The best ideas come from bright minds and diverse points of view. In honor of women who have colored a rich history in STEM, we’re highlighting a few of our favorite innovations—and the brilliant minds behind them—in a tech-forward way. Enjoy this interactive digital coloring book filled with facts about people who shaped our world.
Women in tech
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An interactive celebration for Women’s History Month
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Ada Lovelace paved the way
Taking it back to the 1800s, Ada Lovelace is one of the most famous mathematicians of all time. She’s even been referred to as the “Enchantress of Numbers” (that’s way better than any kind of ‘princess’ if you ask us). Ada was a huge contributor to Babbage’s Machine and published now-famous papers on its operation. She is considered one of the world’s first computer programmers.
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Grace Hopper lived a life of innovation
At the age of 79, Grace Hopper was the oldest officer on active U.S. naval duty. But she wasn’t just a naval officer, she was also a computer pioneer. Hopper designed compiler, a program which translated a programmer’s instructions into computer codes. Her innovative contributions directly led to the development of computer languages, and she popularized the idea of machine-independent programming languages, which led to the development of COBOL.
Katherine Johnson had the right trajectory
Apollo 11 may have never landed on the moon if it wasn’t for the precise calculations of Katherine Johnson. Her 35-year career at NASA earned her a reputation for mastering the most difficult of calculations and using computers to do so. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and her brilliance was portrayed in Hollywood’s 2016 film Hidden Figures.
Mary Jackson rose to the top, then helped other women do the same
Mary Jackson was NASA’s first Black female engineer. She was a brilliant mathematician and aerospace engineer who went on to earn the most senior engineering title available. When she realized she couldn’t earn future promotions, she took a demotion to manage and became the Federal Women’s Program Manager where she influenced the hiring and promotion of women in NASA science, engineering and mathematics careers.
Margaret Hamilton coined an important term
In case you didn’t know, Margaret Hamilton is one of the brilliant minds behind the term “software engineering.” She was the director of the Software Engineering Division of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, which developed on-board flight software for the Apollo programs. Hamilton published over 130 papers in her field, founded two software companies and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
Megan Smith moved into the White House
From MIT to Apple to Google and being named the Chief Technology Officer of the United States under President Barack Obama, Megan Smith has been trailblazing the world of technology for decades. Smith is an award-winning entrepreneur, engineer and tech evangelist with a focus on diversity and inclusion. She co-founded the Malala Fund and started Google’s “Women Techmakers” diversity initiative. After leaving the White House in 2017, she helped launch the Tech Jobs Tour, which aims to promote diversity in the technological sector.
Mary Allen Wilkes took the computer home
The computer you use at home wouldn’t have been possible without Mary Allen Wilkes. Wilkes is most famous for her work with the LINC computer, which is well-known as the world’s first “personal computer.” Wilkes worked on the Speech Recognition Project at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory programming the IBM 704 and 709, and then began working on the LINC during it’s design phase and wrote the operator’s manual for the final console design. Subsequently, Wilkes was the first person to use a personal computer at home.
Angelica Ross changed how we see everything
Angelica Ross is paving the way for diversity in the tech industry. As a self-taught computer programmer, Ross founded TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry. She was a featured speaker at the 2015 White House LGBTQ Tech and Innovation Summit and the first openly transgender person to host an American presidential forum. She is also a celebrated actress known for her web series Her Story about trans women in L.A.
Radia Perlman never stopped inventing
Radia Perlman is a born inventor. She’s most famous for her invention of the spanning-tree protocol (STP). But that isn’t all. She made huge contributions to other areas of network design and standardization such as link-state routing protocols and TRILL protocol. She also holds more than 100 issued patents, has taught at some of the most prestigious universities and has been a keynote speaker at events around the world.
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