Women We Admire is pleased to announce the Top 50 Women Leaders in Technology of 2022. It was expected that roughly one in four leadership positions at large global technology firms would be held by women this year. Our awardees are filling those roles, leading at top companies like DocuSign, IBM, and Toll Brothers. Others are heading start-ups, well established small- to mid-sized tech companies, and the technology departments at organizations across the country. They are mentors for future women in technology, empowering women and girls to excel in the field and reach for the top. They are mentors, advocates and community leaders spearheading profound advancements across nearly all industries.

Among this year’s awardees is Kate Richling, Chief Marketing Officer of Media.Monks, who has brought together over a dozen companies under one name and facilitated the growth from 750 employees to 9,000+ worldwide. Awardee Susannah Torpey, Litigation Partner and Co-Chair of Winston & Strawn’s Technology Antitrust Group, uses her vast experience litigating cutting-edge issues at the evolving intersection of antitrust, IP, and technology. Also awarded is Nancy Kramer, Global Chief Evangelist of IBM iX, who has spent a lifetime as an entrepreneur in marketing and technology, and previously launched Resource with Apple as its first client in 1981.

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Please join us in recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of Top 50 Women Leaders in Technology of 2022.

1. Jessica Ferguson
Chief Information Security Officer, DocuSign

Jessica Ferguson is the Chief Information Security Officer of DocuSign. In her role, she is responsible for trust and security initiatives at the company, including the protection of information important to DocuSign. Ferguson is also tasked with protecting the valuable information and agreements personal to its one million customers, and for ensuring the overall cyber resiliency of the company. Prior to being appointed CISO, she served as deputy CISO at the company, leading the technical functions of the Trust and Security Team.

Ferguson has more than 20 years of experience in IT and information security across security architecture, incident response, and threat intelligence programs. Prior to joining DocuSign, she held various senior IT and security roles, including the director of threat defense at Alaska Airlines and leading international security teams at F5 Networks and ServiceNow. She previously served on the board of the Aviation Intelligence Sharing and Analysis Center (A-ISAC), where she helped build public-private partnerships to secure the aviation industry.

2. Nancy Kramer
Global Chief Evangelist, IBM iX

Nancy Kramer serves as the Global Chief Evangelist for IBM iX. She is the founder and former CEO of Resource/Ammirati, an award-winning digital agency acquired by IBM in 2016. Kramer has spent a lifetime as an entrepreneur in marketing and technology. In her role at IBM, she focuses on C-Suite client relationships with chief marketing officers and chief digital officers, as well as CEOs. She is a subject matter expert in the area of corporate vision, marketing, marketing experiences and marketing transformation.

Believing computers would change the world, Kramer launched Resource with Apple as its first client in 1981, growing the company into a multi-office, 350-associate digital marketing pioneer. Over three decades her team’s iconic work included many industry firsts, from creating Apple’s first interactive retail experience, to launching one of the internet’s first live streaming events which is memorialized in a time capsule at MIT Sloan’s School of Management to the first fully integrated social commerce experience, which received a U.S. patent. Kramer serves on a number of boards, including Wexner Center for the Arts, The Columbus Foundation, The Columbus Partnership, The Wellington Initiative, Root Insurance and publicly traded MI Homes. Kramer is an advocate for LGBTQ rights, having testified in front of a Congress in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, and also named an LGBTQ Ally of the Year in 2013 by Equality Ohio. Kramer is the founder of the FTT Foundation, which through the Free the Tampons campaign has launched a national discussion about access to feminine care products in public restrooms. She graduated from The Ohio State University.

3. Rhonda Holt
Chief Technology Officer, PBS

Rhonda Holt is the Chief Technology Officer of PBS, the private, nonprofit corporation, founded in 1969. She first joined the organization in 2016 as a VP of software development and operations. PBS is made up of more than 350 local public noncommercial TV stations serving all 50 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. Their stations reach more than 120 million people each month through on-air and online content.

Previously, Holt was a principal and VP of engineering and operations at TrustedCare Inc. and before that, an SVP of digital media technology and operations at Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Earlier in her career she worked with IBM as a senior programmer manager. Holt earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from the University of Florida.

4. Kate Richling
Chief Marketing Officer, Media.Monks

Kate Richling leads global marketing initiatives across Media.Monks, including marketing, PR, awards and internal communications. In July 2018, the company merged with S4Capital, and shortly thereafter went public issuing its bold ambition to integrate digital specialists working across content, data, digital media and technology services in a unitary structure, disrupting the traditional agency and holdco landscape. During her time at Media.Monks, the company has grown from 750 to 9,000+ "Monks'' globally. As the company's first-ever CMO, Kate helped successfully launch the unitary Media.Monks brand in August 2021. In addition to bringing together over a dozen companies under one name, this process involved integrating many marketing teams into a unified one. Following this successful launch, her perspective on how to build brands that put people first was featured in The Drum, amongst wide coverage in other major ad trades.

Having built and led teams across executive leadership posts at Birdsnest and Phenomblue, Kate is an entrepreneur, tech advocate and a PR and marketing junkie with a sharp eye on the shifting agency landscape. Kate has spoken on stages across the world about how brands can build robust content and marketing strategies that yield impactful business results and fill the funnel. By keeping a pulse on the reigning challenges and opportunities faced by brands today, she translates global brand stories into tangible takeaways for marketers of organizations of all sizes working cross-industry. Kate’s commitment to demonstrating the breadth and depth of Media.Monks’ multidisciplinary talent has earned the team international recognition as one of AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players, Webby’s Production Company of the Year, Campaign’s Social Media Agency of the Year and placement on Adweek’s Fastest Growing lists. Through Kate’s leadership and analyst relations, Media.Monks was also featured in two Forrester Waves for the first time in 2022, and featured alongside the Big 5 and global consultancies as a leading Global Marketing Services partner. In collaboration with subject matter expertise across the team, she launched The Transformation of Digital report: a bold declaration to the industry about evolving consumer behaviors and their influence on the next frontier for growth. Elsewhere, Kate has shared her expertise in the pages of The New York Times, Adweek, The Wall Street Journal, Wired Magazine and USA Today.

