2021 Winners

Arylee McSweaney

Director of Engineering, Frontend Enablement & UX Foundation @ Etsy

Arylee McSweaney has an MBA in Information Systems from Baruch College. She is an experienced engineering leader with expertise in leading enablement and modernization efforts, software quality initiatives and transforming the dei landscape of an organization. Arylee believes that software and technology changes lives. For this reason, she is passionate about servant leadership and mentoring others on their leadership journey.

Dr. Anita Jindal

Senior Director of Engineering @ VMware

Dr. Anita Jindal is a Sr. Director at VMware, leading engineering for VMware Skyline product that provides proactive insights to drive intelligent customer actions. Prior to VMware, as Engineering leader at NetApp, she led strategy and execution of Active IQ product. Anita's team developed data science, microservices, and API platforms using Big Data (Hadoop) and cloud technologies. Anita held various engineering leadership positions at Oracle and Sun. She worked as Resident Research Associate at Argonne National Lab, researching application of parallel computing to deduction systems, an area of AI. Anita has multiple software patents and publications. She holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Anita has been awarded IDG 2020 One to Watch, which honors rising technology leaders who have what it takes to become strategic, C-level business technology executives of tomorrow. She received the Bay Area Timmy Award 2019 for Best Technical Manager. Anita is a regular speaker and moderator to support STEM and Women in Technology (WIT) goals globally. She serves as a Board Member for STEMentors Silicon Valley (a California nonprofit) that promotes STEM for underrepresented children in Bay Area.

Ziyun Liang

Senior Product Designer @ The New York Times

Ziyun Liang is an innovative product design leader. In her ten years of practicing digital design, she has shipped products for renowned companies like Apple, Masterclass, and Discover, as well as many startups. As a senior product designer at The New York Times, she builds and shapes the future of premium ad experiences. Beyond work, she is passionate about W3 and blockchain technology.

Tanvi S Hungund

Senior Manager @ Amazon Web Services

Tanvi is an accomplished global leader with a strong background in Cloud Computing, renowned for her ability to lead diverse teams to exceptional performance. With 10 years of experience, she specializes in leading technical teams and is dedicated to mentoring and supporting diverse talent. Passionate about inclusive leadership, Tanvi actively fosters environments where everyone can thrive. Her commitment to mentorship extends beyond her teams, influencing industry practices through speaking engagements and community involvement, shaping the future through leadership and advocacy.

Mythili Banka

Senior Director @ Egen Solutions AI

In her current role, Mythili collaborates with cross-functional teams to develop data-driven strategies that enhance customer engagement and loyalty. She has a deep understanding of the Pega platform and its capabilities, enabling her to design and implement complex decisioning solutions that optimize customer interactions. She holds a MS and BS degree in Computer Science and Information Systems and continuously invests in her professional development to stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring new cultures, being responsible towards future generations, and supporting causes that promote higher education. She is passionate about building meaningful relationships, sharing knowledge, and collaborating with other professionals.

Shubhangi Srivastava

Chief Technology Officer @ NEP Services

Shubhangi Srivastava is chief technology officer of NEP Services. A visionary leader with deep technical expertise, Shubhangi is the driving force behind the creation and launch of Connect Plus+, NEP’s employee management and empowerment solution. She not only architected the platform, overseeing it from concept to reality, but also spearheaded its intuitive design and led a cross-functional team to overcome technical challenges and ultimately achieve the project’s goals. Shubhangi began her career at NEP as a web developer and received several promotions leading to her current position as CTO. She is an advocate for women in STEM, serving as a mentor for girls pursuing STEM careers. Shubhangi holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from California State University, Long Beach, and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from SRM University in India.

Rajdeep Biswas

Global Vice President, Industry Solutions @ Neudesic, An IBM Company

Rajdeep Biswas is a distinguished technology executive with a proven track record in leading data strategy and AI/ML initiatives. Rajdeep's professional experience includes roles at leading organizations such as Microsoft, Apple, JP Morgan, and Hortonworks, where he led transformative projects in data engineering, analytics, and AI, generating significant business value and improving customer satisfaction. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in 2023 for his contributions in management, data architecture, data science, governance, cloud architecture, and business intelligence, Rajdeep was also named a Gartner Global Data & Analytics Ambassador in 2024. Rajdeep serves on the Board of Advisors at Houston Community College and is the Co-Organizer of the Houston Hadoop, Spark, and Machine Learning Meetup group. His involvement in these groups reflects his commitment to fostering community engagement and knowledge sharing in the fields of data and AI.

