Girls in Tech Celebrates 15 Years of Success in Narrowing the Gender Gap

• 100,000+ members in 40+ countries mark great strides since 2007, and the immense challenges that lay ahead in the fight to end the gender gap
• Girls in Tech to mark the milestone at its annual conference on September 7th with keynote speeches from senior executives at Accenture, Edward Jones, Gap, IBM, McKesson, Okta, TIAA, Trend Micro, and Verizon

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 7th in Nashville – a forum for executives from across the globe to gather and discuss industry trends, tricks of the trade, 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 6 continents. Among the organization's biggest achievements:

• 15,000+ entrepreneurs funded, mentored and supported through the Startup Challenge, the organization's signature entrepreneurship pitch competition;
• 100,000+ participants in the Girls in Tech Hackathon series, solving local and global problems;
• 35,000+ participants in coding, design and startup bootcamps;
• 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 of the 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 in the workplace. 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 7th at its annual conference, featuring a dynamic selection of speakers with inspiring stories and practical insights to share. Keynote speakers include:

• Jill Anderson, Principal, Technology Software Infrastructure at Edward Jones
• Alvina Antar, Chief Information Officer at Okta
• Debika Bhattacharya, Senior Vice President, 5G & Enterprise Solutions at Verizon
• Latrise Brissett, Managing Director, Global IT, Business Operations at Accenture
• Ruth Davis, Director of Call for Code, Worldwide Ecosystems at IBM
• Wendy Harrington, Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer at TIAA
• Maria Lensing, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer of Infrastructure Engineering & Operations at McKesson
• Louise McEvoy, Vice President, US Channel Sales at Trend Micro
• 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 and CEO, Girls in Tech. "This year's Girls in Tech Conference is going to 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.

A full agenda for the Girls in Tech Conference can be found here.

Girls in Tech is a global non-profit that works to erase the gender gap in tech. Today, every industry is a tech industry, with a need for people of all skills and backgrounds. We offer education and experiences to help people discover their unique superpower and hone it. We aim to see every person accepted, confident, and valued in tech—just as they are.

For more information, visit www.GirlsInTech.org or follow on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact
Brad Chase
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SOURCE Girls in Tech