Celebrating Black Role Models & Innovators in Tech

The 2023 Black Tech Achievement Awards (BTA) will return to London this week to celebrate Black role models and innovators in tech.

The UK’s technology sector is growing almost three times faster than the rest of the economy and with tech firms creating an ever-increasing number of highly-skilled and highly-paid jobs, opportunities are only set to increase. By championing Black achievement within technology, the BTA Awards aim to inspire and connect whilst helping to map out a more diverse, inclusive and therefore innovative landscape.

2023 BTA AWARD FINALISTS

This year’s BTA Awards finalists include (by category):

Ally of the Year

This award is for professionals who are not Black and have shown a commitment to championing Black professionals within the tech sector.

• Andrew Milne – Currencycloud
• Becky Todd – PwC
• Debbie Gemmell – JP Morgan
• Gillian Perry – Capita
• Jocelyn Sheriff – PwC
• Kelly Metcalf – Fujitsu
• Ada Tagoe – Google
• Paul Margetts – Capgemini UK
• Steven Denison – Monzo Bank
• Supti Sarkar – PwC
• Zahra Bahrololoumi – Salesforce
• Asif Sadiq MBE – Warner Bros. Discovery

App of the Year

This award recognises the best applications that have made an impact within the last year.

• ROUTD
• Bake-ulator
• Uome
• Heyr
• Vendoir
• Tech1M
• palmTree

BTA Gaming Award

This award recognises those who are making an impact and are championing diversity within the gaming sector.

• Chelsea Maffia – Play Morgan Studios
• Des Gayle – Altered Gene
• John Ikpeme – Dash Studios
• Stephanie iJoma – NNESAGA

Developer of the Year

Sponsored by J P Morgan, this award is for professionals within the tech sector with Developer.

• Audrey Walela – Funding Circle
• Catherine Kediemetse Mokgothu – American Express UK
• Elizabeth Honore – Morgan Stanley
• Emeka Okechukwu – Morgan Stanley
• Eugene Brown – Fortnum and Mason
• Larry Goddard – Oxford University Press
• Nathaniel Okenwa – Twilio
• Oluwatobi John Oluwafemi – Faciit
• Vivian Spencer – By Inspiration.co.uk
• Humaira Ahmed – Publicis Sapient 
• Denis Akinmolasire – Goldman Sachs

Diversity Champion

Sponsored by Capgemini, this award honours those who are actively helping improve and increase the level of diversity within the tech industry.

• Elizabeth Shaw – 1000 Black Voices
• Princess Bernard – Accenture
• Juliet Baker – Adobe
• Tolu Oke – Amazon Web Services
• Effi Taylor – Farfetch
• Carl Hassan – Google
• Donna-Marie Patten – JP Morgan Chase
• Apay Obang-Oyway – Microsoft
• Elizabeth Ajala – Monzo Bank
• Sephora Amlan Ochou – Niyo Group
• Dara Douglas – PwC
• Sam Faulkner – Salesforce

Employee of the Year

Sponsored by Salesforce, this award recognises employees who are making an outstanding contribution within their workplace.

• Amanda Appiah – GoCardless
• April Evans – Snapchat
• Atiba Stephens – Currencycloud
• Funmbi Ogundiwin – Salesforce
• Heldiney Pereira – Monzo Bank
• Joseph Baines – Workday
• Katie Debrah – Google
• Leanna Hay – Experian
• Lesley Jonas-Nartey – IBM
• Magdalene Amegashitsi – Avanade
• Noémie El-Maawiy – Viaduct Generation

Employer of the Year

Sponsored by Publicis Sapient, this award aims to reward organisation driving diversity within the tech industry at their organisation through data/feebdback.

• Currencycloud
• Multiverse
• EY
• Ford Motor Company Ltd
• Mindweaver
• Fujitsu
• Capita
• News UK

Entrepreneur of the Year

This award celebrates an individual who has given everything to guide their business to success within the last year.

