Noor Aftab
Noor Aftab is the Global Program Lead at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she drives strategic programs for Amazon S3, supporting some of the world’s most complex data, AI, and analytics workloads. With a foundation in software engineering and data science, she brings over a decade of experience building and scaling cloud-native solutions, AI/ML systems, and developer-focused programs.
She serves as Vice President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Pacific Northwest section, championing technical leadership and mentoring initiatives across engineering communities. Noor is also Chair of the NumFOCUS Code of Conduct Working Group and User Group Leader for IBM Women in AI, where she fosters inclusive, resilient communities across 300+ open-source projects.
A frequent keynote speaker, Noor has presented at PyData Global, SciPy, ODSC, TEDx, IEEE, and 13+ global venues, delivering talks that connect technical depth with real-world adoption of AI and cloud. She has authored and led initiatives such as the IEEE Hour of Power AI training program, empowering engineers and professionals with practical AI skills.
Her contributions to technology and leadership have been recognized with awards, including the Australia Alumni Excellence Award and Asia Pacific HRM Congress Award, with media features in the BBC, Martha’s Vineyard Times, and Hindustan Times.
GitHub: aftabn81
| Website: www.nooraftab.com
Session
Women make up only 22% of data and AI roles and contribute just 3% of Python commits, leaving a “missing 78%” of untapped talent and perspective. This talk shares what happened when our community doubled overnight, revealing hidden demand for inclusive spaces in scientific Python.
We’ll present the data behind this growth, examine systemic barriers, and introduce the VIM framework (Visibility–Invitation–Mechanism) — a research-backed model for building resilient, inclusive communities. Attendees will leave with practical, reproducible strategies to grow engagement, improve retention, and ensure that the future of AI and Python is shaped by all voices, not just the few.