Jayesh Jhurani

Sr. IT Manager @ ServiceTitan

Jayesh, a seasoned industry expert renowned for spearheading digital transformations across multinational corporations and integrating Artificial Intelligence into Accounting and Finance processes. Jayesh's innovation, the Automated Procurement Receipt Creation Bot has dramatically transformed procurement operations, leading to substantial time savings and enhanced efficiency. His groundbreaking research on achieving a Zero Day close has introduced novel strategies to expedite financial processes significantly. This achievement not only highlights his prowess in financial operations but also sets new benchmarks in the industry. As the world delves deeper into the realms of Artificial Intelligence, Jayesh Jhurani stands as a steadfast advocate for its responsible use, especially concerning financial data. His commitment is reflected in his dedicated pursuit of responsible AI research, aiming to ensure ethical practices in AI applications within the finance sector.

Nitin Gupta

Engineering Manager @ Meta

Nitin is an engineering leader with over 14 years of experience in the tech industry. For the past 8 years, he has been working at Meta where he's been leading teams to drive development of cutting-edge software in the AI & ML domain. Nitin's career is distinguished not only by his technical prowess but also by his commitment to enhancing remote working and collaboration. He has built successful globally distributed teams from ground-up and driven company-wide initiatives to improve remote work collaboration. Nitin brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of championing effective remote work strategies, making him an invaluable asset in recognizing and promoting excellence in this vital aspect of the tech industry.

Benjamin David Novak

Partner @ Morgan Lewis, Angel Investor @ Delaware Crossing Investor Group, Board Member @ Angel Capital Association

Benjamin David Novak is an active angel investor in early-stage technology companies located on the East Coast of the United States. In addition to being an angel investor, Ben is a partner and venture capital lawyer with Morgan Lewis where he represents technology and life science companies, angel investors, venture capital funds, and private equity firms. He is an active member of the venture community, serving on numerous advisory boards and regularly speaking at tech events, judging venture conferences, and lecturing on technology, entrepreneurship, and investing at colleges and universities. Most importantly, Ben is a loving and proud father.

Vladyslav Podoliako

Founder & CEO @ Belkins

Vladyslav is the founder and CEO of Belkins and Folderly. Vladyslav is a serial entrepreneur and investor with a decade of experience in building and growing service companies and SaaS startups in sales and MarTech. He is known for his expertise in creating successful businesses from scratch and building top-notch teams.

Helen Liu

Managing Partner @ Seven Industries Capital

Ms. Helen Liu is a co-founder and partner at Seven Industries Capital, a venture fund focused on deep tech, where she spearheads projects in AI, quantum computing, and renewable energy. Beginning her venture capital career at Third Wave Ventures, Liu played a vital role in investor relations, capital raising, and deal flow generation across technology sectors, including semiconductors, solid state display and lighting, solar and other clean energy, machine vision, AI, wireless communication, and IoT. In addition to her tech and venture capital pursuits, Liu is a distinguished Chinese American author of three critically acclaimed novels written in Chinese. Her latest novel, The Road Afar, received a nomination for the 11th Mao Dun Literature Prize, marking its significance in Chinese literature. Liu holds an MS in Computer Science and an MA in Computational Linguistics from UCLA, alongside a BA in British and American Language and Literature from Peking University.

Bala Sahitya Vadlamani

Product Lead @ Meta Platforms

Bala is a seasoned Product Leader with a proven track record of delivering world-class products at top tech and finance companies, including Meta, Amazon, and Morgan Stanley. Currently, as a Product Lead at Meta, she drives cross-company initiatives to enhance privacy and safety on Instagram, and ensuring ease of access for billions of users across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Reality Labs products. Before joining Meta, Bala lead product launches at Amazon for Alexa. While there, she also developed secure and flexible payment solutions for hundreds of thousands of global sellers. Her product launches have been featured in major tech publications such as TechCrunch, The Verge, CNET, and Business Insider. Moreover, Bala takes the time to share her thought leadership and best practices on product management through numerous forums, such as Exponent, Product School, the Product Management Center of University of Washington, Products by Women, and Growth School.

Debjani Mitra

Product Lead @ Stripe

Debjani has extensive experience launching and growing high-impact products. Debjani is currently a Senior Product manager at Stripe, where she’s been responsible for key product lines, financial infrastructure, AI innovations, go-to-market strategies, and P&L. She has deep fintech expertise covering payments, global money movement, foreign exchange, risk management, and compliance. In her previous role at Microsoft, Debjani built next generation productivity and collaboration products tailored for the Enterprise and Education market segments. Debjani is a mentor for product managers and for startups. She enjoys solving complex problems to make a difference.

Smit Gujarathi

Senior Director of Engineering @ Collectors

Smit Gujarathi is an accomplished Engineering Leader with over 12 years of experience in FinTech, HealthTech, and the Collectibles Industry. As the Senior Director of Engineering at Collectors Universe Inc., he has driven the technological and operational expansion post-acquisition, significantly scaling the team. Smit has overseen the launch of innovative platforms, contributing to substantial revenue growth and enhancing user experiences globally. His expertise includes team building, strategic planning, and technological innovation, making him a key player in harmonizing engineering endeavors with business goals to drive organizational success.

