Girls in Tech Wraps Its Signature Annual Conference with Record Attendance

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Girls in Tech, a global non-profit bringing the world together through education and experiences, welcomed women from around the world to its annual signature conference last week where participants gathered to find community, sharpen their skills and learn how to thrive in tech. This year's Girls in Tech Conference was the highest-attended event in the organization's 13-year history with more than 6,000 people registering to attend the event. The conference was sponsored by Amazon, McKesson, Trend Micro, Micro Focus, Marsh, HP, Guidewire, GAP, Comcast, BigMarker, Nutanix, and Porch. 

"COVID-19 challenged us to create a highly interactive and engaging conference in an all-virtual setting. Being virtual meant that we were able to welcome more women than ever before, and from more countries than ever before, to this signature event," said Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO, Girls in Tech. "We delivered one of the most robust and compelling events in our organization's history thanks to our passionate line-up of speakers who are committed to helping women succeed in technology."

"This is a critical time for women in technology, where the gender divide is one of the greatest among any industry. Today, we risk a slide backwards due to the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on women, who may be laid off, overlooked for promotion, denied opportunities, or forced to leave the workplace to handle childcare and household responsibilities," said Sandy Carter, Board Chairwoman, Girls in Tech, and Vice President, Amazon Web Services (AWS). "The work of Girls in Tech through this conference and the organization's year-round programs are needed now more than ever. We cannot afford to back down or we'll lose decades of progress that will impact generations of women to come." 

Key presentation highlights from the Girls in Tech Conference: 

• XPRize CEO Anousheh Ansari on the gender gap: "There is a pervasiv problem in our world in the form of a lack of data on women in all domains. Because of this we live in a world that has been designed and configured for the default male. And AI and Machine Learning are using biased data to create. Without data and information about how women experience the world, we will continue to be unsuccessful when designing interventions aimed at increasing gender equality." 
• Trend Micro CEO Eva Chen on how young executives can find themselves: "You might discover yourself in a very different time, and the way to discover it is to always try to ask other people and look for your own bright side."
• Guidewire Chief Evangelist Laura Drabik on how to break through Silicon Valley's bro culture: "Be courageous and say yes to as much knowledge and experience as you can get. Be bold in execution. Rack up wins and grow into a leader. When, deep down inside you know you're ready, stake your claim to the seat at the winner's table. And, be generous by helping others find their way there too." 

• Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO, Girls in Tech
• Kym McNicholas, Host of The Innovator's Network
• Anousheh Ansari, CEO, XPrize
• Lili Gangas, Chief Technology Officer, Kapor Center
• Lesley Slaton Brown, Chief Diversity Officer, HP
• Kiersten Nash, Strategic Design & Innovation Collective, Public Works Collaborative
• Janelle Gueits, Award-winning Film Director & Chief Co-Creator of Freequency Media
• Poppy Northcutt, Former Engineer, NASA's Apollo Program
• Raquel Tamez, CEO, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
• Sigal Cordeiro, Executive Director of Global Innovation, General Motors
• Candi Castleberry Singleton, VP, Diversity Partnership Strategy Engagement, Twitter
• Eva Chen, CEO, Trend Micro
• Jon Yeo, Founder, Brightstar Consulting and Coaching
• Ed Schofield, Founder and CEO, Python Charmers
• Adam Rosendahl, Chief Experience Officer, LATE NITE ART
• Lauren Vaccarello, Chief Marketing Officer, Talend
• Kim DeCarlis, Chief Marketing Officer, Sales, PerimeterX
• Alyson Welch, Vice President, Sales, Twilio
• Chelsea Blasko, COO, Iron Galaxy Studios
• Laura Drabik, Chief Evangelist, Guidewire Software
• Meerah Rajavel, CIO, Citrix

Other programs helping to advance opportunities for women in STEM from Girls in Tech include a recently-launched Jobs Board, which is onboarding organizations and helping them tailor their candidate searches to meet the immediate and impending need for skilled tech talent. Girls in Tech is also providing women who may have suffered a job loss due to COVID-19 the tools and resources they need to match with organizations for potential employment, including digital career fairs, coding camps, globally-recognized conferences, leadership events, and mentorship and networking programs. 

About Girls in Tech
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. 

Media Contact:
Julie Mathis
[email protected]

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