Tania Lee is a DC technologist you should know

Hey, guess what? There are many amazing women doing great work in the D.C.-area tech community. This should come as no surprise to dedicated readers of Technical.ly DC, but we’re launching a new, ongoing series anyway, to further highlight the stories and projects of local women technologists.

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Tania Lee self identifies as a “ICT4D practitioner.” In other words, she works with information communication technology for development (ICT4D). The 33-year-old from Adams Morgan is an SMS and Web Product Manager for Caktus Group, a technology firm that builds custom web solutions with a focus on positive social impact.

Lee’s career in tech has had an international flair, with a large part of her work focusing on building tech tools to support humanitarian efforts. Lee is currently in Turkey, helping an NGO devise a tech solution to better deliver service to displaced Syrians in Syria and Turkey.
Lee never thought she’d end up in up in tech, but eventually ended up working for the International Rescue Committee. Before she left that position, Lee served as the project manager for a commodity tracking system that helped send and track medical supplies in Syria right after the war started.
Lee’s work with humanitarian efforts has led to a personal commitment to data security.
“NGOs collect a lot of data about very vulnerable communities and need more support on ways to keep that data safe and private,” said Lee. “About a year ago, I was part of a group that co-authored a guide on how to protect development data.”
This dreamer and realist has found that the process is as important as the product. One product she is hoping to grow is a dynamic space for ICT4D practitioners in D.C.
“Just as the tech community is grappling with diversity issues, the ICT4D community faces similar yet unique diversity and access issues,” explained Lee. She hopes the space will allow for dialogue about the issue and be welcoming to people who might not be traditionally drawn to the work.