The statistics are disheartening. As of 2023, women hold only 26.7% of technology jobs. If you compare women in entry-level roles versus positions higher in the org chart (like CTOs or heads of engineering), they have an even lower representation. Worse, the total number of women in big tech jobs decreased by 2.1% between 2020 and 2022, with smaller tech companies receiving the most significant decrease at 5.1%. But Radhika Kanubaddhi is not a statistic. She is a testament to resilience and determination, defying the odds to carve a niche as a pioneering engineer, mentor, and coach in the male-dominated tech industry.
Having worked for companies like Microsoft and the global advertising and marketing technology company Epsilon, Radhika has led a team that developed cutting-edge recommendation engines for industry leaders in the airline and retailer industries. These AI-powered solutions resulted in significant revenue increases for her clients and showed her ability to translate her technical expertise into real-world business impact.
Born into a family with no engineers—let alone female engineers—Radhika's technological journey began under unlikely circumstances. Her remarkable intellect and drive were recognized and celebrated early when, at age 10, she received a fully paid scholarship to a federally operated school. This opportunity was the first of many that would set her on a path toward tech innovation, and it's a testament to her exceptional abilities.
Radhika's academic and extracurricular achievements during her schooling laid a solid foundation for her future. Not only did she represent her school at a national-level basketball tournament, but she also triumphed in numerous scientific competitions throughout her undergraduate years. These experiences, characterized by learning, innovating, and competing, shaped her early career and set her apart from her peers.
After earning a full scholarship to the University of Akron in Ohio, Radhika continued to excel despite the global financial recession of 2008. While many of her contemporaries struggled to find employment, Radhika's innovative spirit shone through. Thanks to her technical skills and unique approach to problem-solving, she secured two internships and subsequent jobs. During this period, she developed cloud-based applications, including the notable ScoreTracker app that allowed board game players to track scores and winnings digitally. Her innovative spirit continued at Microsoft, where she designed and built enterprise-grade chatbots using cutting-edge AI technology, helping clients adapt to the Azure Cloud and generating significant revenue.
Radhika's career highlights include developing a database feature that handles 100,000 requests per second and successfully migrating APIs from on-premises solutions to the cloud before it became common practice. In addition, a relentless innovator, Radhika led the development of a cloud-native banking website and a
cloud application for building automation. She has also contributed to open-source projects like Azure IoTHub, demonstrating her commitment to innovation and knowledge sharing in the tech community.
Radhika's unique ability to tackle some of the most challenging problems in tech technical also extends to enhancing computer security. Radhika applied the fundamentals of machine learning to detect anomalies in computer security systems, as discussed in her feature in TechBullion. Additionally, she has been instrumental in shaping database design for training and fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) and the use of natural language processing (NLP) on health records, ensuring that these technologies are robust and efficient.
Looking forward, Radhika aspires to innovate in the field of generative AI applications, aiming to impact millions of people worldwide. Inspired by pioneering women like Melinda Gates and Grace Hopper, Radhika remains determined to make significant contributions to technology and help close the gender gap in engineering. Her vision is advancing technology and equipping the next generation of women engineers with the tools and confidence they need to succeed in tech.
Determined not to be a statistical anomaly but rather a trendsetter and a role model, Radhika Kanubaddhi's story is one of overcoming societal and professional barriers to emerge as a leading figure in technology. Her journey as a female tech innovator is not just about overcoming the odds. Still, reshaping them ensures that the next generation of women in tech has more than just a foothold—they have a blueprint for success.
