Women Who Code’s Post

I came across this post because Vanessa Vallely OBE CCMI shared it and I was shocked. They closed down?! I would cry if this happened to GTA Black Women In Tech but this is what you can do today, even in the chaos of layoffs & recession, as a company or an individual to ensure this doesn't happen to us. As a Company: 1 - Invest Resources: Allocate funds towards supporting organisations like GTA Black Women In Tech to foster diversity and innovation in the tech industry. Form Partnerships: Establish formal partnerships with GTA Black Women In Tech to provide sustained support and drive meaningful change. 2 - Encourage Participation: Actively encourage employees to engage with GTA Black Women In Tech through volunteering and mentorship programs to foster a culture of inclusivity. 3 - Offer Support: Provide in-kind support such as meeting space or technical resources to help GTA Black Women In Tech overcome operational challenges. 4 - Develop Leaders: Invest in leadership development for underrepresented employees and encourage their involvement with GTA Black Women In Tech to build a diverse talent pipeline. As an Individual: 1 - Take Action: Get involved with GTA Black Women In Tech through volunteering or mentoring to drive positive change in the tech industry. 2 - Leverage Skills: Utilise your expertise to support GTA Black Women In Tech and empower black women in tech. 3 - Network and Collaborate: Build relationships and collaborate with like-minded individuals to amplify the impact of initiatives supporting GTA Black Women In Tech. 4 - Advocate: Use your voice to advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry and support organisations like GTA Black Women In Tech. Lead by Example: Set an example by actively supporting GTA Black Women In Tech and championing diversity and inclusion efforts within your network and workplace. We all have a power.

Many of us woke up today to the heavy news of Women Who Code shuttering. Honestly, I am still in shock. I attended my first event with Women Who Code back in Austin, Texas, and was inspired to see so many women technologists and entrepreneurs collaborating to build their own futures. When I came to Tokyo in 2018, I didn't come with a job, a partner, or much security. I lived in a dirty sharehouse in Dogenzaka and within 6 weeks of hustle, I had five job offers. Picked the seed-stage startup with 2 people because it would be a bigger adventure. Women Who Code Tokyo became a place I could go to network and upskill. Awesome leaders like Lena Morita Ainaa Sakinah Azman Tuane Quintella Anna Nakayama Jeanett Ødegård T. created a warm, vibrant community. Tech isn't always friendly to women. From pay gaps, to sexist slurs, to assumptions that we aren't mathematically minded... girl, it's rough out there. During a rocky period in 2020, I began volunteering more seriously with Women Who Code, and eventually became Lead, Director, and finally Senior Director in fall 2023. During this time I helped facilitate events for women to practice public speaking, learn about salary negotiation, and created training tools like my Creative Coding curriculum: https://lnkd.in/gNNBfAvj I spoke at CONNECT conferences on job hunting, surviving layoffs, creative coding, and AWS Cloud architecture. It was a place I could not only learn, but lift up others around me. Communities like Women Who Code not only create safer environments, they facilitate up-skilling and career development. A community of 343,000 women, all cheering each other on and growing together. The vision of women thriving in technology careers is too big to stop. Technology shapes so much of our world, and the outcomes upon women are often unique. (Consider the effects of AI bias and deepfakes.) Women *belong* in tech and bring important perspective to teams. I'm working with our team to consider next steps for Tokyo and Japan. We are not finished here. You're not alone ❤️ #womenWhoCode #nextSteps #cantStopUs #womenInTech