Rehan Mulla

Senior Software Engineering Manager @ Spunk

Rehan Mulla is an accomplished Engineering Leader in Full-Stack Observability & Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations Platforms with over 15 years in the Big Data Analytics & Monitoring technology industry. With a focus on building enterprise software services that enable the world’s largest corporations to undergo digital transformations, his experience working first at Cisco Systems and then at Splunk has created a balance of business and technical expertise. He has a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology. As an active member of the tech community, he has served as a mentor Code Path and Mentoring Club and as a judge for the 2024 Globee Awards for CyberSecurity.

Fouad Bousetouane

Director of Machine Learning, Vision AI & Innovation @ Grainger

Fouad Bousetouane, PhD currently serves as the Director of Machine Learning, Computer Vision, and Innovation at W.W. Grainger. He leads groundbreaking projects to develop cutting-edge AI technologies, fostering a vibrant and innovative work environment that contributed to Grainger being recognized as one of America's Most Innovative Companies in 2023 by Fortune Magazine. Recognized as a Marquis Who's Who Emerging Leader in 2024, Dr. Fouad was also named one of the top-30 AI scientists by MIT Technology Review Arabia. His commitment to innovation has earned him the Timmy Award for Best Tech Manager in Chicago in 2020 and the Best Innovation of the Year from AIJRF-Dubai. A passionate advocate for the responsible use of AI, community engagement, and education, he regularly shares insights at renowned events and AI forums, and mentors the next generation of leaders in Generative AI and autonomous systems at the University of Chicago.

Rachel Koretsky

Founder & CEO @ Upace, CO-Founder & Director @ DC Startup Week

Rachel Koretsky is the Founder and CEO of Upace: the #1 Mobile App for member experience and reservations platform for recreation centers specializing in JCCs, YMCAs and Parks & Recreation in the United States and Canada. She has directly supported hundreds of recreation centers to transition to utilizing technology to transform member experience and access to data to make informed decisions since 2014. Rachel also is the Director of DC Startup Week, a community of 15,000 entrepreneurs in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Rachel holds a Bachelor's Degree from American University in Business and Communication. She also is a sought-after speaker on topics of technology, community engagement, and entrepreneurship. Rachel holds a Bachelor's Degree from American University in Business and Communication.

Erin Liao

VP & Head of E2E 5G Systems @ Ericsson

Erin Liao is the VP and Head of End-to-End 5G Systems of Ericsson North America with over 20 years of telecom product development and solution experience. She is responsible for bringing together the complete network solutions integrated with the ecosystem and pushing for the advancement of mobile communication technologies. Erin is most passionate about the transformational potential of 5G and looking forward to its powerful impacts to society. Erin was named a 2022 Women in Technology honoree by Dallas Business Journal for her contribution in the telecom industry. She grew up in Taiwan, holds a MSEE degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently based in Texas in the US.

Uday Anand

Chief Technology Officer @ Longtail Technologies

Uday is a distinguished engineer and visionary leader with a wealth of experience in the tech industry. As the Chief Technology Officer at Longtail Technologies, Uday leverages his extensive background to drive innovation and uphold excellence. His professional journey includes holding positions at renowned companies such as Meta, Netflix, Microsoft, Expedia, and Robinhood, where he honed his engineering and technology management skills. Uday's journey is characterized by a profound dedication to engineering excellence and effective technology management, continuously pushing the envelope of technological possibility.

Stacey Yudin

Chief Executive Officer @ NEP Services

Stacey Yudin is chief executive officer of NEP Services and a champion of change. A tech leader, Stacey is known for her unstoppable drive and creating transformative technology to advance nonprofits and build strong communities. Stacey is the visionary behind Connect Plus+ mobile app platforms for building communities, communication and empowerment. Under her leadership, the company was named a 2024 Fast Company Most Innovative Company and has created a world-class team that celebrates gender diversity and female empowerment. Prior to NEP Services, Stacey was in the healthcare sector as well as a consumer products entrepreneur. She actively supports numerous nonprofits, served as Collegiate President for Face Aids and UNICEF at UCLA and is an active speaker at industry events. Stacey is passionate about the industrial 4.0 and believes that tech is the bridge to building a better future for nonprofits.

Niharika Nanda

Vice President, Product Data and Analytics @ Mastercard

Niharika Nanda is a strategic leader with over 18 years of experience driving innovation, digital transformation, data strategy, and analytics across numerous global organizations. She empowers businesses by building transformative technology solutions leveraging the power of data and AI to unlock business value, generate fast insights, and create frictionless experiences. Currently, as Vice President, Product Data and Analytics at Mastercard, she is leading the revolution in data accessibility, engineering, and analytics across the Global Products group. She is driving initiatives to enable self-service analytics, thus promoting data democratization across the organization. Before joining Mastercard, Niharika played senior leadership roles at the top global consulting firms, helping clients evolve into insight-driven organizations through augmented analytics, agile Business Intelligence systems, and advanced data practices.

