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A Tribute to 14 of the most influential women in tech innovation 

Throughout history, many women have led the way in the world of tech. From developing communications technology to paving the way for modern programming languages, sustainable technology innovations to software engineering, they have helped shape the environment we now work within. In this article, we celebrate 14 remarkable women whose contributions have helped bring women – and their skills and ideas – into the spotlight.

1. Ada Lovelace

Ada Lovelace was a British mathematician and writer, born on 10 December 1815. She is best known for her work with Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, a precursor to modern computers. Lovelace was the first person to understand the machine’s potential beyond simple number processing. She wrote the first algorithms intended for execution by a machine, and is therefore considered the world’s first computer programmer.

2. Dr Shirley Anne Jackson

Dr Shirley Anne Jackson is an American physicist and science administrator, born on 5 August 1946. She is known for her work in theoretical physics and her contributions to the development of telecommunications technology. Jackson was the first woman appointed Chair of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where she played a key role in regulating nuclear energy and safety.

3. Radia Perlman

Radia Perlman is an American engineer and programmer, born on 18 January 1951. She is often referred to as “The Mother of the Internet” for her groundbreaking work in network protocols and security. Perlman developed the algorithm behind the Spanning Tree Protocol, which enables efficient communication in large networks by preventing loops and ensuring redundancy.

4. Grace Hopper

Grace Hopper was an American computer scientist and pioneer in the computer industry, born on 9 December 1906. She was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer and helped develop the first compiler, which translated human instructions into machine code. Her work paved the way for modern programming languages, including COBOL.

5. Marissa Mayer

Marissa Mayer is an American entrepreneur and technology leader, born on 30 May 1975. She is known for her time as Vice President at Google and later as CEO of Yahoo. Mayer oversaw the development of many of Google’s most popular services, including Search, Gmail and Maps, and has been influential in the fields of artificial intelligence and user experience.

6. Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian–American actress and inventor, born on 9 November 1914. Alongside composer George Antheil, she developed frequency hopping technology in the early 1940s to prevent enemy forces from intercepting torpedo signals. This concept became the foundation for modern wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

7, 8, and 9. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson

These three women worked as mathematicians at NASA during the 1960s space race. Their work was crucial for early space missions, including orbital calculations for John Glenn’s flight.

10. Maryam Mirzakhani

Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician, born on 3 May 1977. She became the first woman – and indeed the first Iranian – to win the Fields Medal for her groundbreaking work in complex geometry and dynamical systems.

11. Ann Makosinski

Ann Makosinski is a Canadian inventor and entrepreneur, born on 13 May 1997. She is best known for her sustainable technology innovations, including a thermoelectric flashlight powered by body heat.

12. Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton is an American computer scientist, born on 17 August 1936. She led the software engineering team at MIT that developed the onboard software for the Apollo missions, contributing key concepts in error handling and reliable system design.

13. Barbara Liskov

Barbara Liskov is an American computer scientist, born on 7 November 1939. She is a pioneer in programming languages and is best known for the Liskov Substitution Principle, a fundamental concept in object–oriented design.

14. Lene Vestergaard Hau

Lene Vestergaard Hau is a Danish–born physicist known for her work in quantum mechanics and cold atom physics. In 1999, she and her team slowed light to just 17 metres per second using ultracold atoms, later managing to stop light entirely for up to a second.

These women have helped pave the way for others. We stand on their shoulders today; and we honour them for their achievements.

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