5. Donna Kidwell
Chief Information Security & Digital Trust Officer & Deputy CIO, Arizona State University

Donna Kidwell began her professional career 29 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Information Security & Digital Trust Officer and Deputy CIO of the University Technology Office at Arizona State University. The Technology Office at ASU is building trust through the empathic design of privacy, risk management, security and digital experiences.

Kidwell first got her start in 1993 as a technology innovations group director at Keller Williams Realty International. From there, she went on to The University of Texas at Austin, before eventually rising to CTO at EdPlus at Arizona State University. Kidwell graduated from Grenoble Ecole de Management with a doctorate in business administration, commercialization and innovation and from The University of Texas at Austin with an MS in technology commercialization.

6. Simin Zaidi
Chief Technology Officer, Gene Therapy Program at the University of Pennsylvania

Simin Zaidi is the Chief Technology Officer of Gene Therapy Program. She first joined the organization in 2019 as a senior director of manufacturing sciences and technology. Dedicated to discovery and translational research and led by Dr. James Wilson, the Gene Therapy Program at the University of Pennsylvania focuses on the development of next-generation gene transfer vectors and their application in the treatment of a variety of acquired and inherited diseases.

Previously, Zaidi was a director of manufacturing sciences at Catalent Pharma Solutions and before that, a director of technical services at Cook Pharmica. Earlier in her career she worked with CSIRO as a biotechnologist. Zaidi earned an undergraduate degree in bioprocess engineering from UNSW.

7. Felicia Ratka
President, Toll Brothers Smart Home Technologies

Felicia Ratka is the President of Toll Brothers Smart Home Technologies, a subsidiary of Toll Brothers, Inc., the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. As a senior leader, corporate officer, and compliance manager focused on home technology, Felicia has been instrumental in the company’s growth and expansion in the areas of home security, smart home technology, and low voltage sales.

Felicia began her career in technology as Director of Operations for the home security ancillary business of Toll Brothers and was responsible for the licensing, sales, and expansion of alarm monitoring services to home buyers across the country, growing the business from three to 24 states. As President of Toll Brothers Smart Home Technologies, Felicia oversees the research, selection, and deployment of home technology offerings in new homes across the country. With over 22 years of experience in the industry and a strong passion for providing the best experience possible for her clients in the smart home space, Felicia takes a central role in engaging with trade partners, manufacturers, and platform providers to bring consistent quality and service to the sales and deployment of technology, while working to enhance the end-user experience.

8. Jill Niland
Chief Transformation Officer, ServiceMaster Companies

Jill Niland is the Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceMaster Companies focused on growth of their nine brands. They have been a leader in needs-based services businesses for nearly a century and generate more than $3.5B in system-wide sales annually. In her role, Jill focuses on shared services, automation, process improvement and business intelligence across the brands and functional teams.

Jill was formerly the leader of PwC's Automated Managed Services at PwC, a data-driven, digital solution for financial and compliance reporting and also spent 15 years as a partner in PwC’s deals business. She holds a graduate degree in human computer interaction from Georgia Tech and an undergraduate degree in accounting.

9. Rita Baranwal
Chief Technology Officer & SVP of Digital & Innovation, Westinghouse Electric Company

Rita Baranwal is the Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Digital and Innovation of Westinghouse Electric Company. She first joined the company in 2022. Westinghouse Electric Company is the world's leading supplier of safe and innovative nuclear technology. They provide their utility customers around the world with the most reliable, dependable nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel, plant automation and operating plant products and services. They are driven by their powerful history and experience, ground-breaking ideas and their focus on safety and sustainability.

Previously, Baranwal was a chief nuclear officer and VP of nuclear at Electric Power Research Institute and before that, an assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. Earlier in her career she worked with Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory as a manager. Baranwal earned a PhD and an MS in materials engineering from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree in materials engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

10. Hadassa Lutz
Chief Transformation Officer, SoftwareONE

Hadassa Lutz is the Chief Transformation Officer of SoftwareONE, a leading global provider of end-to-end software and cloud technology solutions, headquartered in Switzerland. With an IP and technology-driven services portfolio, it enables companies to holistically develop and implement their commercial, technology and digital transformation strategies. This is achieved by modernizing applications and migrating critical workloads on public clouds, while simultaneously managing and optimizing the related software and cloud assets and licensing. SoftwareONE’s offerings are connected by PyraCloud, its proprietary digital platform, which provides customers with data-driven, actionable intelligence. Lutz has 18 years of experience. She began her career in 2004.

Before joining SoftwareONE, Lutz was an energy vertical at Cybraics and before that an EVP of sales-commercial airlines at Global Eagle. Earlier in her career she worked with CyrusOne as a director of international business development.

11. Jenni Crenshaw
Chief Technology Transformation Officer, Mississippi State University

Jenni Crenshaw began her professional career 27 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Technology Transformation Officer of Mississippi State University. With an enrollment of over 23,000 students representing all 82 Mississippi counties, all 50 states, the territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C., and over 84 foreign countries, Mississippi State truly is an outstanding choice for tomorrow's scholars and leaders. Mississippi State University graduates are changing lives.

Crenshaw first got her start in 1995 as a process engineer at Kerr McGee Chemical. From there, she went on to Accenture, before eventually rising to become a VP of global support at PDI Software, her most recent position prior to joining Mississippi State University. Crenshaw graduated from Mississippi State University with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering.

12. Bridget Frey
Chief Technology Officer, Redfin

Bridget Frey is the Chief Technology Officer of Redfin. Redfin got its start inventing map-based search. Today, they’re a technology-powered real estate broker, instant homebuyer (iBuyer), lender, title insurer, and renovations company. They serve more than 95 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,100 people. In 2021, they acquired RentPath which operates leading rental sites including ApartmentGuide.com, Rent.com, and Rentals.com. Combined with RentPath, they can now be a destination for all North American consumers looking for a home. Frey has 23 years of experience. She began her career in 1999.

Before joining Redfin, Frey was a director of engineering, analytics and business applications at Lithium Technologies and before that a VP of development at IntrinsiQ. Earlier in her career she worked with Plumtree as a software engineering manager. Frey graduated from Harvard University with an undergraduate degree in computer science.

