Women in Tech & AI Awards 2026

• This award honors a woman serving as a Chief Information Officer or Chief Technology Officer who has shown exemplary leadership and innovation in her role.
• Criteria: Demonstrated leadership, significant contributions to their organization, innovation in tech strategies or implementations.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and currently hold the position of CIO or CTO.
• Recognized contributions: Leading technological innovation, implementing successful tech strategies, contributing to organizational growth or transformation.
• Selection method: An impartial jury of tech industry leaders will evaluate applications and choose the award recipient.

• This award honors a woman holding a C-suite position in a tech company who has shown exceptional leadership, innovation, and influence.
• Criteria: Demonstrated leadership, significant contributions to their organization, innovation, influence in the tech industry.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and currently hold a C-suite position in a tech company.
• Recognized contributions: Leading organizational growth, implementing innovative strategies, advocating for diversity and inclusion, influencing industry trends.
• Selection method: A jury of industry leaders will review applications and select the award recipient.

• This award celebrates a woman who holds the position of Chief Marketing Officer or Growth Officer in the tech industry who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in driving business growth, brand strategy, and market expansion through innovative marketing and growth initiatives.
• Criteria: Demonstrated leadership in marketing and growth strategy, significant contributions to brand building, customer acquisition, and revenue growth.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and currently hold the position of CMO, CGO, or equivalent growth leadership role.
• Recognized contributions: Leading successful go-to-market strategies, driving measurable business growth, building high-performing marketing teams, and leveraging data-driven approaches.
• Selection method: A jury of marketing and tech industry leaders will review applications and select the winner.

• This award recognizes a woman who has shown exceptional leadership in the tech industry. It acknowledges her contributions towards innovative technology strategies, successful project implementations, and the mentorship of future tech leaders.
• Criteria: Demonstrated leadership in the tech industry, significant contributions to innovative technology projects, mentorship and influence.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and be currently serving in a leadership role within the tech industry.
• Recognized contributions: Leadership in tech projects, implementing innovative technology strategies, mentoring future tech leaders, contributing to the growth and success of their organization.
• Selection method: Applications will be evaluated by a jury of industry professionals who will select the winner based on the nominee's leadership qualities, contributions to technology, and influence within the industry.

• This award recognizes women who have significantly contributed to the AI & Machine Learning field, demonstrating exceptional leadership, innovation, and influence in her organization and the industry as a whole.
• Criteria: Demonstrated accomplishments in AI & Machine Learning, significant positive impact on her organization, contribution to the industry, leadership qualities.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and be currently working in an AI & Machine Learning-related role.
• Recognized contributions: Innovation in AI & Machine Learning, leading successful projects, mentoring, community engagement, published research or articles, speaking at industry events.
• Selection method: Applications will be reviewed and winners selected by an impartial jury made up of industry leaders and experts.

• This award recognizes a woman who has made outstanding contributions in the product management field, exhibiting stellar leadership and innovative thinking.
• Criteria: Demonstrated leadership in product management, innovation in product design or strategy, impact on business growth or user experience.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and be currently serving in a product management role.
• Recognized contributions: Launching successful products, implementing innovative product strategies, enhancing user experience, contributing to business growth.
• Selection method: A jury of industry professionals will evaluate applications and select the winner.

• This award recognizes a woman who has made exceptional contributions to the field of software engineering. It highlights her exemplary leadership, innovative problem-solving abilities, and commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Criteria: Demonstrated leadership in software engineering, innovative contributions to projects or initiatives, and advocacy for an inclusive and diverse team culture.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and currently serve in a leadership role within the realm of software engineering.
• Recognized contributions: Successful leadership of software engineering projects, innovative problem-solving and product development, fostering an inclusive and diverse team culture, and contributing to the growth of their organization.
• Selection method: Applications will be reviewed by a jury comprised of software engineering professionals and industry leaders, with the winner selected based on her leadership qualities, contributions to software engineering, and impact within the industry.

