Once upon a time, the technology industry was dominated by men. As time progresses, the technology industry is seeing more and more pioneering women take the helm of technology companies across the globe.

Despite the advances that have been made in the technology industry, there is still a significant lack of female talent, with only 19% of the tech workforce currently female. Statistics like this emphasise the importance of encouraging more women to join STEM professions and attracting women into senior leadership positions within the tech industry.

Official Statistics on Women in Technology:

• Only 3% of females say a career in technology is their first choice
• Only 5% of leadership positions in the technology sector are held by women
• Women leave the tech industry at a 45% higher rate than men
• 48% of women in STEM jobs report discrimination in the recruitment and hiring process
• Only 30% of women take STEM-related courses at university

Such statistics emphasise the importance of encouraging women to follow careers in the technology industry, along with emphasising the importance of increasing the number of female leaders and female senior positions within the industry. It is also evident that more women in education need to be encouraged to study STEM subjects, to fill the gender skill gap in the industry.

In celebration of the fantastic women who have already broken into the technology industry and continue to break through glass ceilings on a daily basis, we have compiled a selection of the top 14 inspirational women in tech speakers to hire for 2026.

The Top 14 Inspirational Women in Tech to Hire!

Drawn from feedback across 458 tech industry events between 2021 and 2024, Lauren Perkins presents a curated list of the Top 14 Inspirational Women in Tech Speakers to Hire for 2026. Each speaker has been rigorously vetted through audience and organiser reviews to ensure they bring expertise, motivation, and leadership to the stage. Featuring pioneers in cybersecurity, AI, and digital transformation, these speakers are celebrated for advocating gender equity, inspiring future generations, and shaping the future of technology.

• Sarah Armstrong-Smith
• Gina Buckney
• Lisa Ventura
• Katie King
• Jessie Link
• Inga Beale
• Professor Lisa Short
• Celia Hodent
• Kate Matsudaira
• Anne Lise Kjaer
• Inma Martinez
• Kathryn Parsons
• Lauren Paton
• Kate Darling

Sarah Armstrong-Smith

Sarah Armstrong-Smith is a highly influential woman in tech, currently enjoying her position as the Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft. Having also previously worked as the Head of Continuity & Resilience, Enterprise and Cyber Security for Fujitsu, Sarah has helped guide several global corporations through cyber attacks and on how to better protect their digital assets.

With such high praise for her work at Microsoft and Fujitsu, Sarah has been recognised as one of the Most Influential Leaders in UK Tech and one of the 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech by Computerweekly. She has also been made a Fellow of the British Computer Society and claimed the Business Role Model of the Year 2019 at the Women in IT Awards. When booked as a speaker, Sarah emphasises the importance of getting more women into STEM sectors and how rewarding a career in technology is.

Official Testimonial for Sarah:

"I absolutely loved your interview on CxO Summit with Marcos Christodonte. Thank you for all your contributions as an aspiring female leader in technology." - Omar, Director, Cloud Security

Gina Buckney

Having spent her career working in the often male-dominated sectors of financial services, IT and engineering, Gina Buckney is now the creator of the Your People Are Your Power Programme and specialises as a corporate wellbeing transformation expert. Evidencing that happier and healthier employees lead to higher productivity and profits, Gina also emphasises the continued lack of diversity and gender inequalities that are present in the STEM industries.

Having formerly been the Head of UK Retail and Customer Services for BT, Gina has experienced first-hand the inequalities that face women in STEM industries. Now a highly sought-after keynote speaker, Gina shares her insights as a powerful and inspirational woman in her keynote Become Your Own Super Woman.