13. Kaycee Kalpin
Chief Marketing Officer, Premier

As Chief Marketing Officer for Premier, Kaycee Kalpin is responsible for creating a bold brand and delivering memorable customer experiences that lead to growth for the company. Kalpin joined Premier in 2013 and during her tenure, she has built an innovative, agile and strategic marketing team that differentiates and elevates their commercial presence. Kalpin and team were instrumental in the launch of Premier’s comprehensive technology and services brand, PINC AITM.

Before joining Premier, Kalpin spent several years in Washington, D.C., growing her health tech and marketing experience as an entrepreneurial lead with the American College of Cardiology. There, she led the development of a suite of digital apps that empower cardiovascular patients to take control of their health. She is a digital health and marketing thought leader, certifying Premier’s marketing team in the modern principles of agile marketing. She serves as an advisor for HealthTech startups and a mentor for young professional women seeking to build their personal brands. Additionally, she is a member of the Young Leadership Council for PBS Charlotte, the Charlotte Chapter of the American Marketing Association and Professional Women in Healthcare. Kalpin was also selected to participate in the XXVIII class of the Leadership North Carolina program. Kalpin is a graduate of Florida State University, with an undergraduate degree in political science, and from American University with her MBA.

14. Manju Mude
Deputy CISO, Oportun

Manju Mude is an information security, cyber-risk, and compliance leader with over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, business leadership, investigations, compliance, and risk management, within the high-tech and financial services industries. She leads with metrics and education driven approaches, helping organizations reduce risk and increase resilience. She has built high performing technical teams, growing diversity & inclusion, strengthening culture and creating companywide positive global impact

Manju Mude serves as Deputy CISO at Oportun. She has held impactful positions as CISO of Splunk, Security Leader at Apple, and Bank of America. In her career, Manju has helped secure some of the world’s most used products, like bank ATM’s, iTunes, Siri, iMessage and Yahoo, among others. She has led essential security teams defending against adversaries to protect billions of users. In her time at Yahoo, she helped the company recover after a massive consumer breach, learning valuable lessons on what organizations can do to protect against nation state adversaries, such as those continuing to impact global supply chains, world politics and media. In 2019, Manju was cited as a Woman of Impact in Cybersecurity Magazine. She is an advocate for security education in the workforce, strength through diversity and inclusion, boosting female representation in technology, and the intersection of cybersecurity with human rights.

15. Jenni Doyle
Chief Technology Officer, Smile Doctors

Jenni Doyle began her professional career 23 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Technology Officer of Smile Doctors, the largest ortho-focused dental support organization (OSO) in the U.S. The company has the fastest-growing network of award-winning orthodontists. With more than 300 convenient locations in 25 states, Smile Doctors has a rich history of developing and growing affiliated practices by providing tools and technology that allow their orthodontists to focus entirely on patient care. Their mission is to create confident smiles that inspire the best in their patients, each other, and the communities they serve.

Doyle first got her start in 1999 as an IT systems analyst at Sprint. From there, she went on to Embarq, before eventually rising to become a VP of international technology at Wingstop Restaurants, Inc., her most recent position prior to joining Smile Doctors. Doyle graduated from The University of Kansas with an MBA in international business and strategic management and from the University of Central Missouri with an undergraduate degree in computer information systems.

16. Wendy Shaw
Chief Science & Technology Officer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Wendy Shaw is the Chief Science and Technology Officer of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She first joined the organization in 2000 as senior research scientist. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory advances the frontiers of knowledge, taking on some of the world’s greatest science and technology challenges. They are a U.S. Department of Energy national lab with distinctive strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology, and data science that are central to their scientific discovery mission. PNNL’s research lays a foundation for innovations that advance sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage and enhance national security through nuclear materials and threat analyses. PNNL collaborates with academia in its fundamental research and with industry to transition technologies to market.

Previously, Shaw was a teaching assistant at University of Washington. Earlier in her career she worked with Battelle as a technical specialist. Shaw earned a PhD and an MS in physical chemistry from the University of Washington, and an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Whitman College.

17. Pooja Rahman
Senior Vice President & Chief Risk Officer, Protective Life

Pooja Rahman joined Protective Life Corporation in June 2021 as Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer. She is responsible for leading Protective’s enterprise risk management (ERM) function and overseeing implementation of the company’s strategic risk appetite, enabling organic and opportunistic growth. Rahman has over two decades of risk, finance, legal, and technology experience in the financial services industry.

Prior to joining Protective, Rahman most recently served as head of financial risk at New York Life. She earned her JD from Drake University Law School, her master’s degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans, and her undergraduate degree in commerce from the University of Mumbai. Outside of work, she is proud to serve on the national board of Easterseals.

18. Erin Boyd
Chief Digital Commercial Transformation Officer, The AES Corporation

Erin Boyd began her professional career 13 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Digital Commercial Transformation Officer of The AES Corporation. The world no longer thinks of energy as a matter of supply and demand. Now it’s a space for innovation and partnership. With this transformation comes a responsibility to work with a smarter approach, new thinking informed by past experiences, and with stronger collaboration between regulators and innovators, old systems and new technologies. At AES, they partner with their organizations from industries of every kind, across all markets and at every stage of development, and they’ve been doing it for decades.

Boyd first got her start in 2009 as a managing economist at Economic Consulting Associates. From there, she went on to Snohomish County PUD, before eventually founding Verbitas Consulting where she served as the CEO. Boyd graduated from SOAS University of London with a PhD in economics, from Carnegie Mellon University - Tepper School of Business with a master's degree in economics, and from Reed College with an undergraduate degree in economics.

19. Yvette Pasqua
Chief Technology Officer, EXOS

Yvette Pasqua is the Chief Technology Officer of EXOS. She first joined the company in 2020. Exos is the leader in the field of human performance. They’re a company built by performers for performers. For over 20 years their team has been trusted by elite athletes and leaders in business to provide performance solutions that help them go further and achieve more. At Exos, its team approaches every day with courage, passion, and purpose. This enables them to create environments for their clients, whether physical or virtual, that help them feel safe, supported, and in control of their lives.

Previously, Pasqua was a VP of engineering at Haven and before that, a CTO at Meetup. Earlier in her career she worked with WinMill Software as a software engineer. Pasqua earned an undergraduate degree in the biological basis of behavior from the University of Pennsylvania.

