Anisa Elezi

“I believe Anisa’s greatest achievement is not a qualification or job title, but the lasting impact she has had on the people she teaches and mentors"

Part of the Tech Women Celebration 50, a curated list of some of the most inspirational women working at all levels of tech

Anisa Shehu-Elezi is a cybersecurity educator, mentor and assessor passionate about making technology more accessible and inclusive. Originally from Albania, where she spent over a decade as a university lecturer, Anisa relocated to the UK to create new opportunities for herself and her family.

Determined to establish a career in UK cybersecurity, she completed a master’s degree in Cybersecurity at Oxford Brookes University while raising two young children. Her commitment was extraordinary: she attended university with her baby when the baby was just 14 days old, demonstrating the resilience that defines her career.

Today, Anisa is a Trainee Assessor for the Cybersecurity Degree Apprenticeship at Gloucestershire College and a volunteer instructor with Coding First Girls. Through teaching, mentoring and championing women and career changers, she continues to inspire the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Tell us about the nominee's biggest achievement to date

I believe Anisa’s greatest achievement is not a qualification or job title, but the lasting impact she has had on the people she teaches and mentors. Through her work as a Coding First Girls instructor, she has inspired women and career changers to pursue cybersecurity opportunities they once believed were beyond their reach.

She does not simply teach technical skills; she builds confidence. She creates an environment where people feel capable, supported and empowered to ask questions, embrace challenges and believe they belong in the industry.

As one of her students, I experienced this first-hand. Her encouragement extended beyond the classroom through career guidance, interview preparation and continued mentorship. She gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities I might otherwise have questioned and continued to support me long after the course ended.

While her professional and academic accomplishments are impressive, her true legacy is the confidence, opportunities and self-belief she has helped others discover.

What is the most significant challenge the nominee has overcome?

One of the most significant challenges Anisa has overcome was establishing herself as a respected cybersecurity educator while adapting to life in the UK and communicating highly technical concepts in a language that was not her first. Teaching cybersecurity requires confidence, precision and the ability to explain complex ideas to people with very different levels of experience.

Developing those skills while balancing a demanding career, raising two young children and completing a second master’s degree required extraordinary resilience and discipline. Rather than allowing these challenges to limit her, Anisa embraced them. She invested in her development, strengthened her communication skills and refused to let language or circumstance define what she could achieve.

Today, those experiences are among her greatest strengths. They have given her the empathy, patience and determination that make her an exceptional educator and mentor, enabling her to connect with students from different backgrounds and reassure them that obstacles can be overcome.

Tell us something about the nominee people would find surprising

Something people might find surprising about Anisa is that I genuinely do not think she realises how many lives she has changed. Despite teaching many students, she remembers their names, ambitions and conversations, often long after a course has finished. She does not see them as just another class; she sees individuals worth investing in.

During my Coding First Girls course, Anisa took time out of her busy day to help me troubleshoot my cybersecurity setup and patiently guide me through technical challenges. After the course, she continued to support my career, sharing advice that helped me secure my first role. When I later contacted her about a scholarship application, she immediately remembered me and was happy to help.

Anisa also has a gift for making cybersecurity accessible. Whether teaching or creating content, she uses everyday examples to explain complex ideas, helping students feel that cybersecurity is something they can understand and belong in. She may not fully appreciate her impact, but her students certainly do.