lead Award
Lauren Bennett – DRPG
Claudia Bistriceanu – Sumo Nottingham
Harriet Brown – PwC
Christina Ermongkonchai – Lab42 Games
Angela Field – NTT Data
Sarah Griffiths – Intercity Technology
Charlotte Ludford – DEFRA
Lucy Moy – Jaguar Land Rover
Cristina Rodriguez Fernandez – Jaguar Land Rover
Esther Titchen – PwC
Shining Star Award
Pushpa Bora – SCC
Pamela Byrne – SCC
Karamjit Kaur – SCC
Toni Lavender – PebblePad
Charlotte Ludford – DEFRA
Chonticha Lueaaroonsawat – Jaguar Land Rover
Lisa Nicholson – Jumar
Natalie Sherratt – SCC
Diana Szalai – SCC
Dr Pam Waddell – Innovation Alliance
Tech Entrepreneur Award
Eman Al-Hillawi – Entec Si
Paula Bedborough – Secure Socialising
Georgina Bowman – MyShoots
Skevi Constantinou – The PA Way
Sarah Dowzell – Natural HR
Laura Goodsell – Business Design Academy
Ilisha Masaun – Econominds
Yemi Oluseun – The Change Hive
Janani Prasad – MojoStack Limited
Tech Professional (Non-Coding) Award
Moupali Chakraborty – Nuclear AMRC
Heather Freckelton – Jaguar Land Rover
Jennifer Long – Ice Blue Digital Ltd
Alejandra Maldonado – Consultant at JLR
Becks Maybury – School of Code
Ashleigh Miles – PwC
Anna Miller – Calthorpe Estates
Joanne Mullally-Watts – Jumar
Helen Stickler – Triplo ESG
Lisa Ventura MBE – Cyber Security Unit
Neeru Verma – PwC
Best Use of Tech in a Public Sector Project
Advanced Prototyping Facility – Aston University
Liesl Wrigglesworth – NTT DATA
Lynne Burdon – Department of Education
Zara Topping – Ministry of Justice
Best Use of Tech in a Private Sector Project
Kathryn Fletcher – Jaguar Land Rover
Sonia Rani – PwC
Esther Titchen – PwC
Neeru Verma – PwC
Natalie Wadley – ChangeMaker 3D