20. Susannah P. Torpey
Litigation Partner & Co-Chair, Winston & Strawn

As Co-Chair of Winston’s Technology Antitrust Group and a Litigation Partner, Susannah Torpey litigates cutting-edge issues at the evolving intersection of antitrust, IP, and technology. She has more than 15 years of experience representing leading companies and competitors in the preparation, trial, and appeal of complex antitrust cases. She regularly represents plaintiffs, as well as defendants, and has represented clients in both civil and criminal matters, including in international criminal antitrust investigations.

Susannah has represented and counseled clients in a variety of industries, including in: high-tech; artificial intelligence; blockchain; fintech; internet; web app; IoT; ecommerce and data platform; wireless connectivity (2G-5G); semiconductors and next-gen memory products; computer products; open source software, VoIP; electronic trading, patent aggregation and licensing; pharmaceutical; biotech; publishing; professional sports; international trade; consulting; and financial services industries. She has been repeatedly recognized as a “SuperLawyer,” “Top Woman Attorney,” and as a “Star” in Antitrust and Litigation for obtaining critical wins for her clients, whether at trial on behalf of plaintiffs or by winning complete dismissals on behalf of defendants. Susannah regularly represents major U.S. and multinational corporations in high-profile, multidistrict, and class action litigation and government investigations involving a wide array of federal and state antitrust issues, including monopolization, monopoly leveraging, price fixing, wage fixing, no-poach agreements, group boycotts, exclusive dealing, tying, price discrimination, unfair competition, anticompetitive product redesign, interoperability degradation, and mixed issues of antitrust and intellectual property law relating to Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) obligations, standard-setting, patent licensing, patent misuse, and fraud on the PTO. Susannah also routinely counsels international and U.S. businesses regarding the minimization of antitrust risk, pricing strategies, antitrust compliance, and business issues relating to the use of tech and IP, many of which are key to a company’s global strategy.

21. Jaya Vaidhyanathan
CEO, BCT Digital

An advocate for perseverance, discipline, and innovation, Jaya Vaidhyanathan believes in making the present count while keeping a hawk eye on the future. She brings these ideas to her current role as CEO at BCT Digital and as an Independent Director on the Boards of UTI Asset Management, IndiGrid, and as the Non-Executive Director on the board of PWC oversight committee, with each day further shaping her values and passion for banking, financial, FinTech and CleanTech verticals. A journey that started seven years ago, BCT Digital has been a story of growth and success in an industry undergoing exceptional transformation. A range of cutting-edge, predictive, AI solutions such as rt360 Early Warning System (EWS), rt360 Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), rt360 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), rt360 Model Risk Management (MRM) are among the top products built during this journey, which has led to paving the way for BCT Digital to emerge as a digital transformation catalyst in the risk management space.

Prior to joining BCT, Jaya served as the Executive Vice President of Standard Chartered Bank, Director and Head of the Large Deal Business at HCL, Managing Partner for the financial services business at Accenture after a stint with Wall Street. She drives the banking committee of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the CII CEO forum and Economic Times Indian Leadership Council. Jaya, after completing her degree in engineering, headed for an MBA in finance and strategy from Cornell University. She also holds a CFA charter and is part of the CFA Society, New York. She served on the board of Mahindra Sanyo Steel as an independent director; the advisory board of Spice Mobility; and as an advisor to high-impact social welfare organizations, like the Mastermind Foundation

22. Susan Lasota
Chief Technology Officer, State Street Global Advisors

Susan Lasota began her professional career 25 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Technology Officer of State Street Global Advisors. For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, they build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. As stewards, they help portfolio companies see that what is fair for people and sustainable for the planet can deliver long-term performance. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, they are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, they have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager with U.S. $3.48 trillion dollars under their care.

Lasota first got her start in 1997 as a senior consultant at Price Waterhouse. From there, she went on to Deutsche Financial Services before eventually rising to become a CIO of marketing and sales at GE Capital, her most recent position prior to joining State Street Global Advisors. Lasota graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA and from Providence College with an undergraduate degree in mathematical computer science.

23. Tiffani Misencik
Chief Revenue Officer, Greenway Health

As Chief Revenue Officer, Tiffani Misencik plays a role in all aspects of sales operations, marketing, and client success, including integrated sales initiatives that differentiate Greenway Health in the marketplace. She focuses on how innovative solutions create value by improving the patient experience and driving provider success. Tiffani has proven her ability to implement growth strategies and lead cross-functional teams. She brings more than two decades of industry experience, and insight into all aspects of health IT.

Prior to joining Greenway, Tiffani was on the senior leadership team of Intelerad Medical Systems (IMS), a private equity-owned medical imaging solutions company. Prior to IMS, she worked for Allscripts for more than 16 years, most recently as VP of hospital and health systems. Tiffani holds an undergraduate degree in communication from Ohio University. She also serves as a judge for the Women in Sales Awards and is a member of the International Society of Female Professionals.

24. Shoma Thomas
Chief Marketing Officer, WellSky

As chief marketing officer, Shoma Sarkar Thomas oversees the marketing strategy for all WellSky products and is responsible for building the WellSky brand, which includes public relations, communications, and all strategic marketing activities. WellSky is a technology company advancing human wellness worldwide. Their software and professional services address the continuum of health and social care, helping businesses, organizations, and communities solve tough challenges, improve collaboration for growth, and achieve better outcomes through predictive insights that only WellSky solutions can provide. They serve more than 20,000 client sites around the world including the largest hospital systems, blood banks and labs, home health and hospice franchises, government agencies, and human services organizations.

Previously, Shoma served as vice president of marketing for Kinnser Software, where she led marketing and strategic growth initiatives. She holds an undergraduate degree in economics and international relations from the University of Virginia.

25. Chelo Picardal
Chief Technology Officer, City of Bellevue

Chelo Picardal is the Chief Technology Officer of the City of Bellevue. She first joined the city in 1999. Bellevue is the fifth largest city in Washington, with a population of more than 140,000. It is the high-tech and retail center of the Eastside, with more than 150,000 jobs and a skyline of gleaming high-rises. While business booms downtown, much of Bellevue retains a small-town feel, with thriving, woodsy neighborhoods and a vast network of green spaces and recreational facilities that keep people calling the place "a city in a park."​ The city's schools are consistently rated among the best in the country.

