Women to Watch in Tech in 2022
Amanda Brown
Director of Software Engineering — Teladoc Health
Amanda Brown — LinkedIn
Amanda’s entry into tech started at the Georgia Institute of Technology where she majored in Mechanical Engineering. During her time there she was a teaching assistant, which eventually set her up to pivot from hardware integration to software integration to software test. Presently, Amanda has moved into a technical leadership role working at Teladoc Health. Amanda says,” The people that work with me are brilliant, and in my position, I’m able to help them unlock the best versions of themselves.” Amanda is extremely proud of the teams she’s built and grown since moving into management. Another highlight for Amanda is the chronic conditions program at Teladoc and the impact that it has on so many people across the US, including some of her own family. This meaningful work is something that keeps her going every day. Amanda wishes that accessibility to the tech industry were more broadly available. Amanda says,” I see a huge need for bringing the world of computers to people that don’t already have access to them at an early age, and showing young people that software development is a great career to pursue. Getting hands on a keyboard and demystifying computers at a young age for everyone would be a beautiful thing to see.” Upcoming goals on Amanda’s radar include: focusing on self-prioritization, creating the space to set firm boundaries which focus on mental and physical health (specifically continuing to play ultimate frisbee on a master’s club team as well as local leagues), completing a goal of reading 26 books in 2022 (which she is 2 books ahead of schedule!), and last but certainly not least to be a leader within the tech community with an intention to speak on leadership and technical topics.
Asha Sachdeva
A11y Engineering Lead — Teladoc Health
Asha Sachdeva — LinkedIn
Asha entered the tech space while attending school in India. It was a teacher that sparked her interest while building exciting C programs. After graduation, Asha pursued a path in Foreign Language and Computer Applications. She then got a job as a web developer and Foreign Language Specialist. While she was working she obtained an MCA degree, then landed a role in a corporate company. Asha says,” One day I was working on a project as a Frontend engineer, and I realized there is a bucket of accessibility requirements which people are finding hard to implement. That’s where my career took a different turn, and I took that challenge by owning accessibility requirements and implementation.” Asha recalls asking herself: If not me, then who? Asha wishes that everyone could think about accessibility FIRST in the digital space, which allows us the opportunity to keep every potential user in mind. Asha is proud to be a part of the A11y community so that she can help make a difference. A few goals Asha has in mind are to take part in WCAG’s future decision-making, become the best mom, and increase her meditation time.
Maria Astudillo
Software Engineering Apprentice — Teladoc Health
Maria Astudillo — LinkedIn
Maria entered the tech world after a move from Chicago to Colorado, where she was looking to land a position as a presentational specialist or a technical writer. While it was challenging to find a role, she decided to elevate her skillset and began to learn JavaScript and Python, which eventually led her to attend a bootcamp. Maria also became interested in cloud computing and completed a program as a junior cloud practitioner. Currently, she is an apprentice at Teladoc Health. There are a couple of areas in the tech space that Maria believes can be improved. Maria says,” I wish that coding and computer science were taught at an earlier grade level. I also hope to see diversity in tech with more underrepresented groups included and to see women in tech leadership roles.” Some accomplishments Maria is proud of include teaching herself how to ride a bike, supporting herself through undergrad while working, and changing careers at age 50. The future looks bright for Maria as she has goals of obtaining a developer certification in AWS, completing four Udacity Nano Degrees in the next year, and landing a full-time DevOps Engineering role.
As I spotlight these incredible women, I find there are two fundamental qualities that continue to show up. First, the ability to believe in themselves, and secondly to believe in others. This superpower sparks a light within me, and I hope that it does the same for you.
