Sarah Federman, an engineer on the Accessibility Innovation team at Canva, has highlighted persistence, resilience and the importance of staying flexible in her career after winning the Developer award at the 2026 Women Leading Tech Awards.
In her role, Federman is responsible for improving the experience of the Canva platform for users with disabilities.
Speaking to B&T after being awarded on stage, Federman said getting to this point required a mix of determination, support and a willingness to keep going even when the path wasn’t linear.
“I think the women that came before me did so much work breaking down barriers and lifting the people below them up,” she said. “I’d love to see more of that. I want to be more of that.”
Reflecting on her own journey, she said her success was not about fitting into a rigid career path.
When asked what led her to the award, she said: “A whole lot of luck, but also a really great team who supports me, and the ability to craft a role that sort of leans into my strengths and doesn’t really put me in a box,” she said. “Because I tend to hate boxes.”
Federman also pointed to persistence as a key theme of her career – both in how she approaches her own work and in the advice she gives others entering the industry.
“Well, I got started playing Neopets, and it was really fun and exciting,” she said. “So I did start at that age, and I think that if you love it, there’s always going to be a space for you.”
But for those who don’t immediately feel at home in tech, she encouraged not giving up after the first attempt.
“And if you don’t love it, try it again,” she said.
When asked what she would say to a 15-year-old girl considering a career as a developer, Federman emphasised curiosity and resilience over certainty.
“If you love it, there’s always going to be a space for you,” she said.
Beyond her technical work, Federman also mentors early-career engineers, helping women move beyond execution into leadership by navigating ambiguity and defining strategy.
She also speaks at international events including A11y Camp, where she advocates for accessible and inclusive design.
