From ENIAC to AI: Celebrating Women in Tech

Technology has always been about invention, disruption, and reimagining what’s possible. But here’s a question: How many of the innovators who shaped today’s digital world can you name? From the earliest days of computing to today’s breakthroughs in AI and cybersecurity, women have been at the forefront—often without the recognition they deserve.

This Women’s History Month, we’re not just reflecting on the past. We’re celebrating the women who made technology what it is today and the leaders who are driving it forward. Because their work isn’t just history—it’s the foundation of everything we build on now and in the future.

Let’s take a look at how women have shaped the tech world—one breakthrough at a time. From cracking codes to building the internet and pushing the boundaries of AI, their impact is everywhere.

A Timeline of Impact: From Code to Cloud

1940s–1960s: The Codebreakers and Computing Pioneers

Two of the ENIAC programmers, are preparing the computer for Demonstration Day in February 1946. "U.S. Army Photo" from the archives of the ARL Technical Library.

In the earliest days of computing, women were at the center of breakthroughs that changed history. During World War II, women codebreakers at Bletchley Park, including Joan Clarke, worked alongside Alan Turing to decipher encrypted enemy communications—an effort credited with shortening the war.1 Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, six women, now known as the ENIAC programmers, were handpicked to program the first general-purpose computer in the 1940s. Their work laid the foundation for modern programming, despite receiving little recognition at the time.2

By the 1960s, Dr. Grace Hopper had developed the first compiler, leading to the creation of COBOL, a programming language that still underpins critical financial and government systems today. She envisioned a world where coding was more accessible—an idea that would later become the bedrock of software development.3

What They Built Lasts: From programming the first computers to revolutionizing cryptography, these women didn’t just contribute to technology; they defined it.

1970s–1990s: The Rise of Software, Networks, and the Internet

As computing advanced, so did the need for interconnected systems. Radia Perlman, known as the “Mother of the Internet,” developed the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), which made modern networking possible.4 Around the same time, Karen Spärck Jones pioneered natural language processing, a critical field that enables AI to understand human speech—the foundation for today’s chatbots and voice assistants.5

The late 20th century also saw the rise of the personal computer revolution, but behind the scenes, women were making it happen. Adele Goldberg played a key role in developing Smalltalk, an object-oriented programming language that inspired modern interfaces, including what became the Macintosh and Windows operating systems.6

What They Built Lasts: Networking, search algorithms, and user interfaces—core technologies that power the digital world—were shaped by the women of this era.

2000s–Present: AI, Cybersecurity, and Cloud Computing

Fei-Fei Li at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, which she co-founded. Photograph: Drew Kelly
Fei-Fei Li at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, which she co-founded. Photograph: Drew Kelly

The 21st century ushered in a new wave of female pioneers at the forefront of AI, cybersecurity, and cloud technology. Fei-Fei Li, a leading AI researcher, spearheaded the ImageNet project, which trained AI to recognize objects—a major leap in machine learning.7 Parisa Tabriz, known as “Google’s Security Princess,” has spent years strengthening cybersecurity, ensuring safer browsing for billions.8

As cloud computing and AI reshape IT, women engineers and investors are driving innovation and security at scale. Dawn Song does pioneering work in AI security and privacy, ensuring safer enterprise applications.9 Katie Moussouris revolutionized cybersecurity with bug bounty programs that protect businesses worldwide.10 On the investment side, Renata Quintini backs deep-tech startups in AI and next-gen computing.11 Theresia Gouw champions cybersecurity firms redefining data protection.12  While there are too many remarkable women in STEM to call out here, each one is as valuable as a rare gem, shaping the future of technology in ways we are only beginning to see.

What They Built Lasts: From AI to cybersecurity, these women aren’t just advancing today’s technologies—they’re securing and scaling its future.

The Future: Breaking Barriers and Building the Next Generation

Women have always played a key role in shaping technology, and their impact continues to expand. From advancements in AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity to groundbreaking research in engineering and computing, they are driving innovation across the industry.

 

What’s next? The next generation of women in tech isn’t just entering the field—they’re building the future of technology and redefining what’s possible. We can’t wait to see!

Reference

  1. ScientificWomen.net, History of Scientific Women – Joan Clarke, Accessed February 2025.
  2. Eniac Programmers Project, 6 Eniac Women, Accessed February 2025.
  3. National Women’s History Museum, Grace Hopper, Accessed February 2025.
  4. Lemelson MIT, Radia Perlman, Accessed February 2025.
  5. History of Data Science, Karen Sparck Jones, August 2021.
  6. IEEE Spectrum, Adele Goldberg, August 2022.
  7. Stanford University, Fei-Fei Li, Accessed February 2025.
  8. Google, Parisa Tabriz, Accessed February 2025.
  9. UC Berkeley, Dawn Song, Accessed March 2025.
  10. National Security Institute, Katie Moussouris, Accessed March 2025.
  11. Renegade Partners, Renata Quintini, Accessed March 2025.
  12. Acrew Capital, Theresia Gouw, Accessed March 2025.

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