As background — Ada Lovelace Day is a call to action to help fight invisibility of women in STEM.
The idea: We need to have more visible role models of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math so that girls can imagine themselves in those roles, thus increasing the number of girls in these fields. We need this to happen not just for social justice but for the economic growth.
Women in STEM fields have a huge impact on the global economy and are a critical resource to help solve the most complex problems we face in the 21st Century.
You should read more about that here:
Ada Lovelace Day 2013: fight the invisibility of women in STEM!
October 15 2013 will be the fifth annual Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. Ada Lovelace Day is about sharing stories of women — whether engineers, scientists, technologists or mathematicians — who have inspired you to become who you are today. The aim is to create new role models for girls and women in these male-dominated fields by raising the profile of other women in STEM.
You can participate in Ada Lovelace Day by attending Ada Lovelace Day Live! in London; attending one of the more than 20 other worldwide events; or by writing about a woman in STEM whose work has inspired you, publishing the story on October 15, and adding it to the Ada Lovelace Day story collection.
My Contribution to #ALD13
I am taking it upon myself to compile a list of the women on twitter who inspire me in and around #STEM, and to ask for your help in expanding it, either by reminding me of who I missed*, or introducing me to people I need to know.
I want to be someone who helps bring more people to the front to stand out as role models. I realize that many of us downplay our ability and responsibility to be a role model for others and I want to suggest if not you than who?
#STEM Power Brokers
Women who are CXOs leading the charge.
- Tatyana Kanzaveli – @glfceo
- Nilofer Merchant – @nilofer
- Wendy Lea – @WendySLea
- Charlene Li – @charleneLi
- Naomi Bloom – @inFullBloomUS
- Promise Phelon – @PromisePhelon
- Heidi Spirgi – @hspirgi
- Shaherose Charania – @shaherose
- Heidi Melin – @HeidiMelin
- Stacy Chapman – @StacyChapman
- Pat Milligan – @pat_milligan1
- Lynn Lucas – @Lylucas
- Sylvie Leotin – @sleotin
- Whitney Johnson – @johnsonWhitney
- Patty Azzarello – @pattyAzzarello
#STEM Industry Movers
Women who make the industry work. Ladies in Innovation, Product Management, Marketing, Program Management, Press/ Analyst/ Partner Relations
- Erika Brookes – @ebrookes
- Kelly Stoetzel – @kstoetzel
- Gretchen Alarcon – @GretchenA
- Jill Rowley – @jill_rowley
- Tiffany Thompson – @sassyTinATL
- Emily He – @EmilyHe1
- Claudine Bianchi – @Mapmaven
- Row Henson – @RowHenson
- Holly Simmons – @holloid
- Amy Wilson – @Awils
- Leighanne Levensaler – @LeighLevensaler
- Laura Schroeder – @WorkGal
- Meenakshi Tripathy – @TripathyM
- Kris Van der Ploeg – @Kvldp
- Christine Yokoi – @YCYokoi
- Kati Robison – @katirob_tucson
- Kathi Chenoweth – @kcheno
- Tara Roberts – @tara20k
- Christie Wilson – @LWChris
- Angela Wells – @AngWWells
- Amy Sollells – @amysorrells
- Nancy Lang – @nancy_l
- Alka Asthana – @AlkaAsthana
- Claudia Imhoff – @Claudia_Imhoff
- Natalia Rachelson – @nrachelson
- Katheryn Perry – @kperry519
- Susie Penner – @eyemsusie
- Letty Ledbetter – @lettyel
- Lauren McKay – @LaurenMizzou
- Vanessa Thompson – @VanessaThomps
- Yvette Cameron – @yvetteCameron
- Debra Lilley – @debralilley
- Beth Oetker Butler – @Boetker
- Dawn Hrdlica-Burke – @DawnHRRocks
- Adrienne Olds – @AdrienneElzbth
- June Farmer – @JuneFarmer
- Carol Sato – @CarolSato
- Danielle Cormier Smith – @DanielleCormier
- Lydia Smyers – @lydiasmyers
- Laurie Pattison – @lsptahoe
- Claire Moss – @aclairefication
- Marcie Van Houten – @MarcieVH
- Lisa Black – @gtmbagirl
- Lexy Martin – @lexymartin
- Lisa Rowan – @lisarowan
- Jenny Sussin – @Jsussin
- Kim Seals – @kseals
- Stacy Lynn Harris – @StaceyHarrisHR
- Rani Urbas – @raniurbas
- Marta Studinger – @mstudinger
- Christie Sultemeier – @ckanani
- Eliane Orler – @ElaineOrler
- Merline Saintil – @msaintil
- Erna Arnesen – @ErnaArnesen
- Christine Wan – @christine_wan
- Indira Vidyaprakash – @idivyapr
- Maria Colgan – @SQLMaria
#STEM Builders and Makers
Women in Engineering, Science, Technology who are builders, Doers, Leaders and Makers.
- Sri Subramanian – @whoissri
- Nandini Ramani – @eyeseewaters
- Vivian Wong – @zen_girl
- Krupali Tejura – @krupali
- Tracy Weitz – @TWeitzTweets
- Wendy Li – @wenhuali
I encourage you each to contribute to causes like Ada Lovelace Day recognizing not just the big names, but the breadth and depth of contributions that are happening today to bring forward the power of women to benefit our world.
*All Feedback welcome including additional categories I need to add and/or move
Meg Bear 
Given my love for all things Tea…I always get inspired by Nancy Reagan’s quote – “A woman is like a tea bag: you cannot tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”…Thank You Meg for this wonderful blog post!
In the world of Bi and Data Warehousing don’t forget Claudia Imhoff (https://twitter.com/Claudia_Imhoff @Claudia_Imhoff ), industry analyst, founder of the Boulder BI Brain Trust (http://boulderbibraintrust.org/) among many other things…
Would love to meet Claudia! Thanks for adding her to my list.
Fabulous post, Meg!
Several years back Margaret Thatcher spoke on women in the workplace at PBWC and when asked about how she dealt with working in male dominated industry she responded “Over the years it is not that I have gained weight, I just have much thicker skin.”
Time for women to toughen up, take responsibility and take a stand, starting with myself.
Thanks Mary — do you have a Twitter handle for me to include?