Female Founders, Women in Tech, and organizations such as Women Who Code have shown one thing in common:

Women are having their renaissance moment in the economy.

On International Women’s Day 2020, gender equality numbers have increased from less than 10% a decade ago to almost 30% of companies today with active Board Members and half with Female Executives¹.

We still have a long way to go for gender equality at work.

In the startup industry, the female/male gap is almost 68%.

Almost 46% of start-ups have no women in their C-Suite.

Despite Diversity and Inclusion programs aimed to bridge the gap of the genders in leadership roles, gender bias still exists in the workplace².

Why are women still under-represented in tech and Silicon Valley?

Let’s focus on companies in San Francisco and New York where women are taking charge.

On International Women’s Day:

-We can applaud Elizabeth Warren who fought gender bias against Bernie Sanders

-We can honor Greta Thunberg for taking a stance on Climate Change against Donald Trump in a big way: as Time’s Person of the Year 2019.

-We can celebrate US Soccer’s Megan Rapinoe for achieving equal pay against FIFA.

-Let’s illustrate why now is the perfect time to fix the Gender Gap.

Women In Tech: A Gender Gap

Tech hiring in silicon valley represents some of the worst diversity for female tech engineers³.

One often assumes that Women leave tech careers to raise a family or achieve work-life balance⁴— but this is a hazardous and misplaced lie from the old-school boys club.

Women have as much if not greater a drive to succeed in startups and Big companies.

Even if James Damore thinks he is correct about Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber⁵, his remarks were sexist and without regard of equality of the genders.

Businesses must engage men for support with gender equality⁶.

Women in Tech Lead a Global Movement

Three decades ago, very few women worked in tech⁷ given cultural norms and gender inequality factors that held back female leadership in the corporate ladder.

In 2020, women are leading technical fields such as data science⁸, software engineering, and medicine.

Women make the difference.

Here are organizations disrupting a male-driven economy with Women First organizations.

1. Elpha

founded 2019

Elpha enables a community where women in tech talk candidly online. Topics range from startups and venture capital to career growth and professional development.

Elpha¹¹ graduated from YCombinator. Founder Cadran Cowansage developed Elpha from her experience as a software engineer in the male-dominated tech industry.

2. The Wing

founded 2016

Revolution by interaction. The Wing¹² inspires women in tech as a women-focused, co-working space collective and club with offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and London.

The Wing is a community that fosters connections of all kinds: friendship, support circles, professional mentoring, networking, and bonding over shared experience. These connections impart knowledge among members and influence them to think positively.

3. SheWorx

founded in 2015, acquired by Republic

Education matters. SheWorx¹³ focuses on business growth and funding as an events-driven series. Women can learn about opportunities in tech through mentorship, roundtables, and fireside conversations. Topics include presentation design, pitch workshops, and connections with industry investors.

4. Chief

founded in 2019

Centered on its membership services for Core Group, Salon Series, and Connection, Chief enables women to attend member-only clubhouses in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Seen as a Soho House alternative, and similar to many of the old-school boys clubs, Chief¹⁴ was founded to drive women forward into positions of power — and keep them there.

5. Women Who Code

founded in 2011

Women Who Code¹⁵ leads Women In Tech initiatives globally with resources on coding, leadership, jobs, and professional recognition.

6. AnitaB.org

founded in 1997

Women Transform Technology. AnitaB¹⁶ leads the world’s largest gathering of women in computing, the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference.

Between their Women In Tech Show, the Abie Award Podcast, and their Male Ally Summit Events, AnitaB continues to connect, inspire and guide women in computing and organizations that view technology innovation as a strategic imperative.

More women must enter the tech economy⁹. Equal gender representation is possible.

From funding to network effects and industry expertise, women in tech are defying odds of a mostly male-centered culture¹⁰.

From Elpha and The Wing to SheWorx and Chief to Women Who Code and AnitaB, women have unlimited potential in 2020 as we celebrate International Women’s Day.

Works Cited

¹Women on Boards, ²Gender Bias in Workplace, ³Talent Gap for Hiring, ⁴Women Leave Tech Careers, ⁵James Damore Sues Google, ⁶Men Support for Gender Equality, ⁷Future of Diversity, ⁸Women in Data Science, ⁹Dangers of Lack of Women in Tech, ¹⁰Women Defy Odds

Companies Cited

¹¹Elpha, ¹²The Wing, ¹³SheWorx, ¹⁴Chief, ¹⁵Women Who Code, ¹⁶AnitaB