Celebrating Women's History Month

At Nasdaq, our purpose is to champion economic progress for all. In honor of Women’s History Month, we are celebrating the stories of pioneers and trailblazers working in business and tech who are a part of Nasdaq and beyond.

Women in Tech Conference

Engage with Women In Tech Sweden

The Women In Tech conference mission will be held in Sweden on March 23rd in person and live from their website.

The conference aims to inspire women to create a future in the field of technology and enlighten women already in the industry, to stay and succeed within the field, by providing the network and experience of successful, interesting and pioneering people from the wonderful world of technology.

Join us March 23rd!

Watch here

Leading the Way

Celebrating Pioneering Women of Tech & Business

World’s first computer programmer

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, daughter of the British Romantic poet Lord Byron, is recognized as the world’s first computer programmer. Born in London, she was homeschooled by her mother, who insisted that she learn science and mathematics. The Countess of Lovelace is referred to as the first programmer because she had written notes explaining how the notion of a specific engine could transition calculation to computation. In 1842, she wrote the first-ever algorithm for processing numbers on Charles Babbage’s early mechanical general-purpose computer or analytical engine. Babbage was so impressed by her mathematical skills that he referred to her as “The Enchantress of Numbers.” The computer language ADA was named after her. Considering that she is one of the famous women in technology, every second Tuesday in October is known as Ada Lovelace Day to celebrate the achievements of women in STEM careers.
Computer Scientist and United States Navy Rear Admiral

Grace Brewster Murray Hopper was a computer pioneer and naval officer. She received a master’s degree (1930) and a Ph.D. (1934) in mathematics from Yale. One of the first three modern “programmers,” Hopper is best known for her trailblazing contributions to the development of computer languages. Known as irreverent, sharp-tongued, and brilliant, she enjoyed long and influential careers in both the U.S. Navy and the private sector.

“Humans are allergic to change,” she once said. “They love to say, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ I try to fight that. That’s why I have a clock on my wall that runs counter-clockwise.” Her pioneering attitude extended throughout her career. She worked on UNIVAC I – the first commercial computer in the U.S. – and is also credited with coining the term ‘computer bug.’ Hopper also invented FLOW-MATIC – the first English-like data processing language – which sparked the development of COBOL, which became the Navy’s standard operating language.
American Computer Programmer and Network Engineer, Inventor of the Spanning-Tree Protocol

Radia Perlman is a distinguished inventor, network engineer, software designer, IEEE Fellow, and respected author. She has made countless contributions to the internet, and her innovations enable today's link-state routing protocols to be robust, scalable, and easy to manage. Radia improved the spanning tree–based Ethernet by also designing TRILL (TRansparent Interconnection of Lots of Links), which allows the Ethernet to make optimal use of bandwidth.

When Radia Perlman attended MIT in the late '60s and '70s, she was one of just a few dozen women (about 50) out of a class of 1,000.
First Woman in the U.S. to Receive a Degree in Computer Science, and Developer of the BASIC Programming Language

In 1965, Mary Kenneth Keller was the first woman in the U.S. to be awarded a Ph.D. in Computer Science, having previously studied Mathematics and Physics. Earlier she had taken her vows as a Roman Catholic religious sister in Ohio, and in 1958, had started work at Dartmouth College in the male-only (at the time) computer center. At Dartmouth, Mary worked on developing the BASIC programming language, a general-purpose, high-level programming language, which helped broaden computer programming into non-math and science fields, subsequently giving many people their first experience with programming.