• Bejay Mulenga MBE – Supa Network
• Cecil Adjalo – Foundervine
• Flavilla Fongang – 3 Colours Rule & GTA Black Women In Tech
• Oyinkansola Adebayo – Niyo
• Julian Mensah – Voltric
• Kit Ahweyevu – Mindweaver
• Leke Sholuade – Black Valley
• Paulette Watson – Academy Achievers
• Nadine Campbell – ACE Entrepreneurs
• Fabio Embaló – Viaduct Generation

Fintech of the Year

This award recognises innovators who have made an outstanding contribution to financial technology.

• Asia Sharif – NatWest and ChainVerse
• Mary Agbesanwa – Seccl
• Ola Oyetayo – Verto
• Olaide Olaniyi – GoProposal by Sage
• Paul Watts – Lenuity Limited
• Sarah Wernér – Husmus

Innovation Champion

Sponsored by bp, his award celebrates those individuals going above and beyond to drive innovation within the tech sector.

• Ayobami Taiwo – JP Morgan Chase
• Cleon Grant – Multiverse
• David Osideko – ZeroCode Cloud
• Femi Adedimeji – AVEVA
• Katrina Young – Aggregator Digital & Katrina Young Consulting
• Jyl Feliciano – Highspot
• Pamela Aculey – Just Like Me Books
• Reggie Kelley – PwC
• Rochana Ebini Jackson – Divrsity
• Tanya Davis – Lloyds Banking Group

Inspirational Woman of the Year

• Natalie Ojevah – Barclays
• Unette Spencer – Mastercard
• Fifi Ahmed – Publicis Sapient
• Maureen Biney – American Express
• Kelsey Robb – TikTok
• Elsie Ofulue – Morgan Stanley
• Helen Van Der Straaten – News UK
• Fumbi Banjoko – Currencycloud
• Lucy Quist – Morgan Stanley
• Anne Alabi – Farfetch
• Joanne Hippolyte – Publicis Sapient

Lifetime Achievement Award

Sponsored by Fujitsu, the Lifetime Achievement award is an award granted to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the technology profession. Finalists include:

• Len Moore – News UK
• Rashada Harry – Your Future, Your Ambition and Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Tom Ilube – Crossword CyberSecurity

Rising Star

Sponsored by Aveva, this award recognises young professionals under the age of 30 who demonstrate passion, innovation and commitment to energising and driving progress in the technology sector. The finalists include:

• Aisha Shofoluwe – Monzo Bank
• Alexander Matambo – Capco
• Damask Talary-Brown – Morgan Stanley
• Jacinta Odindo – JP Morgan Chase
• Kennedy Iyeh – Onion
• Lola Agabalogun – Stripe
• Melissa Wills – Capgemini UK
• Naomi Robinson – Capgemini UK
• Elizabeth Obisesan – Microsoft
• Suad Mohamed – BT Group
• Tigerlily Jagun-Howell – Moonpig
• Tomiwa Oke – Google
• Amber Shand – Cybsafe

Social Good Award

Sponsored by PwC, this award celebrates talent successfully applying tech to a social cause. The finalists include:

• Akua Opong – LSEG
• Beni Ngwamah – WEKA
• Bola Fadina – JP Morgan Chase
• Emma Obanye – OneTech
• Folu Fabowale – Monzo Bank
• Kirsty Jackson – Fujitsu
• Natalie Scarlett – Black Heritage Support Service – Tech Rootz
• Obed Yeboah – Shapeways.io
• Reuben Nehikhare – The Palor / Palantir Technologies
• Kwaku Kyei-Manu – Computershare

BTA AWARDS CEREMONY

The winners for all categories, including will be revealed on 8th March 2023, at the awards ceremony hosted at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre. To celebrate International Woman’s Day, there will also be an Honorary Woman of The Year award, recognising the outstanding achievement of a Black woman working in the tech industry, announced during the evening of the awards ceremony.

Click here to find out more.

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