The awards were created to recognise innovative and inspiring women in technology who are transforming the European tech scene and serving as role models for the community, as well as to honour organisations that demonstrate a relentless commitment to gender equality in the workplace.
LONDON – Booking.com announced the winners of its inaugural Technology Playmaker Awards. At a special gala awards ceremony in London attended by over 300 technology leaders and individuals who champion women in tech from across Europe, ten prizes were awarded. These included eight individual category winners, one corporate winner, and a grand prix for the Technology Playmaker of the Year 2018.
From hundreds of entries, winners include the creators of an app providing early intervention for adolescent anxiety, the inventor of a smart energy platform which uses Blockchain and AI to revolutionise how we consume energy, and digital leaders who have made strides in STEM education and in inspiring girls and women to embrace technology. Leading women in tech were recognised from 11 countries across Europe.
Hadeel Ayoub, Founder and CEO of BrightSign, became the first Booking.com Technology Playmaker of the Year, which is awarded to the entrant who judges felt had made the most impactful contribution to technology innovation and social change on the European tech scene. Hadeel, a designer, programmer and researcher in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) & Assistive Technology, was recognised for her launch of BrightSign, a wearable technology start-up developing innovations to facilitate communication for individuals with non-verbal disabilities.
The Booking.com Technology Playmaker Award 2018 winners are:
- Entrepreneur of the Year – Kaidi Ruusalepp, CEO and Founder of Funderbeam, a global stock exchange start-up built on the blockchain.
- Rising Star of the Year – Kerstyn Comley & Suzi Godson, Founders of MeeTwo Education Ltd., a unique early intervention solution to adolescent anxiety. Dr Comley is an education technologist and engineer, while Godson is a psychologist, journalist and graphic designer.
- Role Model of the Year – Anne-Marie Imafidon, Co-founder and CEO of Stemettes, an award-winning social platform dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women in the STEM sectors.
- Innovator of the Year – Bethany Koby, Co-founder and CEO of Tech Will Save Us, a technology start-up creating STEM play experiences that empower children to learn about technology and coding through play.
- Sustainability Innovator of the Year – Floortje van Bovene, Founder of Spectral, an Amsterdam-based tech development and system integration company in the smart energy domain.
- Digital Leader of the Year – Kathryn Parsons, Co-founder and CEO of Decoded, a London-based tech start-up which aims to increase digital literacy. Parsons is a passionate advocate of introducing coding as part of the school curriculum.
- Community Impact Award – Hadeel Ayoub, Founder and CEO of BrightSign, a wearables start-up providing assistive technology for people with non-verbal disabilities.
- Business Leader of the Year – Zoe Cunningham, Managing Director of Softwire, a software engineering firm based in the UK.
- Employer of the Year – Intuit, an accounting software firm which has demonstrated its commitment to making workplace equality and inclusion integral to its values and its business.
- Technology Playmaker of the Year grand prix winner – Hadeel Ayoub, Founder and CEO of BrightSign.
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