• This award recognizes a woman who has made outstanding contributions to the cybersecurity field, demonstrating exceptional leadership in protecting organizations and advancing security practices.
• Criteria: Demonstrated leadership in cybersecurity, innovation in security strategies, impact on organizational security posture.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and be currently serving in a cybersecurity leadership role.
• Recognized contributions: Advancing cybersecurity practices, building security-first cultures, leading incident response, developing innovative security solutions.
• Selection method: A jury of cybersecurity experts and industry leaders will evaluate applications and select the winner.

Selection: Public Voting & Engagement (via Sharing Widget)*
Requirements: Be an active community member / have participated at minimum one WomenTech Network event before. Recognized contributions: Decided by WomenTech Network's long established audience.

The WomenTech Community Award recognizes annually honorees decided by public voting and the WomenTech community. Nomination for the award requires an active community membership and participation at one previous WomenTech Network event. All nominated applications will be publicly visible. A digital award certificate is issued and a photograph of award winner will be on display on the WomenTech Network website to acknowledge that individuals' success and to encourage other community members to strive to achieve this prestigious award.

Recognition of this award will be given in a special assembly during the Women in Tech & AI Global Awards.

This award not only aptly acknowledges community members at our network who demonstrate excellence in all aspects of their community engagement, but motivates all community members to live by the network's values to the highest standards. Those who achieve the award provide a clear model for other community members to follow, and through its explicit and clear standards for achieving impact, the Community Award enables all community members to gain a firm understanding of the opportunities at our network.

*The final score & winner will be determined by social shares, variety of social networks, social clicks,  unique user engagement with nominee profile.

• This award honors a community initiative that has significantly promoted and supported women in the tech industry. It acknowledges the contributions of projects or initiatives that have created a positive impact, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for women in tech.
• Criteria: Demonstrated positive impact on women in the tech community, innovative strategies or initiatives, fostering diversity and inclusion.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent a community initiative that supports women in tech.
• Recognized contributions: Implementing innovative programs or projects supporting women in tech, promoting diversity and inclusion, enhancing the local or global tech community.
• Selection method: A jury comprised of industry experts and community leaders will evaluate applications and select the award recipient based on the initiative's impact, innovation, and contribution to diversity and inclusion.

• This award recognizes an AI or enterprise startup that has demonstrated exceptional innovation, growth, and impact in leveraging technology to solve real-world problems.
• Criteria: Innovation in AI/enterprise technology, market traction and growth, impact on the industry or society, strength of founding team.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent a startup founded or co-founded by a woman.
• Recognized contributions: Developing breakthrough AI/enterprise solutions, achieving significant market adoption, creating positive societal impact.
• Selection method: A jury of venture capital investors, tech leaders, and startup ecosystem experts will evaluate applications.

• This award recognizes an outstanding AI product that has demonstrated significant innovation, user impact, and market differentiation.
• Criteria: Innovation and uniqueness of the AI product, user adoption and impact, technical excellence, market differentiation.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent a product with a woman in a key leadership role.
• Recognized contributions: Developing innovative AI products, achieving significant user adoption, advancing the state of the art in AI applications.
• Selection method: A jury of product and AI experts will evaluate applications and select the award recipient.

• This award recognizes an investor who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to funding and supporting women-led startups in the tech industry.
• Criteria: Track record of investing in women-led startups, impact on portfolio companies, advocacy for diversity in venture capital.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and be an active investor in tech startups.
• Recognized contributions: Investing in women-led startups, mentoring founders, advocating for diversity in the investment ecosystem.
• Selection method: A jury of venture capital and startup ecosystem leaders will evaluate applications.

• This award celebrates an emerging female founder who has shown exceptional promise and early-stage success in the tech startup ecosystem.
• Criteria: Early-stage startup traction, innovative business model, potential for growth and impact, leadership qualities.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and be a female founder of a tech startup in the early stages (pre-seed to Series A).
• Recognized contributions: Building innovative tech solutions, demonstrating entrepreneurial excellence, inspiring other women to pursue tech entrepreneurship.
• Selection method: A jury of startup mentors, investors, and ecosystem builders will evaluate applications.

