At General Assembly, we know the power that comes with people being able to pursue a meaningful career they love. And we’re excited to be able to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month by highlighting AAPI tech trailblazers who’ve made their mark on our core bootcamp disciplines — software engineering, data analytics, data science, and user experience (UX) design.
AAPI talent has long played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of the tech industry. From software engineering to data analytics, data science, and user experience design, AAPI tech trailblazers have made significant contributions that have revolutionized how we interact with technology. Here are just some of the remarkable individuals who’ve blazed trails and left an indelible mark on the tech world.
AAPI Tech Trailblazers: Software Engineering
Jerry Yang, Co-founder of Yahoo!
Jerry Yang, a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur, co-founded Yahoo! in 1994 alongside David Filo. Their creation revolutionized internet search and became one of the earliest and most widely used search engines. Yang’s contributions to software engineering have had a lasting impact on the way we access information online.
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA Corporation
Jensen Huang, a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur, is the co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA Corporation. Under his leadership, NVIDIA has become a powerhouse in the semiconductor industry, particularly in the development of graphics processing units (GPUs) used in gaming, artificial intelligence, and data centers.
AAPI Tech Trailblazers: Data Analytics
DJ Patil, Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist
DJ Patil, an Indian-American data scientist, served as the first-ever U.S. Chief Data Scientist under President Barack Obama. Patil’s work in data analytics and data science has been instrumental in driving innovation and leveraging data for social good.
Fei-Fei Li, Co-Director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
Fei-Fei Li, a Chinese-American computer scientist, is a leading expert in artificial intelligence and computer vision. Her research has advanced the field of machine learning and has practical applications in areas such as autonomous vehicles and healthcare.
AAPI Tech Trailblazers: Data Science
Anima Anandkumar, Professor at California Institute of Technology and Former Director of Machine Learning Research at NVIDIA
Anima Anandkumar, an Indian-American computer scientist, is a leading expert in machine learning and optimization. Her research has contributed to advancements in deep learning algorithms and has been applied to a wide range of industries, including healthcare and finance.
Bin Yu, Professor at the University of California, Berkeley
Bin Yu is a Chinese-American statistician and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, whose groundbreaking research in statistics and machine learning has paved the way for advancements in data analysis and modeling.
AAPI Tech Trailblazers: UX Design
Irene Au, Former Head of Design at Google and Yahoo
Irene Au, a Chinese-American designer, served as the head of design at Google, where she led efforts to improve user experience across Google’s products and services. Her work has helped shape the way we interact with technology and has set the standard for user-centric design practices.
John Maeda, Vice President of Design and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft and Former Global Head of Computational Design and Inclusion at Automattic
John Maeda, a Japanese-American designer, is a leading authority on design and technology. In his role at Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, Maeda focused on advancing computational design and promoting diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
The contributions the AAPI community has made in software engineering, data analytics, data science, and UX design have been instrumental in driving innovation and shaping the global tech industry. This month and every month, let’s honor the achievements of these trailblazers and continue to champion diversity and inclusion in the tech world. By recognizing and amplifying their voices, we can build a more vibrant and equitable tech ecosystem for generations to come.
Curious about our commitment to workforce diversity and workforce development initiatives? Learn more here.