In 2026, the Women in Technology Leadership Awards headline a lively NAB Show stage, turning a trade session into a pep rally for progress. This event showcases executives who blend grit, genius, and surprisingly stylish shoes as they celebrate real-world innovation across TV. Yes, the Women in Technology and Leadership Awards pairing is not only a mouthful to pronounce but also a mission statement you can clap to. The energy is less about jargon and more about practical progress, because when smart people talk shop, the future tends to listen. The focus remains clear: celebrate the people, champion the ideas, and keep the tech conversations human.
Hannah Barnhardt, COO & co-founder of TMT Insights, will emcee the 5 p.m. program in West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center, adding a lively human touch to the proceedings. For context, NAB Show provides a practical stage where business meets innovation and real conversations begin to move from ideas to implementation. The audience can expect demonstrations, partnerships, and a sense that leadership is a shared journey. The event also invites attendees to see how NAB Show serves as a proving ground for new standards and collaborative breakthroughs.
Women in Technology Leadership Awards: NAB Show 2026 Milestone
Leading the charge, the event invites heavy hitters from ATSC, Sky, Imagine Communications, Dalet, Matrox Video, Adobe, and more, and this year the lineup reads like a who’s who of broadcast brilliance. Madelein Noland, president of ATSC, will present the Leadership Awards to Ana Eliza Faria e Silva, Globo Brazil’s senior executive in broadcast standards and digital television innovation. The moment is less formal ceremony and more a family reunion of trailblazers who know that 2026 is a year for action, not just accolades. The presence of each sponsor and presenter signals a shared belief: leadership isn’t a title, it’s a practice that thrives on mentorship, collaboration, and an uncompromising tolerance for clever ideas in a crowded hallway.
Gabby Redfearn, Sky’s group director of content services, will honor Terri Davies, president of the Motion Picture Association’s Trusted Partner Network, with the Leadership Awards Futurist Award. Davies embodies the forward-looking spirit the awards celebrate: a willingness to reimagine content workflows, security postures, and cross-industry partnerships with a smile and a plan. Dr. Glodina Conan Lostanlen, CRO of Imagine, will present the award to Davies’s co-honoree, Lindsay Stewart, CEO and co-founder of Stringr, whose platform makes field footage both accessible and trustworthy in a world of rapid news cycles.
Dalet’s Marcy Lefkovitz will hand the trio of Women to Watch honors to Valeria Sosa, live broadcast engineer L5 at Netflix, while Matrox’s Catherine Koutsaris will confer the honor on Devanshi Kotak, a senior product manager at Cisco. The next name on the list, Kylee Pena, Adobe’s principal product marketing manager for pro editorial, will present to Mersedeh Najishabahang, Ph.D., an electrical engineer at Dielectric. The proceedings feel less like a formal ceremony and more like a well-curated roundtable where the winners are the audience, the audience is the participants, and everyone leaves with a few new ideas tucked under their blazer. This moment also reinforces the Leadership Awards tradition of recognizing bold problem-solvers who connect people and technology.
Women in Technology and Leadership Awards: The Future of TV Tech in 2026
As Kathy Haley, co-founder and publisher of TVNewsCheck, notes, this is a milestone year for the Women in Technology Leadership Awards. The slate of presenters is extraordinary not merely for the star power, but for the message: the industry benefits when leadership is a shared practice rather than a solitary title. The NAB Show setting provides a practical stage for demonstration—live demos, new standards, and cross-company conversations that turn inspiration into implementation. Attendees gain a sense of momentum: the kind that comes from seeing real people push real products into real networks, with real results.
As the event unfolds, we see a blend of tradition and trailblazing spirit. From the early coverage by Mark K. Miller—whose journey from Broadcasting to TVNewsCheck spans decades of broadcasting history—to the fresh voices now shaping policy and practical deployment, the message remains consistent: leadership is a communal craft. The show’s emphasis on mentorship reflects a simple, persuasive truth: today’s guidance becomes tomorrow’s breakthrough. And yes, the applause feels earned, not manufactured, because these are professionals who translate ideas into improved workflows, stronger security, and better on-air experiences for audiences everywhere.
Beyond the awards, the program shines a light on the broader ecosystem of people who keep the TV business moving: engineers who design resilient systems, product leaders who shepherd complex tools to market, and regulators who help balance innovation with safe, accessible broadcasting. The awards show demonstrates how much the industry depends on cross-functional teams, clear communication, and a shared sense of purpose. The humor remains gentle, the insights are sharp, and the outcomes are measurable: better collaboration, clearer standards, and a schedule of events that feels like a well-timed encore rather than a single loud note.
In short, 2026’s Women in Technology and Leadership Awards is less about ceremony and more about a strategic moment: acknowledging excellence while building a pipeline of talent for the next wave of broadcasting breakthroughs. The presenters, the honorees, and the audience all participate in a friendly reminder that progress in media technology comes from people who care about craft, ethics, and making the tech simpler for creators and viewers alike.
Original article: TVNewsCheck coverage of the Women in Technology Leadership Awards at NAB Show. Thank you to TVNewsCheck for sharing this material.
Have thoughts or experiences from NAB Show or similar events? Share them in the comments and join the conversation.
Practical takeaways for broadcasters
- Mentorship and sponsorship programs help nurture the next generation of leaders in TV tech.
- Invest in robust standards and security to protect content and audiences.
- Encourage cross-company collaboration to accelerate innovation.
- Focus on creator experience and accessibility to grow viewership.
FAQ about the awards and NAB Show
- What is the Women in Technology Leadership Awards? A premier recognition program at NAB Show that spotlights women leading technology in TV and media.
- Who are the honorees? The article names several honorees and presenters, including Terri Davies and Lindsay Stewart, among others.
- How can I attend? Registration details are typically on the NAB Show site; check the event page for the latest schedule.
- Is this event global? Honorees come from multinational companies; the awards recognize leadership across the industry.
- What impact does this have? It highlights mentorship and practical innovations that speed up standards adoption and content delivery.