The four winners of the 2021 Women in Technology Hollywood (WiTH) Leadership Awards all came from different corners of the technology field, but as they accepted their awards at a virtual event March 8, it was clear they have one thing in common: they’ve advocated, mentored and helped advance the tech careers of other women.
Those presenting the awards to each of this year’s winners — Nicole McMackin, CEO of Irvine Technology Company, Davida Johnson, managing director, UCLA Office of Advanced Research Computing — Data and Technology Solutions, Katie Hinsen, executive producer of dailies and digital intermediate for Nice Shoes, and Christina Aguilera, head of creative engineering for Amazon Studios — had similar praise for the recipients’ work in technology, and selflessness in opening up opportunities for others.
“Nicole has an amazing story, taking over ITC at the age of 29,” said Lionsgate CIO Theresa Miller, who presented the award to McMackin. “She’s not only a rock star in the business world, she’s a leader in advocating and promoting for women in technology.”
McMackin is responsible for the creation of a robust 12-week education program that trains and develops female CIOs in the greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas, which includes guest speakers, networking and mentoring. She has played a key role in getting a joint venture spun up between WiTH and the Hollywood IT Society to provide learning, connection, and community opportunities for people looking for work or wanting to improve their skills and marketability.
While presenting the award to Hinsen — who is also the co-founder of Blue Collar Post Collective, the largest nonprofit in post-production dedicated to supporting emerging talent and increasing diversity in the industry — Nadya Ichinomiya, WiTH foundation chair and executive director and head of the Agile Center of Excellence at Sony Pictures Entertainment, shared how Hinsen overcame every challenge she faced getting into the world of postproduction.
“There were many obstacles along the way, however along the way, a few generous people took the time and put in the effort to help her, mentor her,” Ichinomiya said. “Out of gratitude for those mentors, Katie made a vow that she would always support emerging talent in the industry.”
Today Hinsen is known as the “mother of mentorship” in postproduction.
Denise Evans, EVP of operations for FilmTrack and board member with WiTH, praised Johnson’s dedication toward higher-level education IT organizations, and developing technology focused partnerships at UCLA, with Evans even partnering with Johnson just prior to the pandemic.
“When I read her bio, I felt inadequate, and really felt she should be mentoring me,” Evans laughed. “Her diverse background has helped bridge the gap between technical teams and technical clientele. She began her technical career writing software algorithms for physicists … .”
And beyond her work with Accenture and Warner Bros., it’s been the IT-centric boon Johnson has proven for UCLA’s 900-plus IT staff that has stood out the most, Evans said, with her active support for women in technology earning her the WiTH honor.
And for Aguilera — among the most highly committed leaders in the women-in-tech space, who currently serves as president of WiTH — Eric Iverson, CTO of the M&E global vertical for Amazon Web Services, highlighted her humble compassion and dedication to promoting advancement for underserved women in media and technology.
“She offers opportunities for others to grow, and has an ability to bring out the best in people,” Iverson said. “She shares energy and creates energy especially with the people who need it the most.”
The WiTH Foundation donated 100 percent of all revenues from Awards sponsorships to local charity organizations that consistently deliver on the goals of the WiTH organization, which include professional development, mentoring and networking, and community engagement.
Women who’ve benefited from the 2021 charity recipients — DIY Girls, PepUp Tech, St. Joseph Center Code Talk, STEAM: Coders and STEM Advantage — took part in a panel where they discussed how the nonprofits have impacted their lives.
WiTH is an organization that serves as a catalyst for the advancement of women in entertainment technology, and the WiTH Foundation Board of Directors, which selects the Leadership Awards winners, includes representatives from women’s organizations at Amazon Web Services, Cognizant, Deluxe, Expert.ai, FilmTrack, Google, KeyInfo, Los Angeles Distribution & Broadcasting, Premiere Digital and Signiant.
Amazon Studios Technology, Google and OOONA were among the sponsors of the 2021 awards event.