Girls in Tech to celebrate 15 years of success in narrowing the gender gap

Girls in Tech, a global nonprofit working to erase the gender gap in tech, is celebrating its 15th anniversary at its annual conference on September 7, 2022, in Nashville. The forum is for executives from across the globe to gather and discuss industry trends, trade tricks, setbacks, triumphs, and life experiences uniquely tailored to women in technology.

Founded in 2007 by CEO Adriana Gascoigne, Girls in Tech has grown into a global leader in the gender equality movement with 100,000+ women and allies in 56 cities, 42 countries, and six continents. Among the organization’s most prominent achievements:

1. 15,000+ entrepreneurs funded, mentored, and supported through the Startup Challenge, the organization’s signature entrepreneurship pitch competition;
2. 100,000+ participants in the Girls in Tech Hackathon series, solving local and global problems;
3. 35,000+ participants in coding, design, and startup boot camps;
4. The recently launched “Next Generation of Public Sector and Service Leaders,” a program to provide education and raise awareness of career opportunities in federal, state, and local governments.

The pandemic has disproportionately impacted women in the workplace, and many hard-fought gains in gender equality from the last 15 years are under threat. According to last year’s Girls in Tech study “The Tech Workplace for Women in the Pandemic,” 79% of women who have children in the household report feeling burned out, and more than one in four women report being sexually harassed at workplaces. The situation is even worse around the globe, with the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report finding that the pandemic has set women back so significantly that the gender gap isn’t likely to be closed for more than 135 years.

The Girls in Tech community starts a new chapter this September 7 at its annual conference, featuring a dynamic selection of speakers with inspiring stories and practical insights to share. Keynote speakers include:

1. Jill Anderson, Principal, Technology Software Infrastructure at Edward Jones
2. Alvina Antar, Chief Information Officer at Okta
3. Debika Bhattacharya, Senior Vice President, 5G & Enterprise Solutions at Verizon
4. Latrise Brissett, Managing Director, Global IT, Business Operations at Accenture
5. Ruth Davis, Director of Call for Code, Worldwide Ecosystems at IBM
6. Wendy Harrington, Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer at TIAA
7. Maria Lensing, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer of Infrastructure Engineering & Operations at McKesson
8. Louise McEvoy, Vice President, US Channel Sales at Trend Micro
9. Heather Mickman, Chief Information Officer at Gap Inc.

“It’s amazing to look back on the progress we’ve made in 15 years and the 100,000+ women and allies who are united for change. But the fight to end the gender gap in tech and beyond isn’t going to get any easier,” said Adriana Gascoigne, Founder & CEO of Girls in Tech.

“This year’s Girls in Tech Conference will feature some of the boldest and most successful women in technology delivering their unique visions for the road ahead.”

The Girls in Tech Conference is sponsored by AWS, Banyan Labs, CDW, Comcast, Gap Inc, Guideware, Infoblox, Marsh, McKesson, McKinsey & Company, Nike, Okta, Pega, Trend Micro, Unstoppable Domains, and Verizon.

WRITTEN BY

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