Previously, Picardal was a development team manager at TRW and before that a space systems analyst at BDM. Earlier in her career she worked with SRS Technologies as a systems analyst. Picardal earned an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan.

26. Linda Tucci
Chief Information Officer of Information Technology Strategy, TechTarget

Linda Tucci is the Chief Information Officer of Information Technology Strategy of TechTarget, the global leader in purchase intent-driven marketing and sales services that deliver business impact for enterprise technology companies. By creating abundant, high-quality editorial content across more than 150 highly targeted technology-specific websites and 1,125 channels, TechTarget attracts and nurtures communities of technology buyers researching their companies’ information technology needs. By understanding these buyers’ content consumption behaviors, TechTarget creates the purchase intent insights that fuel efficient and effective marketing and sales activities for clients around the world. Tucci has 31 years of experience. She began her career in 1991.

Before joining TechTarget, Tucci was a business columnist at St. Louis Post-Dispatch and before that, a senior reporter at St. Louis Business Journal. Earlier in her career she worked with St. Louis Magazine as an associate editor. Tucci graduated from Bowdoin College with an undergraduate degree in English.

27. Susanne Moore
EVP & Chief Operating Officer, NaphCare

Susanne Moore is a registered nurse and an attorney with a passion for innovating to make healthcare better. In her varied career, she has served as in house counsel for a university medical school, has served as a defense litigator for hospitals and physicians in numerous medical trials and has had a successful solo practice that included intellectual property and patent work. She is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Naphcare, a $700M a year company providing comprehensive 24/7 healthcare services in correctional facilities across the nation. Additionally, she serves as Chief Legal Officer for KultureCity, a nonprofit partnering with event venues including NFL, NBA, Disney and hundreds of others to provide sensory inclusive certification and training. With her daughter, she previously co-founded NeuraBoot, an interactive mood-sharing and mindset training mobile application.

28. Chioma Ndubuisi
AVP & Chief Information Officer, California State University, Los Angeles

Chioma Ndubuisi is an Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Information Technology Services of California State University, Los Angeles. She first joined the university in 2022. Ndubuisi is known for being an accomplished and talented senior technology leader with a wealth of experience leading the identification and resolution of enterprise-wide issues, ensuring the alignment of department planning with institutional values and direction, along with launching programs that generate high-impact business intelligence support applications.

Previously, Ndubuisi was a CTO at Butte College and before that a director of the project management office at the University of California, Merced. Earlier in her career she worked with Option One Mortgage as a senior project manager. Ndubuisi earned an undergraduate degree in computer and information systems from California State University, Los Angeles.

29. Rachael Britt-McGraw
Chief Information Officer, Summit Medical Group

Rachael Britt-McGraw offers over 30 years of information technology experience from both leadership and technical perspectives. Over her career she has served in the following industries: health care, restaurant, hospitality, warehousing and distribution, transportation, retail, textiles and manufacturing. She is currently seated as the Chief Information Officer at Summit Medical Group, the leader in primary care, internal medicine, pediatric and rheumatology services in the region. Britt-McGraw provides overall IT leadership, strategic vision, contract and vendor management, and process improvement for this multi-specialty practice with over 300 providers and 90 care locations. In this role, her teams are responsible for all aspects of information technology to include connectivity and telecom, WAN/LAN, cybersecurity electronic health record and electronic practice management systems, development of websites and interfaces, data warehousing, business analytics, training, helpdesk and end user computing support, and all quality care/HEDIS/MU/MIPS/MACRA initiatives.

Prior to SMG, she was seated for over 8 years as the CIO for Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, a large Surgical Practice with over 100 Orthopaedic Surgeons. In her time with TOA, Rachael oversaw the implementation of the Electronic Health Record and Practice Management systems, and designed various interfaces centered upon saving the surgeons time while maintaining the touchpoints required to meet federal mandates. She renegotiated all IT contracts, putting TOA in a strong position with strong business partners. Earlier experience in her career includes bringing about PCI compliance for a level 1 merchant, and for creating robust Disaster Recovery platforms. Britt-McGraw has a strong understanding of business and the utilization of technology to gain competitive advantage. She has demonstrated leadership in IT turnarounds, building top shelf technology teams, effective vendor negotiation, and offers broad experience across all functions of IT. She has deep experience in strategic planning, project management, cybersecurity, and system integration surrounding mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Britt-McGraw holds an undergraduate degree in computer science - systems analysis and design, and an undergraduate degree in resource management. She is also certified by the College of Health Information Management Executives. Accustomed to delivering and explaining complex technical concepts to business leaders, she is active in public speaking and delivering presentations to Boards of Directors and large public audiences.

30. Chitra Madhwacharyula
Senior Director of Customer Success, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Chitra Madhwacharyula is the Senior Director of Customer Success at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) GreenLake where she heads the WorldWide Customer Success Center of Excellence. She is a self-directed and driven technology and business leader with comprehensive accomplishments leading post-sale customer and partner strategy, technical and business consulting and advisory, onboarding, adoption, retention, services monetization, and global cross-functional teams to maximize business outcomes. She has 20 years of global professional experience combined with innovative thinking and execution with strong hi-tech, finance, insurance, retail, manufacturing, and health care industry acumen. Chitra is a highly organized, creative problem-solver who excels at leading teams through challenging projects and translating complicated technology into easy-to-understand concepts. She has proven expertise in retaining and growing multimillion-dollar contracts, budgets, products, and advising C-level executives.

Chitra is passionate about promoting children's education and women empowerment in technological fields. She is a founding member and conference chair at WomenTechNetwork, a global network powered by Coding Girls, Tech Family Ventures and Tallocate with a mission to unite women in tech to foster innovation with purpose and impact. WomenTechNetwork events include diversity talks, conferences, interviews and networking opportunities, while connecting female tech talent like engineers, data scientists, designers, product managers and other tech-roles with opportunities at companies that share the same values and put diversity as their top priority. She has a master’s in computer science from National University of Singapore and a master’s in information management from University of California at Berkeley. Her professional experiences include working for companies like TIBCO, LinkedIn, Motorola, Ayla Networks (IoT), Joveo (HRTech), Couchbase and HPE.

