International Women’s Day 2026: Balance the Scales
Virtual Panel
Hosted by WomenTech Network
March 05, 2026
12:00:00
Virtual Event
This International Women’s Day, WomenTech Network invites you to a global panel spotlighting the women shaping the future of tech — and tackling one of the most urgent questions of our time:
How do we balance the scales in a tech world moving faster than ever?
This year’s official theme, “Balance the Scales,” declared by UN Women, is a call to dismantle the systemic barriers that limit access to leadership, opportunity, and impact. In tech — where AI, automation, and digital platforms are transforming everything — this means ensuring that women are not just included, but leading.
Because when AI is built without diverse voices, it reflects the gaps of the past.
When it's built with inclusion in mind, it becomes a force for fairness, innovation, and global progress.
So how do we ensure AI is built ethically — and built for everyone?
It starts with who’s at the table. And it grows through leadership that reflects the world we’re building.
This panel brings together trailblazing women across engineering, AI, product, data, and executive leadership to share how they’re driving inclusive innovation — and shaping the future of technology with intention and integrity.
What to Expect from the Panel:
- Firsthand insights from women leading in AI, engineering, product, and emerging tech.
- Real talk on navigating leadership, innovation, and influence in today’s tech landscape.
- How to drive inclusive design and innovation in fast-moving, high-impact environments.
- How to thrive and lead through rapid tech shifts — and help others rise too.
Who This Event Is For:
Whether you're a software engineer, product leader, executive, founder, designer, data scientist, student, or ally — if you're building the future of tech (or want to), this conversation is for you.
Register now and celebrate International Women’s Day 2026 by learning from the women who are driving the future.
Hosted By
Agenda
Speakers
Liz Moyle
Founder & Principal Consultant , AI & Digital Transformation
Elizabeth Moyle is a senior product and platform leader with over 20 years of experience turning complex industrial operations into scalable, data-driven engines. She specializes in bridging the gap between high-level AI strategy and the realities of the plant floor, having delivered over $25M in value by integrating ERP, IoT, and AI across manufacturing and supply chain. As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Elizabeth excels at architecting intelligent automation programs and leading large-scale digital transformations that modernize operations and drive measurable results.
Sarah Seager
Senior Director, Business Development EPAM
Sarah has over 25 years’ experience in the healthcare and life sciences industry, specialising in real-world data and evidence generation to improve patient outcomes worldwide. Currently a Senior Director at EPAM Systems, she leads strategy and partnerships across global RWE initiatives and has built and managed diverse, high-performing data teams throughout her career.A passionate advocate for women in tech and data, Sarah serves as Global Lead for Women@EPAM and President of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) London Chapter. She has also chaired major employee networks, led global mentoring programmes, is a UK STEM Ambassador and facilitated workshops such as #IAmRemarkable to empower women’s confidence and visibility.
Pooja Varshneya
Senior Engineering Leader – Lyft Maps
Pooja Varshneya is a technology leader with over 20 years of experience building large scale technology platforms for Fortune 500 companies and major Wall Street investment banks. She currently serves as a Senior Engineering Manager at Lyft, where she leads global engineering teams responsible for building Lyft Maps, the navigation system that powers the company’s rideshare platform and enables millions of rides every day. Throughout her career, Pooja has focused on designing resilient, high scale systems that sit at the core of real world products used by millions of people every day. Pooja holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has a strong interest in the evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and large scale systems design. Beyond her technical leadership, Pooja is passionate about increasing the representation of women in STEM fields. She actively invests in mentoring and coaching engineers and emerging leaders, helping them navigate career growth and leadership opportunities in the tech ecosystem. Pooja is also an industry speaker and has shared insights on leadership and engineering culture at events including LeadDev New York, New Club, and Women in Tech.
Dr. Cheryl Cooper
Fractional CISO| GRC Strategist| President Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) KC| Author
Dr. Cheryl Cooper is a U.S. Navy Veteran, Doctor of Computer Science, TEDx speaker, author, and one of the nation’s leading voices in cybersecurity, cyber resilience, and women’s leadership in STEM. A Fractional CISO for small and midsize businesses, she equips executives to protect their data, reputation, and revenue through governance‑driven, business‑aligned security strategies. With more than two decades of experience, including serving as a Fortune 100 Business Information Security Officer, she has led global security programs, strengthened enterprise GRC frameworks, and advised senior leaders navigating complex digital risk. Dr. Cooper is the founder of Cooper Cyber Consulting Group and President of the Women in CyberSecurity Kansas City affiliate, where she champions pathways for underserved students and women in tech.
Sowjanya Pandruju
Cloud Application Architect – AWS
Sowjanya Pandruju is a Cloud Application Architect at Amazon Web Services with over 13 years of experience in software development and large-scale cloud architecture. She specializes in cloud native development, AI and machine learning integration, serverless computing, and event driven architecture, focusing on building scalable and intelligent enterprise systems. As a senior staff engineer and architect, she has led complex migrations from on-premises systems to AWS, delivering significant cost optimization and operational efficiency for global organizations. She is passionate about responsible AI, inclusive innovation, and designing technology that balances technical excellence with long-term societal impact.