Official Testimonial for Gina:

"Gina’s presentation was great, just what we wanted. It went down really well yesterday, we’ve received some really positive feedback! Please pass on a big thank you to Gina from us, and thanks to you too for organising it. We are very pleased with how it went, and I think we would like to use Gina again, we just need to think how and when." - Emma, EMEA Cares Programme Manager, Monster Energy Europe Limited

Lisa Ventura

Lisa Ventura is an award-winning cyber security expert, inspiring the next generation of female technology leaders. Famed as the founder of Cyber Security Unity, Lisa is working to raise awareness of the importance of cyber security and to bridge the gap between education and industry. Awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Cyber Security award and Cyber Security Personality of the Year, Lisa also uses her prominence to advocate for an increase in female tech roles and diversity within the technology sector.

In 2018, Lisa was diagnosed as autistic, now also using her platforms to advocate for increased neurodiversity in technology leadership positions. Having also been named the Cyber Security Supporter of Women, Lisa is without a doubt a role model in the world of technology and guaranteed to motivate the next generation of female technology leaders.

Official Testimonial for Lisa:

"Lisa has contributed to many of our conferences and webinars, and is always a hit with our audience. She has spoken about phishing, device security and management and manging stress and burnout in infosec and cyber security. She brings each topic to life with real life examples and her own experiences." - Dan, Infosecurity Magazine

Katie King

Katie King is a pioneering woman in the technology sector, who specialises in STEM, AI and digital business transformation. Formerly the CEO of AI in Marketing and having worked on the UK Government All-Party Parliamentary Group Task Force for the Adoption of AI, Katie is changing the future of the digital landscape for the better.

Having authored the book Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: How to Harness AI and Maintain the Competitive Edge, Katie is without a doubt a preeminent expert on technology. Using her prominence as a business advisor, Katie is an empowering woman who uses her platform to advocate for everything from girls who do coding to women in STEM industries. When looking for an inspirational female speaker to encourage the future generation of female technology experts, book Katie King today.

Jessie Link

Jessie Link is a leading authority on social media, technology and the digital landscape, who has forged a successful career as the Director of Engineering for Twitter. A role model for female technologists, Jessie has also formerly worked as a Systems Engineer in the United States Air Force and as the Director of Engineering for Lookingglass Cyber Solutions.

Spearheading male-dominated sectors, Jessie is a true role model to other women with aspirations of joining the technology sector. Sitting at the helm of one of the biggest social media platforms’ engineering, Jessie proves that women can equally succeed in STEM sectors, despite their gender. When looking for a technology speaker who will inspire other women to follow in her footsteps, book Jessie Link today.

Dame Inga Beale

Dame Inga Beale has enjoyed a successful career working in the global insurance market, famed for her revolutionary role as the first female CEO of Lloyds of London. As the first female CEO in their 328 years of operation, Inga helped to bring the company firmly into the 21st century by changing all their processes with technology. Modernising the world’s oldest insurance market, Inga led a five-year technology transformation process that resulted in 70% of Lloyd’s business being processed digitally.

Digitally transforming Lloyds was not the only revolution that Inga created, she has also passionately advocated for LGBT+ rights in the workplace, having launched the Pride@Lloyds network. Named top on the OUTstanding and FT Leading LGBT Executive Power List, it is without a doubt that Inga is an inspirational female leader guaranteed to inspire future generations of female leaders.

Official Testimonial for Inga:

"I just wanted to reach out and say a huge thank you to everyone at Champions and Dame Inga. What a truly inspiring session and the perfect way to launch Karcher Women’s Network. My inbox is already flooded with comments from people on how much Inga has taught them. I know that session will stick with me forever." – Aimee, Head of Learning & Development, Karcher

Professor Lisa Short

Professor Lisa Short is a preeminent authority on frontier digital technology systems, blockchain and crypto. A driving force of technological change, Lisa is on a mission to make the world a better place to live and work. Founder of Mind Shifting and co-founder of P&L Digital Edge Ltd, Lisa has founded a variety of her own companies to share her expert knowledge.