31. Lynn Tornabene
Chief Marketing Officer, Anteriad

Lynn Tornabene is an accomplished business leader who has led and implemented successful brand transformations, launched market-leading products, and built and developed high-performing marketing and research teams. Her decades of experience span adtech, martech, data, media, and advertising. As Chief Marketing Officer of Anteriad, she leads the global marketing team in positioning the company for growth. For over 20 years, Anteriad has put B2B marketers in front of their next customer and ahead of their competition. With more than 500 billion buyer-related signals tracked every month on its award-winning Anteriad Marketing Cloud platform, customers like IBM, Microsoft, Forbes, SHRM, and OpenText benefit from Anteriad's high-fidelity B2B buyer data, full and self-service multichannel execution, analytics services, and expert advisory to generate impactful ROI multiples.

Prior to joining Anteriad in May 2022, Lynn was the global VP of product marketing for Oracle Advertising and Marketing Solutions, leading product marketing for the company’s martech, adtech, and advertising data solutions targeted at the needs of CMOs and enterprise marketing departments, ad agencies, and media sellers. Prior to Oracle, she served as the CMO of AffinityX, a global creative and media services company, and held marketing executive and leadership roles at Apple, Quattro Wireless, Google, DoubleClick, Wunderman, and IBM. Lynn earned an MS in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University and an undergraduate degree in English and media from Indiana University.

32. Cereen Varghese
Chief Technology Officer, Our Daily Bread Ministries

Cereen Varghese is the Chief Technology Officer of Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM), a Christian non-profit organization with 36 locations around the world serving more than 150 countries with resources in 58 languages. Since beginning her role at ODBM, Varghese has been instrumental in integrating Salesforce in their global regions and also leading the digital transformation through technology initiatives. As a member of ODBM’s Global Executive Team, Varghese focusses on enabling a secure, scalable and data-driven ecosystem and enabling various Digital Channels of the ministry to reach the new and existing audiences through best-in-class user experiences.

Prior to taking this role in October of 2021, Varghese served as VP of IT at Concentrix Ltd. where she designed, implemented, and deployed a digital employee engagement platform for 250,000 employees across 60 countries, and 14 languages from concept to implementation. She also managed client portfolio programs valued at $40 million for testing, as well as internal applications that impacted client portfolios worth $4 billion. Varghese is passionate about understanding growth, productivity and user experience through cross discipline partnerships and driving synergies between business leadership, operations and IT. Varghese also works very closely in supporting women and closing the diversity gap in technology.

33. Irene Bondar
Global Chief Technology Officer, Neo Media World

Irene Bondar is the Global Chief Technology Officer of Neo Media World, a digital-first global team with media expertise from brand to performance. Brands look to Neo as their competitive advantage to best engage their customers across disciplines including programmatic, social, paid search, analytics, technology, organic search, affiliate marketing, e-commerce and across traditional channels. Bondar has 12 years of experience. She began her career in 2010.

Before joining Neo Media World, Bondar was an EVP of global client operations at 24/7 Media Inc and before that, a VP of product strategy at The Media Innovation Group. Bondar graduated from William Paterson University of New Jersey with an MBA and from Rutgers University with an undergraduate degree in computer science.

34. Alex Gobbi
Chief Marketing Officer, Code42

Alex Gobbi is a global go-to-market leader who helps companies transform business models, create new categories, accelerate growth, and acquire or reposition in new market segments. She has driven brand value, pipeline generation, and digital transformation for technology, cybersecurity, and professional services organizations that market to enterprise buyers. Alex has worked across Europe and the U.S. leveraging the five languages she is fluent in.
She currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer of cybersecurity software company Code42 where she and her team influenced the design of the Insider Risk Management (IRM)
security category, launched the company’s SaaS product, Incydr, and led the demand transformation.

Before joining Code42, Alex served as SVP and CMO at $500M global cybersecurity solutions provider Secureworks. She joined the company post-IPO as its first-ever CMO and drove its evolution from managed security services provider to a SaaS company. Alex held previous marketing leadership roles at EarthLink, PRGX Global, and at Hewlett Packard Enterprises. She started her career in advertising at BBDO, followed by management consulting at A.T. Kearney. She earned her MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA and her Licence en Sciences Commerciales et Financières at the ICHEC Business School in Brussels. Born in Belgium, she has lived in eight different cities in Europe and the U.S., and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

35. Jana Merfen
Chief Technology Officer, CrossFirst Bank

Jana Merfen began her professional career 18 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Technology Officer of CrossFirst Bank, a Kansas corporation and a registered bank holding company for its wholly owned subsidiary CrossFirst Bank, which is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. CrossFirst has nine full-service banking locations in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona that offer products and services to businesses, professionals, individuals, and families. CrossFirst Bank was organized by a group of financial executives and prominent business leaders with a shared vision to couple highly experienced people with technology to offer unprecedented levels of personal service to clients.

Merfen first got her start in 2004 as a senior associate at KPMG. From there, she went on to QTS Data Centers, before eventually rising to become CIO at Dickinson Financial Corporation, her most recent position prior to joining CrossFirst Bank. Merfen graduated from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in accounting.

36. Hetal Parikh
Co-Founder & President, Rangam Consultants

Hetal Parikh is recognized for carrying out Rangam’s mission of “Accelerating Meaningful Employment for Everyone”. These words continuously inspire her to pave the path for her professional and personal achievements. When Hetal’s family moved from India to Hoboken, New Jersey at the age of 10, she faced a variety of challenges, from understanding the language and culture to acclimating to society. Hetal vowed that once she established herself, she would support other women so they wouldn’t have to struggle as she did. She has kept that promise, mentoring female entrepreneurs, encouraging young women to pursue STEM careers, and supporting women from all walks of life as they re-enter the workforce. “Obstacles help you become resilient and strong, and instill empathy,” Parikh says. “These experiences challenged, but didn’t alter, my mindset and motivation for continuous learning. In fact, they inspired me to make a difference, helping others and becoming a more effective leader.”

