Megan Smith – CEO of Shift7, 3rd US C.T.O
Twitter @smithmegan
As an American technologist and engineer who has served as the third Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Megan J. Smith is a great follow for insights on inclusive innovation and data for good. Smith was the first female CTO under the Obama Administration, and prior to that, a vice president at Google for nine years where she co-founded Women TechMakers.
She’s the current CEO and founder of Shift7 – “solution making through inclusion,” and she was formerly the CEO of Planet Out, an LGBTQ+ online media platform. To say the least, Megan has a very influential voice in the tech and LGBTQ+ communities!
Leanne Pittsford – CEO of Lesbians Who Tech
Twitter @lepitts
American entrepreneur, Leanne Pittsford is the creator and CEO of Lesbians Who Tech, a global community of LGBTQ women and their allies in tech. Leanne shares much about the development of leadership skills, technical skills, and the overall betterment of global citizens.
Follow Leanne’s Twitter to see how she works to get more women, people of color, queer and trans people into the technology world while amplifying their voices. The Lesbians Who Tech Pride Summit is happening now!
Tim Cook – CEO of Apple
Twitter @tim_cook
Tech giant, Tim Cook currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc., Cook joined Apple in 1998 as a senior VP under Steve Jobs and later took on the role of CEO in 2011. Of the many Fortune 500 chief executives, Cook was among the first to publicly come out as gay.
On his Twitter, Cook is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, reaffirms Apple’s dedication to equality, and shares his passion for pushing the boundaries of innovation. If you’re looking to stay up with the latest ways technology is enriching our lives, give Tim Cook a follow!
Claudia Brind-Woody – VP of IBM
Twitter @BrindWoody
Claudia Brind-Woody serves as the Vice President of IBM and their Managing Director of Intellectual Property. Brind-Woody works to ensure an inclusive corporate work environment as the co-chair of IBM’s LGBT executive task force, while also leading a source code licensing team.
Her tweets will keep you up-to-date on all things AI, cloud, security, big data, diversity and inclusion. Brind-Woody is a tech and LGBTQ+ trailblazer in many ways — check her out if you haven’t already!
Arlan Hamilton – Founder & Managing Partner of Backstage Capital
Twitter @ArlanWasHere
While once homeless in 2015, Arlan Hamilton founded Backstage Capital — an organization that invests in potential tech founders that are women, people of color, and/or LGBTQ+. Her company has now invested in 170+ startups! Hamilton recently published a book titled It’s About Damn Time, based on her personal venture capital journey.
For more motivation on “how to turn being underestimated into your greatest advantage,” check out her Twitter handle!
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