AnitaB.org Announces Kara Swisher As The First In An Incredible Line Up Of Technical Luminaries And Cultural Icons Speaking At This Year's Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration

BELMONT, Calif., July 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AnitaB.org, the global non-profit focused on intersectional gender and pay parity in tech, today announced Kara Swisher as the first in what promises to be a powerful speaker line-up and programming slate for its highly-anticipated Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration (vGHC) taking place Sept. 27-Oct. 1, 2021.

"Our keynotes and programming at this year's Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration will set the foundation for our theme – '#DareTo,'" said Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President & CEO, AnitaB.org. "For the first reveal in our Voices of vGHC speaker series, we are thrilled to welcome Kara Swisher, who is an icon and well-known thought leader in tech. Over the coming days, we will continue to add to our keynote speaker lineup, which will surely inspire this year's vGHC audience and encourage them to '#DareTo…'"

Kara Swisher is a writer for The New York Times and the host of the podcast "Sway." Throughout her career, Swisher has hosted hundreds of news-making interviews, going head-to-head with prominent figures including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Kim Kardashian, and President Barack Obama. Her early and no-holds-barred coverage of the technology industry earned her a reputation as "Silicon Valley's most feared and well-liked journalist."

In addition to Swisher, over the next several weeks, AnitaB.org will unveil additional thought leaders headlining the Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration. Adding to its dynamic lineup of speakers, AnitaB.org has put together a five-day celebration of programming, learning and networking experiences taking place over the course of Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration, which includes:  

• Featured Sessions: These flagship breakout sessions will present the very best and most popular content for all attendees to enjoy. Attendees will hear presentations by industry leaders and have the opportunity to connect with them via a live chat at the end of the session.
• Anita Borg On-Demand Studio: This community-driven channel will provide access to vGHC content after it airs, along with premium content not available anywhere else.
• 1:1 Meetings: This is an opportunity for attendees to connect and meet with sponsors and hiring managers looking to fill open positions within their organization. Sign-ups open the week of vGHC to connect one-on-one with sponsors.
• Sponsor Hall: This is destination to connect with all the organizations that have come together for vGHC. Attendees can learn more by exploring booths and interacting via chat.
• Live Desk: This is the main stage and live studio throughout vGHC, where keynotes, fireside chats, featured sessions, stories from each day, special segments and more will be featured.
• Posters: These posters are original research results from participants in the tech industry and academia.
• Active Sessions: Active sessions provide attendees with unique and meaningful ways to recharge their day and rejuvenate their mind and body that extend beyond technology.
• Resume Database: Attendees can submit their resume to the Virtual GHC Resume Database 2021, allowing more visibility with sponsors who are looking to recruit talent.
• Open Source Day: An all-day hackathon (including workshops), in which attendees of all skill levels learn about Open Source, while contributing to projects designed to solve real world problems.
• CRA-WP: Specially-programmed sessions for students, faculty and staff. 
• Thursday Closing Celebration: The highly-anticipated vGHC Closing Party that features engaging games and fun for all attendees.
• Membership: Included with every vGHC registration purchased this year, AnitaB.org Premium Membership moves women ahead in their careers with content, connections, and learning.

Hosted and produced by AnitaB.org, the Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration will be an all-digital experience focused on building community, celebrating common goals and elevating the diversity of women in tech. The celebration's goal is to provide support, career development tools, and technical training to empower women to excel in the workforce, while also equipping women in tech with access to potential employers.

In 1994, Anita Borg and Dr. Telle Whitney co-founded the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC), which has grown to become the world's largest annual gathering of women technologists. In 2020, faced with the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, AnitaB.org held its first ever Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration (vGHC), attracting more than 30,000 virtual attendees from over 115 countries around the world with two keynote speakers – Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe. Earlier this year, AnitaB.org also hosted Virtual GHC India and Virtual GHC EMEA.

For more information, and to register to attend Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration, please visit ghc.anitab.org.

About AnitaB.org
At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. We connect, inspire, and guide women technologists, and organizations that view technology innovation as a strategic imperative. For more than 30 years, this community has grown and changed to become the leading organization for women in technology. Today, AnitaB.org works with women technologists in more than 50 countries, and partners with leading academic institutions and Fortune 500 companies. For more information about AnitaB.org, visit anitab.org or find us on LinkedIn at @anitab-org  and on Instagram at @anitab_org.  

Press Contact: 
Glo Lindenmuth
The Sway Effect
[email protected]
908.616.8936

SOURCE AnitaB.org

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