Sister Mary later set up the computing department at Clarke College in Iowa, which she then led for twenty years, becoming passionate about the potential for computers to increase access to information and to promote education. She envisioned a world in which computers made people smarter and predicted the information explosion that would happen decades later. Her vision was ahead of her time.
Mathematician and Nasa's First African-American Manager

Dorothy Vaughan came to the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in 1943, during the height of World War II, leaving her position as the math teacher at Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Va., to take what she believed would be a temporary war job. Two years after President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802 into law, prohibiting racial, religious and ethnic discrimination in the country’s defense industry, the Laboratory began hiring black women to meet the skyrocketing demand for processing aeronautical research data. As the head of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA’s) segregated West Area Computing Unit from 1949 until 1958, Vaughan was both a respected mathematician and NASA’s first African-American manager.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Green Belt Movement

Wangari Maathai had a rare opportunity for a Kenyan woman in 1960: She was one of 300 Kenyan students selected for the Airlift Africa program, giving her the chance to attend university in the United States. After completing undergraduate and master’s degrees in biology, she returned to Kenya, where she had a new perspective on both the environmental damage in her country — and on the need for women’s rights. She founded the Green Belt Movement to tackle both by teaching Kenyan women how to plant new trees in deforested areas and sustainably draw income from the land. Since then, the Movement has trained 30,000 women in trades to raise them out of poverty and planted over 51 million trees. For her dedication to both environmental conservation and the advancement of women’s rights, Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 — the first African woman ever to receive the award.

Women's History Month

Adena Friedman

Empowering women is foundational to creating more inclusive communities. We are proud to be the home of some many pioneering women, who are trailblazing the path for future generations.

Chair and CEO, Nasdaq

Whitney Wolfe Herd

By supporting and championing each other, we can break down barriers for the next generation of women and other marginalized communities.

Founder and CEO, Bumble

Ann Dennison

Our company culture is dynamic, collaborative, and above all, inclusive.

Chief Financial Officer, Nasdaq LEARN MORE

Kaley Childs Karaffa

Having women on boards means that boards are finally able to perform to their fullest capacities and reach their highest effectiveness by not excluding half of the world’s talent from the room.

Director of Board Engagement, Nasdaq READ MORE

Women Leading the Way

See What's Live Now

Celebrating Women's History Month with our Foundation Partners

The Power of the Next Generation

What I most admire about the younger generations is that they are looking for educational content around financial wellness that doesn’t just resonate with them but propels them into action.

Deldelp Medina, Executive Director of Black & Brown Founders

Nasdaq Foundation Partner Spotlight

Deldep Medina on being inspired by younger generations pursuit of financial wellness.

Nasdaq Leaders

In honor of Women’s History Month, we highlight members of Nasdaq's employee resource group WIN (Women In Nasdaq), which brings together over 900 global members to further their mission of engaging, educating, and empowering professionals across our organization. Through stories of women paving the way, we learn about their diverse backgrounds, roles and what it means to be an ally of this community.

WIN Spotlight

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I feel so proud of our internal DIB groups, our public statements on topics like racial injustice and our push to try to get more women into the tech industry, as well as our work on supporting more diverse boards.

Gunilla Hellqvist, Senior Vice President, European Market Services READ MORE

Discover Nasdaq's

employee resource groups

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

We are committed to advancing equality in the workplace by attracting and retaining a diverse workforce. With a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, our employees help us create a competitive advantage that differentiates and elevates everything we do.

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Discover Nasdaq's

employee resource groups

Careers at Nasdaq

At Nasdaq, you will be inspired by colleagues, encouraged to innovate, and rewarded for excellence in a collaborative and forward-thinking workplace.

APPLY TO OUR JOBS

Join Our Careers Community

Our business leaders are always looking for great people in our careers community first. Create a profile to get your name in front of recruiters so that they can find you the best opportunities at Nasdaq. Ready to make a global impact?

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Advancing Women Leadership in Asset Management

Wealth of Women

Women’s needs are growing, and they are unique, and it is interesting to see if the wealth management industry will make more meaningful shifts around female advisors.

Amy Hart Clyne, Chief Knowledge and Learning Officer at Pitcairn

Why It's Important to Talk About Women's Wealth

We hear from Amy Hart Clyne, Chief Knowledge and Learning Officer at Pitcairn, on why there should be more focus on managing the wealth of women, and the factors that could impact the wealth of women this year.

