Lakshmi Priya Kandula

“I belong in this industry,” says Lakshmi Priya Kandula, CEO of Codeforce 360, an IT-focused staffing firm with a mission to expand opportunities for women in tech and close the gender gap. “Every person we place can pay to feed her family, go on vacation, do what she wants to do in the world.” 

Kandula — a certified life coach with a master’s in industrial engineering — has developed a company culture in which inclusivity and high performance go hand in hand. Under her leadership, revenue at Codeforce 360 has grown by 25%.

Kandula’s commitment to fostering inclusivity extends beyond her organization. Her podcast, “Voice of Women,” serves as a platform for amplifying women’s voices and catalyzing progress in the male-dominated world of tech. She also mentors economically disadvantaged teenagers in India and is a frequent speaker for events such as ProcureCon CS and the TIARA Talent Solutions conference by TALiNT Partners, where she recently spoke about maximizing future value for staffing firms and measuring the success of DE&I initiatives within contingent labor workforces.

Looking ahead, Kandula is excited about the potential for AI tools to eliminate bias and help human leaders make better decisions. “AI is developing a hundred times faster than the internet did. That speed can be scary, but rather than resist it, I choose to learn as much as I can.”