Parikh’s executive education in the Owner/President Management (OPM) Program at Harvard Business School, where she shared the classroom with many second and third generation entrepreneurs, helped her understand the generational diversity in the modern workplace. This experience also made her realize the importance of creating scalable and sustainable solutions for a future that will be very different from the present in terms of diversity representations, demographics, behavior, and interests. Hetal’s overall vision is to create a people-centric workplace within Rangam and in corporations around the globe. Throughout her entrepreneurial journey and life, she has carried that cultural legacy to care for one another, to listen, to understand and not merely to respond, and to build a team that treats everyone as a family member. For the past 20 years, Rangam has become a high-performing, diverse supplier of workforce solutions utilizing innovative technology and strategic delivery models. Her out-of-the-box thinking not only inspires everyone at Rangam but also influences others to create a more collaborative workforce. As a game-changer in the talent acquisition space, the Rangam team under Hetal’s leadership has developed SourceAbled™, an end-to-end solution connecting employers, job seekers who are differently abled, and support agencies. Rangam also offers SourceVets™, a career development and employment program for transitioning military service members.

37. Monica Rosser
Chief Growth Officer , Favor TechConsulting

Monica Rosser is the Chief Growth Officer of Favor TechConsulting. FTC is a leading IT services and solutions provider that delivers Next-Gen technical solutions for their federal government customers across the civil, defense, and intelligence landscape. As the company’s first female Chief Growth Officer, Rosser has been integral to the company’s extraordinary growth - amassing over a half-billion-dollar portfolio within the Department of Veteran Affairs and expanding the company’s footprint in new markets by securing key contracts within the Defense Health Agency, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, among many others. As a passionate advocate for the advancement of women in the workplace, Rosser is devoted to ensuring equity at leadership tables at FTC and across the industry.

Before joining Favor TechConsulting, Rosser was a VP of healthcare, benefits, and information technology at SBG Technology Solutions, Inc. and before that, a manager of enterprise risk at Deloitte. Earlier in her career she worked with the State of Pennsylvania as a staff attorney. In addition to her roles with FTC and being a new mom, Rosser lives the FTC values by giving back in an especially meaningful way: fueled by the lessons of her Vietnam Veteran father, she volunteers to provide career counseling, job application coaching, and technology support for Veterans who are struggling to thrive in a virtual world. Rosser graduated from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law with a JD and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an undergraduate degree in political science and international studies.

38. Kristin Begley
Chief Growth Officer , Capital Rx

Kristin Begley is the Chief Growth Officer of Capital Rx. She is responsible for the expansion and growth of the company’s commercial business. She has oversight of market-facing initiatives including direct client prospecting activities and channel partner maximization. Additionally, Kristin leverages her many years of experience in pharmaceutical supply chain, value-based care and technology infrastructure providing payers and health systems modular software, hardware and health advocacy solutions focused on engaging and empowering women in family health.

Prior to joining Capital Rx, Kristin worked in executive positions at Wildflower Health, EmpiRx Health, Truveris and Aon-Hewitt. She graduated from Samford University with a PharmD and has a postDoctoral residency from the Managed Care Institute. Kristin maintains active pharmacy licenses in Alabama, Florida and New York.

39. Erica Angel
Chief Technology & Information Officer, SOC Telemed

Erica Angel is the Chief Technology and Information Officer of SOC Telemed. She first joined the company in 2021. SOC Telemed is the leading national provider of acute telemedicine technology and solutions to hospitals, health systems, post-acute providers, physician networks, and value-based care organizations since 2004.

Previously, Angel was a chief technology and information officer at Access Physicians and before that a CMO at Orion Energy Systems. Earlier in her career she worked with the Illinois Governor's Office as a policy advisor. Angel earned an MA in folk studies from Western Kentucky University and an undergraduate degree in English from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

40. Lauren Crampsie
President, Viral Nation

Lauren Crampsie is the President of Viral Nation, a global digital and social agency group driving growth and connection through performance and innovation. Their mission is to close the distance between brands and consumers and create tighter bonds. Using real time data, first-hand insight, and collaborating with people who know their audiences intimately, they help brands find smarter ways to deliver better value to their communities. Crampsie has 20 years of experience. She began her career in 2002.

Crampsie is known for her incredible track record of driving change through one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Before joining Viral Nation, Crampsie was a president and CMO at Ogilvy where she helped the organization evolve to meet clients' changing needs within the new media ecosystem. Crampsie graduated from Lehigh University.

41. Rachel Cohen
Chief Growth Officer , MetroStar

Rachel Cohen began her professional career 26 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Growth Officer. MetroStar is a solutions and digital services company and Rachel’s team focuses on executing deliberate and sustained growth strategies that maximize artificial intelligence advances within the public sector. Through their user-centric capabilities, they create new paths to government innovation and shape thoughtful outcomes for the people. Cohen is MetroStar’s first female chief officer, representing our company’s commitment to diversity at all levels of the organization. She brings over 25 years of experience.

Cohen is a champion of our Women in Technology Community of Practice internal group. She recently helped plan and give welcoming remarks for our recent Women’s Equality Day Panel. She first got her start in 1996 as a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton. Cohen graduated from Georgetown University of Walsh School of Foreign Service with an MA in Latin American studies and from Oberlin College with an undergraduate degree in history, Spanish, and Latin American studies.

42. Cyra Richardson
Chief Product Officer & Chief Technology Officer, Attabotics

Cyra Richardson is the Chief Product Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Attabotics. She first joined the company in 2021. Attabotics is the world’s first 3D robotics supply chain system for modern commerce. Inspired by the framework of ant colonies, Attabotics replaces the rows and aisles of traditional fulfillment centers with a patented storage structure and robotics shuttles that utilize both horizontal and vertical space, reducing the company’s warehouse needs by 85 percent. By empowering retailers to place fulfillment centers near high-density urban areas, Attabotics helps create jobs and decrease carbon emissions by closing the last-mile delivery gap. Attabotics has been adopted by major brands and other retailers across apparel, food and beverage and home goods.

Previously, Richardson was a VP and chief product officer at Wind River and before that a general manager of artificial intelligence and robotics incubation at Microsoft. Earlier in her career she worked with Wellington Group as a software engineer. Richardson earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from Drexel University.

