Cloud Girls Rising Awards Honor 6 Women to Watch in Next-Gen Technology
Cloud Girls Recognizes Visionary, Trailblazers and Rising Stars in 11th Annual Awards
LAS VEGAS, April 15, 2026 — Cloud Girls, a not-for-profit community for women in next-gen technology, announced today the winners of the 11th annual Cloud Girls Rising: Women to Watch Awards during an awards ceremony at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo 2026 in Las Vegas.
The Cloud Girls Rising Awards recognize women in technology who are driving initiatives to educate, inspire and elevate women and girls in technology. The awards honor women who have demonstrated innovation, thought leadership and proactive solution development in the cloud and next-gen technology space in 2025, inspiring more women to step forward and follow their example. This year’s awards were given to six women — one Visionary, two Trailblazers and three Rising Stars.
“The winners of the 2026 Cloud Girls Rising: Women to Watch Awards are truly extraordinary women whose talent, vision and impact stood out in a remarkable field of applicants,” said Rachel Turkus, CEO of Cloud Girls and Director of Marketing at Packet Fusion. “These are leaders delivering meaningful results inside their companies, shaping the future of next-generation technology and raising the bar for what excellence looks like. As Cloud Girls marks the 11th year of these awards, we’re proud to celebrate women who are leading by example and showing what is possible when expertise and determination come together.”
The 2026 Cloud Girls Rising: Women to Watch Award winners are:
Visionary
Lori MacVittie, Distinguished Engineer, F5
The Visionary award celebrates female leaders who have demonstrated innovation in recognizing where the cloud and next-gen tech market is headed and are leading the ecosystem toward that vision. Visionaries are groundbreakers who are willing to take risks based on strategic insight into what’s possible.
Trailblazers
- Janice Little, Senior Vice President of Engineering & Data Science, SheerID
- Roopa Sunder Raj, Principal Architect II, Spectrum
The Trailblazer award honors seasoned female technology veterans who are paving the way for their organizations, customers and industry in advancing cloud and next-generation technology solutions. They are recognized as role models and mentors to colleagues and others at work and in their community.
Rising Stars
- Ananta Bhatt, Software Engineering Manager, Moneris
- Amirtha Saminathan, Senior Software Engineer, Lowes
- Diana Vicezar, Product Manager, Microsoft
The Rising Star award recognizes female up-and-comers in the cloud and next-generation technology community who have shown initiative in advancing cloud and next-generation technology solutions for their organizations, customers and the industry.
About the Cloud Girls Rising Awards
The Cloud Girls Rising Awards support the organization’s vision to inspire and empower women as thought leaders in the evolving cloud and next-gen technology space. They also support Cloud Girls’ mission to raise the collective voice and visibility of women in tech.
Eligible nominees are employed in sales, marketing or engineering roles in the cloud and next-gen technology ecosystem. Applications were evaluated by members of the Cloud Girls Board of Directors and Advisory Council.
Winners receive a complimentary one-year membership in Cloud Girls as well as promotion via Cloud Girls’ media and social channels.
About Cloud Girls
Founded in 2011, Cloud Girls is a vendor-neutral, not-for-profit community advancing the success of women in cloud and next-generation technology. The organization focuses on professional development, leadership growth, and advocacy to support today’s innovators and inspire the next generation of women technologists. Through education, community-building, and a commitment to giving back, Cloud Girls cultivates thought leadership and amplifies the impact of women shaping the future of technology. Learn more at www.cloudgirls.org.
Media Contacts:
Rachel Turkus
CEO
Cloud Girls
408.540.8113
rturkus@packetfusion.com
Khali Henderson
BuzzTheory (for Cloud Girls)
480.848.6726
khenderson@buzztheory.com