Celebrating Inspirational August-born Women in Tech

August seems to be a very popular month birthdays of inspirational women in tech indeed! 

Read on to find out more about the inspirational stories and achievements of six incredible women in tech:

1. Meg Whitman (Born 4 August 1956):

Meg Whitman is an influential figure in the tech world, known for her leadership roles at notable companies such as eBay and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. As the CEO of eBay from 1998 to 2008, Whitman transformed the company from a small online auction site into a global e-commerce giant. Her strategic vision, commitment to innovation and “relentlessly optimistic” attitude have solidified her place as one of the most successful businesswomen in the tech industry.

2. Judith Love Cohen (Born 16 August 1933 - Died 25 July 2016):

Judith Love Cohen was a brilliant aerospace engineer known for her work on the development of the guidance and navigation systems for the Apollo missions to the moon. Her contributions were instrumental in ensuring the success and safety of the Apollo spacecraft. Cohen's determination and expertise made her an unsung hero of space exploration and a testament to the critical role that women played in early computing and aerospace engineering. P.s.in case you didn’t know… Cohen’s sons are computer scientist Neil Siegel and actor Jack Black!

3. Margaret Hamilton (Born August 17 1936):

Margaret Hamilton is often credited with coining the term “software engineer” and is known for her groundbreaking work leading the team that developed the in-flight software for the Apollo moon landing missions. Her innovative programming concepts laid the foundation for modern software engineering practices. Hamilton's rigorous approach to software development and her dedication to reliability and safety have had a lasting impact on the tech industry, emphasizing the importance of rigorous testing and error prevention.

4. Katherine Johnson (Born 26 August 1918 - Died 24 February 2020):

Katherine Johnson's remarkable achievements as a mathematician and aerospace engineer at NASA are well-documented (you may recognise her name from the Hidden Figures film!). Her calculations were pivotal in ensuring the success of the early space missions, including John Glenn's orbit of the Earth. Whilst she spent the majority of her career not receiving the recognition she deserved, Johnson's contributions to the world of STEM shattered both gender and racial barriers to pave the way for others that came after her.

5. Karen Spärck-Jones (Born 26 August 1935 - Died 4 April 2007):

Karen Spärck-Jones was a British self-taught computer scientist known for her pioneering work in natural language processing and information retrieval. Her research laid the foundation for modern search engines and language understanding systems. Spärck-Jones' dedication to advancing the field of computational linguistics has had a profound impact on the way we interact with technology today.

6. Sheryl Sandberg (Born 28 August 1969):

Sheryl Sandberg is a prominent figure in the tech industry, having served as the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. Sandberg's leadership has played a significant role in shaping the company's growth and global influence. She is also known for her advocacy of women's empowerment and gender equality, inspiring women around the world to pursue leadership roles in tech.

The accomplishments of these six remarkable women in tech serve as a reminder of the vast contributions that women have made to the field of technology. Their dedication, innovation, and trailblazing spirit continue to inspire generations of aspiring technologists, showing that barriers can be overcome and boundaries can be pushed to create a more inclusive and innovative tech industry.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Keep up to date with all Women in Tech Birmingham news by subscribing to our newsletter!

Join the conversation!

Follow us on social media or contact us for a link to our Slack channel.

Facebook icon
Instagram icon
Twitter icon
Website icon
Email icon

© 2020 Women In Tech Birmingham

Intuit Mailchimp logo