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Driving Excellence

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Celebrating Women in Technology

Nasdaq Women in Technology: Kinga Jędrusik, Polish Power Exchange

MarketInsite

Faces of Entrepreneurship

Judith Martinez, InHerShoes

Judith Martinez is the Founder and CEO of InHerShoes Inc., the modern woman’s community for courage. An LA native, first-generation Filipina-American, Judith’s work is redefining traditional standards of what it looks like to be a successful woman today.

Erin Michelson, Summery

Erin Michelson is the Founder and CEO of Summery, which delivers AI technologies that quantify individual values and organizational culture. By leveraging behavioral science, they measure, assess, and activate stakeholder engagement and organizational cultural alignment.

Tamar Blue, MentalHappy

Tamar Blue is the Founder and CEO of MentalHappy, a social network helping people around the world to overcome challenging life events and improve their daily lives through peer support.

Samantha Dong, Founder and CEO, ALLY Shoes

Samantha Dong, ALLY Shoes

Samantha Dong is the Founder and CEO of ALLY Shoes, an innovative, fashion brand designed for women by women. ALLY is renowned for designing pain-free heels for power women.

Janeen Brown, EmpowHERto

Janeen Brown is the Executive Director and Founder of EmpowHERto, a Toronto and South Florida-based non-profit dedicated to helping 14 to 21 year-old women and girls reach their fullest potential through three pillars: Independence, Leadership, and Confidence.

Sophia Chang and Romy Samuel, Common Ace

Romy Samuel and Sophia Chang are the Founders of Common Ace, a one-stop shop for women’s sneakers where technology and intelligent design connect to deliver a superior online customer experience.

Nasdaq's Purpose

Nasdaq's call to advance economic progress for all has never been stronger, nor more urgent than it is today.

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Women in Tech Conference

Engage with Women In Tech Sweden

Leading the Way

Women's History Month

Adena Friedman

Whitney Wolfe Herd

Ann Dennison

Kaley Childs Karaffa

Women Leading the Way

Celebrating Women's History Month with our Foundation Partners

Black Girl Ventures Founder, Omi Bell, on Creating Capital, Capacity and Community

VC Include’s Bahiyah Robinson on Driving Economic Growth Through the Power of Diversity

My Money My Future Founder Ramona Ortega on Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Through Technology and Community

Nasdaq Leaders

Karen Snow on Why Representation Matters

Lauren Wajda on Seeking Opportunities for Change

'Nothing Substitutes for Hard Work' Says Erika Moore

WIN Spotlight

Martina Rejsjo on Challenging the Status Quo for a Sustainable Tomorrow

Jayashree Rajendran on Cultivating an Attitude of Encouragement

Cecilie Dynkel on the Empowerment Financial Literacy Provides

Katherine Cullen on Providing Space for Women in the Workplace

Laura DeLorenzo on Supporting Women to Achieve Common Goals

Amy Stewart on Creating Awareness through Open Communication

Careers at Nasdaq

Join Our Careers Community

Advancing Women Leadership in Asset Management

AIF Institute President Melissa Waller on the Importance of Leading with Intention

Columbia Investment Management Company's Kim Lew on how Diversity will Drive Outperformance

CommonSpirit Health Chief Investment Officer Alyssa Rieder on the Benefits of Diverse Teams and Leading by Example

Driving Excellence

Celebrating Women in Technology

Nasdaq Women in Technology: Valerie Bannert-Thurner, Anti-Financial Crime Technology, Nasdaq

Nasdaq Women in Technology: Clementina Torres, Depósito Central de Valores

Nasdaq Women in Technology: Hazel Dalton, Verafin

Nasdaq Women in Technology: Anita Panchmatia, Bank of America

Nasdaq Women in Technology: Virginie Barbot, Marketplace Technology, Nasdaq

Nasdaq Women in Technology: Eva Gartner, Bitstamp

Nasdaq Women in Technology: Kinga Jędrusik, Polish Power Exchange

Faces of Entrepreneurship

Nasdaq's Purpose