Pankhuri Sen

Senior Product Manager @ Oracle Inc

Pankhuri Sen is currently working as a Senior Product Manager with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Previously, Pankhuri has worked as a Product Manager with Sabre Corporation and as a Senior Engineer with Qualcomm. Pankhuri obtained a dual Masters in Engineering & Management and Technology & Policy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Pankhuri is looking forward to leveraging her robust academic background in technology and extensive professional experience in the industry to critically evaluate the innovation, efficiency, and impact of technology teams applying for the Timmy Awards, ensuring the best are recognized for their excellence.

Niyanta Khatri

Director, GTM & Business Dev, SMB @ Gen Digital (Formerly Norton)

Niyanta is a Sales Growth and Business Development Professional with 8+ years of experience driving the overall growth strategy for B2B F500 companies specializing in both SaaS and Hardware sales. She’s an expert at owning and executing GTM strategies positioned for long-term market share growth goals. She’s a builder of a dynamic sales culture where goals are exceeded and people thrive.

Vijay Rengarajan

Director of Product Management @ Applied Systems

Vijay Rengarajan is an innovative strategist and effective product leader with over 16 years of experience in product management in the IT industry and Property and Casualty Insurance domain. At EZLynx, Vijay has been instrumental in launching numerous customer-centric insurance products, including the EZLynx Automation Center, a tool that has helped agencies save an average of 530 hours (about 3 weeks) per month. Vijay's customer-centric approach was a primary factor in the EZLynx product suite being named one of 2022’s Best In Biz Most Innovative Product of the Year. Vijay holds an MBA from Texas A&M International University, with a specialization in strategic management and proudly holds his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. Vijay has been a judge for several awards such as 2023 US CXA Customer Experience Awards, 2024 Globee Cybersecurity Awards, 2024 Disruptor Awards.

Christy Sheehy-Bensinger

CEO and Co-founder @ C. Light Technologies

Dr. Christy K. Sheehy is an acclaimed entrepreneur and healthcare visionary with over 15 years of technical expertise in optical and ophthalmic engineering. As the Founder and CEO of C. Light Technologies, Christy leads a team of renowned scientists and business strategists on a mission to innovate AI-driven solutions that enable proactive healthcare. In May 2023, C. Light received FDA 510(k) clearance on their hardware device, the Retitrack, a revolutionary retinal eye-tracker that enables quantification of oculomotor function, including fixational eye motion. Christy has direct clinical research experience with neurodegenerative patient populations at top research institutions including UC Berkeley and UCSF, and her postdoc work - linking fixational deficits to neurodegenerative disease progression - has been published in numerous scientific journals.

Chintamani Bagwe

Vice President @ Citibank

Chintamani Bagwe is a distinguished leader in the fintech and banking sectors, with over two decades of experience driving transformative changes in regulatory compliance and risk management through technology. As the Vice President at Citibank, Bagwe leads the strategic development and execution of critical Independent Compliance Risk Management (ICRM) Technology solutions. His innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has significantly enhanced Citibank's compliance processes, ensuring timely adherence to regulatory requirements. His work as set new industry standards, particularly in areas like Regulatory Change and Inventory Management, Regulatory Engagements, Conduct Risk, Sanctions Monitoring, and Reporting on Key Risk and Performance Metrics. Recognized as a Senior Member of IEEE, Bagwe's leadership extends to serving as a jury member for prestigious awards such as the Globee® Awards, CODiE Award by SIIA, and Stevie® Awards.

Vikas Choudhry

Senior Director of Engineering @ Target

Vikas Choudhry has been Senior Director of Engineering at Target since 2020. He has over 15 years of expertise in technology management and software development. With a distinguished career spanning leading roles at Target and Walmart, Vikas drives innovation, spearheads transformative projects, and cultivates excellence in engineering teams.

Josh Inglis

Founder @ Propllr

Josh Inglis is the founder of Propllr, an award-winning communications agency that serves B2B technology companies across software, services, and hard tech. He is a frequent mentor for many early-stage startups through accelerators and incubators like Techstars and Polsky Transform. Josh was named a Top Tech PR professional by Business Insider and is an occasional angel investor.

Aakash Alurkar

Senior Product Manager @ Zoom

Aakash Alurkar is a senior product manager at Zoom leading the product adoption for enterprise customers. Aakash holds 6 patents in the field of enterprise security and compliance, has authored multiple research papers, and frequently contributes to industry standards for compliance.