• This award recognizes a tech startup that has made a significant positive impact on society, the environment, or underserved communities through innovative technology solutions.
• Criteria: Measurable social or environmental impact, innovation in technology for good, scalability and sustainability of the solution.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent a tech startup with a demonstrated social impact mission.
• Recognized contributions: Creating technology for social good, achieving measurable impact, building sustainable impact-focused business models.
• Selection method: A jury of impact investors and social innovation experts will evaluate applications.

• This award recognizes an organization, accelerator, incubator, or partner that has made an outstanding contribution to the tech startup ecosystem by supporting women-led ventures.
• Criteria: Demonstrated support for women-led startups, impact on the ecosystem, innovation in support programs.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent an organization supporting the tech startup ecosystem.
• Recognized contributions: Supporting women founders, building ecosystem programs, facilitating access to capital, mentorship, and resources.
• Selection method: A jury of ecosystem builders and startup community leaders will evaluate applications.

• This award recognizes a company or organization that provides an outstanding work environment, showing a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, innovation, and equal opportunity.
• Criteria: Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion, fair policies for equal opportunity and career growth, supportive work environment, positive feedback from employees.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent a company or organization in the tech sector. Should provide evidence of policies and initiatives supporting women in tech.
• Recognized contributions: Diversity and inclusion initiatives, women's career development programs, supportive and flexible work environment, equal opportunity policies.
• Selection method: Applications will be evaluated by a jury made up of industry leaders and experts in workplace diversity and inclusion.

• This award is given to a company that has significantly promoted and supported women in tech and AI.
• Criteria: Demonstrated support for women in tech, positive impact on the organization, innovative strategies or initiatives.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent a company supporting women in tech.
• Recognized contributions: Supporting women in tech, implementing innovative programs, enhancing workplace culture, promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Selection method: A jury comprised of industry experts will evaluate applications and select the award recipient.

• This award recognizes a company that has shown significant commitment to innovation in their organization.
• Criteria: Demonstrated commitment to innovation, implemented effective innovation policies and initiatives.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent a tech company or organization.
• Recognized contributions: Innovation initiatives, technological breakthroughs, forward-thinking culture.
• Selection method: The award recipient will be chosen by a jury comprised of industry experts and innovation advocates.

• This award is given to a corporate initiative that has significantly promoted upskilling, reskilling, and mentorship programs supporting women in tech.
• Criteria: Demonstrated support for women in tech through upskilling/reskilling/mentorship, positive impact on the organization, innovative strategies or initiatives.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and represent a corporate initiative supporting women in tech.
• Recognized contributions: Supporting women in tech, implementing innovative upskilling programs, enhancing workplace culture, promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Selection method: A jury comprised of industry experts will evaluate applications and select the award recipient.

• This award recognizes a woman who has shown extraordinary commitment and effectiveness as a mentor within the WomenTech Network.
• Criteria: Demonstrated commitment to mentoring within the WomenTech Network, positive impact on mentees, contribution to the growth and success of other women in tech.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and be an active mentor within the WomenTech Network.
• Recognized contributions: Mentoring and supporting other women in tech, advocating for diversity and inclusion, contributing to the success and growth of mentees.
• Selection method: The winner will be chosen by a panel of WomenTech Network leaders and peers.

• This award acknowledges a woman who has shown significant leadership within the WomenTech Network, driving initiatives and fostering a supportive community.
• Criteria: Leadership within the WomenTech Network, positive impact on the community, demonstrated dedication to the organization's goals.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and be an active member of the WomenTech Network.
• Recognized contributions: Leadership of initiatives, fostering community engagement, promoting diversity and inclusion within the network.
• Selection method: The award recipient will be chosen by a jury comprised of WomenTech Network leaders and members.

• This prestigious award is given to a woman who has made remarkable, long-standing contributions to the tech industry. It celebrates a lifetime of innovation, leadership, and mentorship that has significantly influenced the industry.
• Criteria: Long-standing contributions to the tech industry, significant influence and leadership over the course of their career, mentoring and fostering growth in the next generation of women in tech.
• Requirements: Must complete the application and have a significant career in the tech industry. This award is for outstanding lifetime contributions, so nominees should have a long, influential career.
• Selection method: A special jury comprised of prominent industry leaders and tech veterans will evaluate applications and select the award recipient.