4 min. read
Xena Women in Tech Awards: The One To Watch Award 2024
Discovering Who is Shaping the Future of Tech with Axel Springer National Media and Tech
Shining a Light on Tomorrow’s Tech Visionaries
Celebrating emerging leaders is a vital step in nurturing and showcasing fresh talent while encouraging diversity and innovation within various sectors. By providing a platform for upcoming leaders, we not only acknowledge their potential but also inspire others to embark on their leadership journeys, fostering a cycle of progress and advancement.
We’ve teamed up with Axel Springer National Media & Tech to discover who has an exciting future in the tech industry.
Meet Xena's One To Watch Winner 2023
Késsia Castro, Senior Frontend Engineer at HelloFresh.
In just the span of 2 years working in software engineering, Késsia went up the ranks at HelloFresh. In addition to her impressive technical abilities, she gives back to a number of women in tech communities and is also a member of various gender equality initiatives at her company.
Nominees should be:
1. A developer who identifies as she/her or they/them
2. Based in Europe
3. Has experience in public speaking in tech
4. Is a woman in tech advocacy and invests their time into mentorship and taking part in technology events
ANYONE. We encourage you to nominate yourself, your colleague, a friend, your manager or someone in tech who inspires you.
“NMT is working hard to give women a voice and to raise them up. When we heard about the opportunity to sponsor a Women in Tech Award category, we knew we had to take part. The One to Watch Award is all about visibility: highlighting a woman in tech who not only achieves great things for her career and her work, but also acts as a role model and a supporter for other women in the industry. With every hand we extend in support, we build a bridge to a future where all women can thrive.”
–Axel Springer NMT
About Our Partner
Axel Springer National Media & Tech is the strong foundation of Axel Springer’s successful German media brands, driving the news for over 3 million unique users every day. We are evolving journalism into what we call next-level publishing – a business that is continuously reshaped through innovation and acceleration. To disrupt the traditional publishing business, we use smart technology and build excellent products which will boost our digital media brands. With about 500 employees, we position our brands to drive journalism into the future and make it accessible to everyone. We are looking for new colleagues who want to create customer-dedicated and data-driven products that people love, share, subscribe to, and pay for.
NMT has made a commitment to supporting women in tech at every level of the organisation.
On the ground level, we have regular Women in Tech dinners, where we get together for a meal and network across IT, engineering, UX/UI, and product teams. We’ve also recently introduced a women’s network run for women, by women, along with monthly virtual meetings to talk about issues relevant to women working in tech and product. Our Technical Expert Track is our career matrix, which includes clear pay guidelines so that nobody is left behind when it comes to fair pay.
In management, three of our eight directors are women, one of whom also looks after DEIB initiatives exclusively for tech and product staff, such as our new “International Friends of NMT” meetup to encourage friendship among new arrivals in Germany. This director also offers 1-on-1 technical presentation training and career coaching for any member of staff. In addition, NMT is soon launching its collaboration with StartSteps, which will train up 10 career changing women to become full-stack TypeScript engineers. Furthermore, we are working to support local community groups by hosting women’s meetups, panel discussions, and networking events.
Kristina Pusch, Senior Software Engineer
“For me, working within National Media and Tech’s tech teams is like discovering a remarkable platform for personal and professional development. It’s a space where I connect with inspiring women, diversify my skills through cross-team collaboration, and truly feel empowered in my career. In my software engineering role, I contribute to user engagement tools like quizzes and polls used by news outlets like Bild and Welt, which collectively reach over 3 million unique users daily. This experience has empowered me, enhanced my skills, and made me feel confident in my career.”
Tell us who inspires you.