Named as one of the Top 150 Women B2B Thought Leaders in the World and one of the Top 50 Thought Leaders and Influencers in the World to Follow, Lisa is revered across the globe for her expertise on technology. Having also worked as the Chief Research Officer of the Global Foundation for Cyber Studies and Research and as the Group Chair for CySME, a special interest group on cyber health for SMEs, Lisa emphasises the importance of the possibilities of the digital technology landscape. An engaging and influential female speaker, book Professor Lisa Short today to inspire future generations of female technologists.

Official Testimonial for Lisa:

"The team thought she was great, and her energy was where it needed to be! Thanks so much for facilitating. Truly appreciate it!" - Nicole, Madison Logic

Celia Hodent

Spearheading the male-dominated environment of gaming, Celia Hodent has enjoyed a career as the Director of User Experience for Epic Games (Fortnite) and a Playtest Project Manager for Ubisoft. Having also worked as the UX Director on Fortnight, a famous video game, Celia has helped to shape some of the most popular video games of the present day. Now booked as a powerful female technology speaker, Celia shares her thoughts on ethics in tech, what makes good video games engaging and the metaverse.

Pioneering the future of technology with her revolutionary ideas on the metaverse, Celia is also the founder and Chair of the Game UX Summit. Acting as a role model to other women wanting to break into the gaming or technology industries, Celia also covers the important subject of inclusion in tech when booked as a speaker. Book Celia Hodent today to inspire the next generation of gaming experts.

Official Testimonial for Celia:

"Celia Hodent truly opened our eyes to how gamers perceive information and what drives them to play. Her excellent examples and game references sparked many conversations around our studio, ranging from UI layouts to player onboarding to how we encourage player retention. We look forward to bringing her back!" - Brian, Director of Experience, Insomniac Games

Kate Matsudaira

Kate Matsudaira has worked a decorated career in the technology industry, sharing her expertise as a Software Engineer for Microsoft, a Senior Manager of Software Development for Amazon, Vice President of Engineering for Moz and Director of Engineering for Google. Now the Vice President of Engineering for Splunk, Kate has a passion for large-scale web systems and startups, and shares her expertise in technology leadership at a variety of conferences worldwide.

During her time as the Director of Engineering for Google, Kate helped to pioneer internal search engines, video conferencing and social networks, demonstrating her prowess as a woman in tech. Having spoken at events worldwide, including the Tech Super Show, Kate inspires fresh mindsets in large companies and inspires technology companies to invest their time and support in female leaders.

Anne Lise Kjaer

Anne Lise Kjaer is a leading consumer behaviour expert, who imparts her wisdom on the ever-changing human mindset. Having worked with the likes of Nokia, Swarovski and IKEA, Anne specialises in guiding businesses on digitalisation, fintech, big data and technology trends. A leading expert on future trends, Anne advises worldwide on the impact things such as technology will have on businesses across the globe.

Highly sought after as a speaker, Anne has spoken for over 100,000 people and delivered multiple TED talks. She has also released her own cutting-edge book The Trend Management Toolkit, sharing her top tips to staying ahead of the curve as an inspirational woman in tech. If you are looking to learn the newest advances in technology, fintech and big data, don’t hesitate in booking Anne Lise Kjaer today.

Official Testimonial for Anne:

"She was very dynamic, interesting, stimulating and confident. Handled the audience and the situation very well and she engaged personally." – Forest Stewardship Council

Inma Martinez

Inma Martinez is a leading authority on digital technology and machine intelligence, continually breaking glass ceilings throughout her decorated career. Recognised as one of the Top 20 Women Changing the Landscape of Data, Inma is currently a Director of the Master in Artificial Intelligence and Professor of the Master in Digital Marketing at Universidad Loyola, developing the future generation of technologists.

Having also held previous roles such as Director of Technology Qualitative Research for Sense Worldwide, member of the AI Council Advisory Board and the Co-Chair of AI in Agriculture, Inma’s knowledge of artificial intelligence is second to none. Having previously delivered the TEDx talk AI Machines and the New Super Human, Inma has landed herself in the Top 40 Women in Technology list by Red Herring and has a stellar reputation for her expertise in data, innovation and technology. When looking for an influential visionary who will engage female audiences to follow a career in technology, book Inma Martinez today.