43. Cecily Mak
COO, Blockdaemon

Cecily Mak has more than two decades of experience as a mid-stage start-up operator with a background in strategic partnerships, fundraising, adaptive planning, and talent optimization. She drove strategy and operations as a partner at ConsenSys and served as portfolio manager for over 25 early-stage companies in the emergent blockchain ecosystem. Prior to ConsenSys, she focused on fundraising, reorgs, operational efficiency, and DEI initiatives as the chief business and legal officer and CRO at Flipboard, Inc., and was a founding team member at Rhapsody International.

Cecily taught Digital Media Law at UC Hastings for twelve years and supports innovators in exceeding revenue, strategy, and talent optimization goals. She currently is the chair on the board for Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, a founding LP of How Women Invest, and maintains positions on advisory boards of several companies in the enterprise blockchain, consumer software, and mindfulness industries. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Blockdaemon, the leading independent blockchain node infrastructure to stake, scale, and deploy nodes with institutional-grade security and monitoring.

44. Betsy Soehren-Jones
Chief Operating Officer, Fortress Information Security

Betsy Soehren-Jones brings nearly two decades of utility industry, cyber strategy, and policy expertise to Fortress. Soehren-Jones most recently was responsible for designing and implementing information and vendor security programs for Exelon, a Fortune 200 company and the nation’s premier energy transmission and distribution utility company. She also was the Supply Chain Committee Chair for the Edison Electric Institute and a Committee Lead for Supply Chain at the North American Transmission Forum.

Soehren-Jones focuses on ensuring that a diverse group of students see cybersecurity as a future career opportunity. She serves as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math program designer for the Girl Scouts of America. Over the last five years, she has authored and presented over 50 different curriculums and exercises.

45. Janet Denicola
Chief Technology Officer, The Greenery

Janet Denicola began her professional career 37 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Technology Officer of The Greenery, a company specializing in landscape contracting and comprehensive landscape maintenance programs for commercial and residential clients. They focus on projects and properties requiring attention to detail, complex construction, high-quality installation and they offer a full-service maintenance follow-up program.

Denicola first got her start in 1985 as a programmer at EDS Electronic Data Systems. She graduated from Adelphi University with an MBA in banking and financial support services and from Binghamton University with an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science.

46. Ling Ling Sun
Chief Technology Officer, Nebraska Public Media

Ling Ling Sun is the Chief Technology Officer of Nebraska Public Media. She leads a state network, television and radio joint licensee that offers multi-platform communication services to the citizens of Nebraska, through over the air, on demand, online services, and live streaming. She oversees PBS Diversity, Disaster recovery and Maintenance Site, the backup site to the nationwide PBS Interconnection. Using a viable system model as a tool, Ling Ling leads Nebraska Public Media technology transformation. She writes regularly on social network LinkedIn to share her thoughts on Media Ecology and focus on the symbiotic relationship of content and media.

From 2013 to 2018, Ling Ling served as Chair of PBS ETAC (Engineering Technology Advisory Committee), and member of PBS Interconnection Committee. She is currently serving as chair of the NAB BEIT (Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology) Conference Program Committee. She is also a member of the Technical Panel, an advisory body to the Nebraska Information Technology Commission. Ling Ling is the recipient of 2019 Broadcasting & Cable Tech Leadership Awards.

47. Chrissie Coon
Chief Strategy Officer, Mutualink

Chrissie Coon is the Chief Strategy Officer of Mutualink. Mutualink’s platform connects first responders – fire, police and emergency medical services – on the only nationwide network delivering secure multimedia communications to keep communities safe. As seasoned technology executive with over 20 years of government and technology experience, in both the public and private sectors, Coon provides visionary, strategic and innovative insight to executive leadership. She is currently focused on monitoring market trends and driving strategic developments that transform organizations to meet their customers' growing needs and revenue goals.

Coon’s leadership experience includes managing corporate strategy, business development, strategic partnerships, and investments. In addition, she has experience managing business segments including sales, product development, marketing, research and development. Through her decades of experience domestically and internationally, she has worked with leaders from all levels of government, industry, and academia to identify and incubate emerging technologies that support government missions. Coon holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

48. Rebecca Hofmann
President & CEO, Blockchain For Energy

Rebecca Hofmann is an accomplished finance and compliance leader with over 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Her past operational assignments have covered the development and improvement of processes over governance and compliance to support onshore and offshore operations. She is the founder and visionary behind the Blockchain for Energy consortium where she is the standing CEO and served as chairman of the board two years prior.

Hofmann’s many industry awards and accolades include the 2018 GRIT Award for Creativity and Innovation, the 2019 GRIT Award for her team’s work in emerging technologies, and the 2021 Global Supply Chain Leaders Blockchain CEO of the Year Award. She has also authored several thought leadership articles related to blockchain technology.

49. April Downing
Chief Financial Officer, Khoros

April Downing is the Chief Financial Officer of Khoros. She first joined the company in 2021. Khoros is a global leader in digital-first customer engagement software. It builds enterprise software for digital customer service, online brand communities, and social media management. Downing is a seasoned financial and operational executive with over 20 years of experience for publicly and privately held technology, services, and consumer companies. Having raised $0.5 billion in capital, completed more than 20 acquisitions, and opened offices in over a dozen countries, Downing appreciates the complexity that comes from growing companies.

Previously, Downing was a co-founder and chief operating officer at Supply Drop and before that a chief operating officer at Civitas Learning. Earlier in her career she worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as a manager. Downing holds a master's degree in professional accounting from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. She serves on the Foundation Board for Helping Hand Home for Children.

50. Sandra Johnson
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Global Mobile Finance

Sandra Johnson began her professional career 22 years ago. Today, she is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Mobile Finance, a fintech startup founded in 2018 and headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Its initial offering is geeRemit, a relationship-driven remittance mobile app for Africa. geeRemit develops deep customer relationships, facilitating innovative recurring transactions and loyalty. It is based on blockchain technology and mobile money. This enables remittance transfers that are low-cost, fast, highly secure, convenient, safe and relationship driven.

Johnson first got her start in 2000 as a manager and senior engineer at IBM. She graduated from Rice University with a PhD in electrical engineering, from Stanford University with an MS in electrical engineering, and from University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.