Change is rooted in what is happening in our immediate environment. The desire to act on what we see as injustices inspires us to step forward and take plausible steps to help make the world a better place. Isn’t it worth the try?
In the technology industry, we face an obstacle that permeates all aspects of working life: although this has been the fastest-growing industry, only 24% of women are in leadership positions. The underrepresentation of women in vital workspaces not only means a setback in terms of the commitment to parity in the sector but also limits us from having diverse perspectives in different areas of interest. Providing opportunities for visibility in this context is crucial to addressing inequality in leadership positions and continuing to drive impactful initiatives.
This is why Globant’s Women That Build Awards were developed, providing a place of representation and recognition to women in technology who shine in their careers and tirelessly seek to create spaces for improving people’s lives. This year marks the fifth edition of the awards globally, and its celebration is the renewal of our commitment to building a more equitable industry.
Last year, we had extraordinary winners who exemplify this vision. Jaloree Lantigua and Jennifer Samaniego are two successful women who earned the global titles of Rising Star and Inspiring Leader, respectively, for their hard work in fostering inclusion in the sector.
Jaloree Lantigua, Rising Star 2023
A graduate speech therapist, video game developer, and technology instructor, Jaloree found her passion in helping people with special abilities become interested in technology through education. She identified an educational gap affecting half a million Americans. She created STREAM Technologies, a virtual reality (VR) and e-sports education center for diverse learners that promotes the importance of STEM education. Jaloree hired students with disabilities to be part of her team; currently, women lead 75% of it.
STREAM’s focus is not just on memorizing facts. Instead, it’s about allowing children to think creatively, read and write, experiment, and build things for themselves. When given the opportunity to express their creativity, they can use their knowledge and skills to bring their imagination and original ideas to life. “By offering a structured, high-quality educational program, I am confident that with my vision and my team, we are revolutionizing the landscape of education, preparing the next generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators for a competitive workforce, all while removing the barriers and limitations that have traditionally hindered the progress of these students,” comments Jaloree.
Today, STREAM has worldwide accreditation, and its headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, offers courses in robotics, video game development, and virtual reality for special education, mainstream, and gifted students.
Jennifer Samaniego, Inspiring Leader 2023
Jennifer found inspiration in the women around her who convinced her not to abandon her studies and, in return, gave a lot back to her community. After becoming an Information Systems professional and Master’s in Data Science, Jennifer became passionate about immersive technologies and their implementation in different disciplines, primarily in education. This is what motivated her to become an Educational Innovation Analyst at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, where she developed Virtopsia. This augmented reality project greatly impacted the open-mode students of the Law program and won first place in the Global Online Laboratory Consortium at the University of Georgia, Atlanta, USA.
As a leader, she is part of the founding team of the Immersive Learning Network RAIN Ecuador, of which she is deputy director, and directs the XR Mujeres project, which aims to empower girls and adolescents in the use and creation of immersive technologies: “I want to continue to inspire more women and girls to follow their dreams in this exciting field. Together we can achieve so much more”, she says.
In addition, Jennifer led the organization of the Virtual Reality Day event in its first edition in Ecuador and was appointed to run an immersive learning network in Ecuador, achieving the adhesion of eleven educational institutions as members. In 2023, the Immersive Learning Network was recognized as one of the communities with the most significant impact in the implementation of immersive technologies in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Metaverse Community Challenge organized by BID Lab and Meta, where Jennifer was selected to participate in a residency at the offices in São Paulo, Brazil.
And that’s where you come in.
Since 2020, the Women That Build Awards have offered global visibility, education, recognition, and networking opportunities for those professionals who stand out for creating a more inclusive industry. This year, we have the support of organizations such as AWS, CoachHub, Kantar, NYSE, and Udemy, among others, thanks to which we achieved greater reach and support for this initiative.
It’s now your role to amplify the voices of women in technology in three new categories: Tech Executive, Tech Entrepreneur and Tech Leader. So whether you identify a Tech Executive who inspires others through her leadership, a Tech Entrepreneur who uses the latest technologies to improve the world, or a Tech Leader who boldly embraces cutting-edge technologies, it’s in your hands to empower them as they continue to create change.
Your action is crucial for progress, nominate the next Women That Build now!
