Founder and CEO: Niharika Vattikonda
​Niharika is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She taught herself HTML/CSS in middle school and has developed her programming skills through Foundations of Computer Science, AP Computer Science plus Data Structures, and Mobile/Web App Development, culminating in a senior research lab in Mobile and Web Application Development. This summer, she is working at the United States Naval Research Lab, pursuing cutting-edge machine learning research in the field of genomics. She is the Director of Internal Affairs for Coding Lady Colonials, her school’s female computing club, and worked on the pilot session of CSterhood, a mentorship program the connects younger girls to experienced mentors in a variety of CS classes. She hopes this program will be an opportunity for students to develop the technology skills that are ever more critical in the 21st century workforce!

Eletria Biswas, Executive Team
Eletria is a sophomore at Statesboro High School. She became interested in technology and computer science as a freshman when she learned about CS applications in engineering, mathematics, and physics. She hopes to use her experience in programming to make advancements in STEM and her experience in public speaking/relations to encourage women and minorities in STEM fields. She mostly uses programming to advance her mathematical skills and express her artistic skills through graphic design and 3-D modelling. She also is a Web Developer for a STEM-based nonprofit, herSTEMstory. Outside of STEM, she is an avid reader, artist, and MUN delegate. 

Alianza Clyne, Program Coordinator
Alianza is a college student who is passionate about computer science and cyber security. Her love for computer science was first ignited after she attended the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program in 2016. Since then, she has become passionate about ensuring that other girls, minorities, and especially girls of color get a chance to experience the power of code. She believes that having racial and gender diversity in the tech space is critical to ensuring that the technology platforms that are being created truly reflect the needs of everyone. This has led her to become the Outreach Director for Superposition (an all-girls hackathon taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area), the Human Resources Director for coderGirls, and a Program Coordinator for Teens Transforming Technology. As a Program Coordinator for Teens Transforming Technology, she hopes to emphasize the importance of online coding resources and events in order to make computer science accessible to students all over the world.  

Mayesha Awal, AppUp Program Leader
Mayesha is a sophomore at Georgetown University, and majoring in biochemistry. She is mostly a self-taught computer programmer. In high school, she learned and developed her programming skills through various computer programming languages such as Java, Ruby, HTML/CSS and Python through online coding websites. She also competed in the national Black Data Programming Association (BDPA) Mobile Application Showcase Competition in which she received 1st place for her mobile application. She also received the National Center for Women in Technology Indiana Affiliate Award. In college, she developed her programming skills through Computer Science I (C++). Mayesha is the Webmaster and communications chair for Georgetown’s Chem Club in which she will be working on their website. She hopes AppUp will allow girls to be exposed to the computer science field and acquire crucial computing skills to develop their own mobile app! 

Catherine Yeo, PixelHacks Director
Catherine is a senior at Stanford University Online High School. Catherine was awarded the Spirit of Ramanujan Math Initiative Fellowship in 2017 and more recently has been doing research in number theory. Passionate to use technology to improve education, she has interned at Khan Academy and had created multiple educational apps, receiving a scholarship to Apple’s WWDC in 2016. An NCWIT Affiliate Award Winner and She++ #include Fellow, Catherine co-founded and directs PixelHacks. She looks forward to working with Teens Transforming Technology to learn computing and expand diversity in the technology field.