Autumn Nash: building community and supporting women in tech fields

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 1, 2026

This is one of 12 finalists for The Herald Business Journal’s annual Emerging Leaders awards for 2026. The winner will be named at an event on April 7.

Autumn Nash, 37

Software Engineer, Microsoft’s Azure Linux

During a reverse mentorship at Amazon, an executive asked Autumn Nash to use one word to describe herself.

She said, “relentless.”

“Part of engineering and any type of science is failure,” Nash said in an interview with The Daily Herald. “It’s a lot of failing until you find the right answer, and it’s learning how to find joy in the debugging.”

After graduating with a graphic design degree, she struggled to find a job and keep clients, Nash said. She had loved computers since she was little, but didn’t think being a software engineer was an option.

But watching the movie Hidden Figures, about three African-American women who played a vital role in launching astronaut John Glenn into orbit, gave her the motivation she needed. It made Nash think about how she told her children that “they can do anything in the world.”

“I think that was a pivotal moment,” she said. “I just needed to actually do what I was willing to preach to my children.”

Since going back to school for a degree in software development and securities, Nash has worked at two Washington-based tech giants, Amazon and Microsoft.

Nash is the Education Board Chair for Milspouse Coders, an organization dedicated to providing resources and helping military spouses pursue careers in technology.

“As somebody who is a single mom and went through a divorce, military spouses are chronically underemployed,” she said.

Twenty percent of active duty military spouses are unemployed, according to 2024 data. Additionally, 85% of military spouses are female.

“To be able to give a woman who usually has children and is usually young and has hopped around a lot and doesn’t have that career stability, a six-figure salary and flexibility is amazing,” she said.

She served as the vice board chair for United Way of Snohomish County, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of families in the county, for a year. Additionally, she previously sat on the group’s strategic planning committee.

She left United Way to start her own nonprofit, The Little Guild, which works to address community needs and improve people’s quality of life. The nonprofit hosted toy drives and provided families with gifts, clothing and food, as well as a holiday party for families priced out of celebratory activities.

Nash has spoken at various tech conferences and continues to talk about the tech world as the co-host of the Fork Around and Find Out podcast.

“I have watched her consistently work to support other causes, small businesses, and truly uplift the community she lives in,” a nominator wrote. “She is a true champion of change, and I am constantly in awe of the work she is able to accomplish.”

Outside of work, Nash can be found making things with her 3D printer, reading a fantasy novel and spending time with her three sons and little brother.

Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan