Women Tech Council releases finalists for 11th annual awards

Seventeen women have been selected as finalists for the 2018 Women Tech Awards, a recognition program now in its 11th year.

The Women Tech Council announced the finalists for the awards, which recognize technology-focused women throughout the industry who are driving innovation, creating new technologies, impacting technology companies and inspiring the technology community.

“In their roles spreading from entry-level positions to the C-suite and boardroom, women have been central to the growth of Utah’s tech community by driving innovation and change across the industry,” said Cydni Tetro, Women Tech Council president. “Recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of these women helps strengthen the talent pool across the industry and inspires the next generation of women in STEM.”

Finalists, listed alphabetically, are:

                • Andrea Ibanez, vice president of people operations, Canopy.

                • Ayde Soto, co-founder and chief technical officer, SimpleCitizen.

                • Danielle Ackles, vice president of solution lead analytics, Merkle.

                • Erin Goodsell, managing counsel, Qualtrics.

                • Holly Rimmasch, executive vice president and chief clinical officer, Health Catalyst.

                • Jacqueline White, senior vice president of global sales, SaltStack.

                • Jennifer Smith, executive vice president and chief information officer, Zions Bancorporation.

                • Karli Slocum, director of digital customer experience and marketing, Myriad Genetic Laboratories.

                • Laura deShazo, assistant principal at Murray High School, Murray School District.

                • Leslie Hough Falk, senior vice president, Health Catalyst.

                • Lindsey Zuloaga, director of data science, HireVue.

                • Megan Stulp, chief engineer, Orbital ATK.

                • Minna Wang, analyst, Kickstart Seed Fund.

                • Moana Palelei HoChing, assistant director of educational outreach, The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.

                • Nancy Ham, chief executive officer, WebPT.

                • Nayana Penmetsa, engineering lead, Qualtrics.

                • Sue Fellows, executive vice president of customer experience, Workfront.

Finalists were chosen by a panel of judges with various significant roles in the technology community. Award recipients will be announced Oct. 24 at an awards luncheon at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. The awards are presented by Dealertrack, Dell EMC, Domo, Vivint Smart Home, Workfront and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

During the awards program’s history, more than 190 finalists and 25 student finalists have been recognized.

The Women Tech Council (WTC) is a national organization focused on the economic impact of women in driving high growth for the technology sector by developing programs that propel the economic pipeline from K-12 to the C-suite. WTC offers mentoring, visibility, opportunities and networking to more than 10,000 women and men working in technology to create business environments focused on high performance rather than diversity, where men and women can succeed, and has activated more than 12,000 girls to pursue STEM fields.