Official Testimonial for Inma:

"Excellent presentation. Engaging, informative and thought provoking." - First Rate Exchange Services

Kathryn Parsons

Kathryn Parsons is a leading entrepreneur who has forged a successful empire as the founder and Co-CEO of Decoded. On a mission to increase understanding of the digital world, Kathryn helps corporate clients to grasp the importance of cybersecurity, digital disruption, data privacy and artificial intelligence for business success. Named as one of the 30 Most Important Women in Tech Under 30 by Business Insider and one of the 35 Women Under 35 by Management Today, it is without a doubt that Kathryn is a trusted authority on all things technology.

Throughout her career, Kathryn has campaigned for increased technical education, campaigning to have coding added to the national curriculum, increasing the interest in technology among young women. Her commitment to increasing interest in STEM careers was rewarded with an MBE in the 2017 New Year’s Honours. When booked as a speaker, Kathryn helps clients to embrace new emerging digital economies and the possibilities of digital disruption, data privacy and cybersecurity. Book Kathryn Parsons to be inspired by an authoritative woman in tech.

Official Testimonial for Kathryn:

"Parsons is considered internationally as one of the most influential people in technology today." - Vogue Magazine

Lauren Paton

Lauren Paton has established a successful career as a marketing professional, who has overseen digital marketing for some of the biggest companies to date. Having formerly worked as the Head of Content Launch Marketing for Amazon, Head of Marketing for Audible and Senior Digital Marketing Manager for Disney, Lauren knows what it takes to bring the marketing of companies firmly into the 21st century using pioneering technology.

Now, Lauren is the CEO of Unleashed Coaching, working to forge emotionally powerful female leaders of the future. Sharing expertise she built during her time with Amazon and Disney, Lauren is now a mindset and strategy coach who inspires the next generation of women in leadership roles. Named a LinkedIn 2020 Top Voice for Gender Equity, Lauren inspires women to follow their dreams, no matter what industry they aspire to join, as gender should not be a limiting factor.

Official Testimonial for Lauren:

"Lauren joined us for a session with a group of young female engineers, to discuss imposter syndrome. It was a very interesting and engaging session, which made us all think about imposter syndrome. Really looking forward to working with Lauren again soon!" - Grace, Barclays

Kate Darling

Dr Kate Darling is a respected and preeminent authority on social robotics and robot ethics, who has forged a successful career as a Research Specialist at the MIT Media Lab. Interested in how technology intersects with society, Kate holds a variety of workshops and speeches on new developments in the world of human-robot interaction. Recognised as a Radar Thinker by Thinkers50, Kate has contributed her knowledge to publications including Forbes, WIRED, The New Yorker and The Guardian.

Also named as one of the 25 Women in Robotics You Need to Know About by Robohub, Kate is without a doubt an expert at the cutting edge of technological developments that will change society for the better. Having co-written Creativity Without Law: Challenging the Assumptions of Intellectual Property, Kate has also been the recipient of the Mark T Banner Award in Intellectual Property. A leading female role model in technology, book Kate Darling today for an informed speech on the future of human-robot interaction, emerging technology and social robotics.

Book a Women in Tech Speaker Today!

If you are interested in booking one of our inspirational women in tech, don’t hesitate to get in contact today! Get in touch by filling out our online contact form or by calling directly on 0207 1010 553. Alternatively, why not browse the rest of our extensive roster of technology speakers? All are perfect to hire when looking to stay ahead of the curve and understand the latest developments in the future of technology.

This exclusive article on the top inspirational women in tech speakers was authored by Lauren Perkins, using vetted feedback from across 458 tech industry events between 2021 and 2024.

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