owengretzinger/mlh-top-hackers-2020-2023 huggingface dataset:
Anam Ansari

Anam Ansari already had a passion for programming when she attended her first hackathon, Android Buzz 2021. Hackathons provided her the perfect outlet for her creativity and problem-solving skills. She attended many more, including events sponsored by Major League Hacking (MLH), and her achievements were recognized with multiple awards. Hackathons honed her technical skills, and she is now proficient in Android development, Rust, Python, and Solana. She says, “I have always preferred a project-based approach to learning, and I like to customize what I learn. Participating in hackathons has taught me a lot about teamwork.”

On top of her hackathon successes, Anam is a dedicated open-source contributor. In 2022, Anam participated in the open source track of the MLH Fellowship. She believes collaboration is essential to the success of software development and is committed to making opportunities in tech more accessible to everyone. She is proud to say, “As a woman in a field where we are often discouraged, I've made it a personal goal to break down those barriers.”

Through Cerritus Coders, an open-source community that she co-founded, Anam has created a space where developers come together to share knowledge and build collaborative projects. Cerritus Coders has expanded to become an MLH guild and participates in events like Global Hack Week and Local Hack Day.

Anam also excels in mentoring—whether working with groups as a Google Developer Student Club (GDSC) Lead or reaching out to support hackathon attendees one-on-one. Anam has also worked with Lean-In Hacks, where she mentored women in tech and helped them develop their skills and confidence. Her leadership has been instrumental in inspiring students to pursue careers in tech and has helped bolster a passionate and innovative community of developers.

When asked about her impact on the hacker community, Anam reflects on her experiences as a mentor and judge. She has seen some fantastic projects and teams motivated to build great things, but she has also witnessed teams struggling and on the verge of giving up. In cases like these, she enjoys personally reaching out and helping these new hackers. For example, at CodeDay Mumbai she helped nervous high schoolers gain the confidence to participate in the event. She embodies inclusivity at every level—building up the community one hacker at a time.