The news that Women Who Code are closing is utterly heartbreaking, but I know exactly how they must been feeling, given the number of times that Ada Lovelace Day has been teetering on the edge of closure. And I know, and have said before, that ALD is not the only organisation for women in STEM that's been struggling for funding – it's a widespread problem, even though many organisations keep quiet about it for fear of looking like the weak gazelle at the back of the herd. DEI is being defunded. That's clear from various reports as well as the conversations I've been having with organisers, but that's not the only problem. I'm also seeing (and feeling) signs of burn-out amongst organisers, a loss of engagement from our communities, long-standing problems with social media algorithms deprioritising our posts and making it harder to reach our audiences, a loss of interest from the mainstream media around covering and/or taking part in initiatives like Ada Lovelace Day, and a sputtering out of conversations with business and peers alike. Can it really be true that a movement that seeks to empower 51% of our population, that tries to encourage desperately-needed talent into tech and engineering, is just... no longer fashionable? Or when it comes to cuts in DEI, CSR, and marketing spending, are all causes suffering equally? Are businesses just pulling in all the horns, despite the fact that the levels of funding needed, certainly for ALD, are relatively tiny? (For the record, I need another £30k for this year, which for many tech companies isn't even a rounding error.) But more importantly, where do we go from here? How can I keep Ada Lovelace Day going? I still believe it's desperately needed, but what can I do if sponsorship isn't going to keep the lights on? And what can we do to keep other women in STEM organisations going? We still need more women in STEM. Businesses need us. The economy needs us. The climate needs us. How do we get through this funding crisis?

A sharp pullback in funding is killing non-profits focused on advancing DEI in technology. And we’re already paying for it. It leaves me wondering what has changed so drastically that corporations no longer see these expenditures for what they are - a necessary investment in the technology industry's future. Organizations like Women Who Code and PDX Women in Tech (PDXWIT) connect underrepresented groups to the resources they need to start or grow a career in technology. Without them, we limit the options available to the next generation of technology leaders and innovators. Support for community organizations may seem like a logical place to make cuts, but we do so at our peril. Like layoffs, this intervention sacrifices the industry's long-term health for dubious short-term benefits. This trend is worrying. We can and need to do better.

This is unnecessary and sad in 2024. Women Who Code are having to close their doors. And here's why this is devastating news. The world needs women, femmes and thems of all kinds, their diverse perspectives at the helm of tech as a critical force that shapes our world every day! It was a genuine community for technologists that have delivered more than 20 thousand community-led events for creators, coders, engineers, data scientists - anyone navigating the industry. The closure is mainly due to funding challenges for vital function. This just increases the spotlight on the fact that even though it's 2024, investment in women led and focussed organisations, initiatives aimed at bringing more women into the industry, is just not a priority. If you want to help make change for women and non binary people all over the world - I urge you to pay any support you have received forwards regardless of your gender. #InvestInWomen #womenintech #diversityintech #mumsintech #UNWomen #payitforwards

Today, I reflect deeply as I share this announcement from Women Who Code. It's a moment of profound sadness and also a call to all of us in the tech industry to recommit to supporting and uplifting the diverse voices that make our field truly innovative. When I closed my nonprofit, The Difference Engine, in 2021, it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. It was not just an organization; it was a dream of making the tech space more inclusive and supportive. Like Women Who Code, we were driven by a mission to empower those traditionally left out of tech conversations, especially women. This news from Women Who Code strikes a chord. They've done incredible work fostering a community where technologists can thrive, sharing knowledge and breaking barriers. Their decision to close reminds us all of the harsh realities even the most passionate teams face—funding constraints and the immense challenges of sustaining such vital programs. It's why I pivoted to focus on direct mentorship and career coaching, klowewilliams.com specifically targeting women and allies in tech. My goal is to be that voice in the room, to champion more women into leadership levels, and to provide the support and guidance I know can make a difference. We must carry forward the torch that organizations like Women Who Code have held high. If you've ever benefited from a community like this, or if you believe in a tech industry enriched by diverse perspectives, join me. Let's ensure the legacy of such impactful work is not lost but instead becomes the foundation for even greater achievements. To all my fellow tech professionals, let's not let this be an end but a new beginning. Reach out, mentor, support, and drive change. Our industry is at its best when it is diverse and inclusive. Thank you, Women Who Code, for more than a decade of inspiration and leadership. Here’s to continuing the work in all the ways we can. 🌟 #WomenInTech #DiversityInTech #TechLeadership #Mentorship #CareerDevelopment

We've only been building in tech for about a year, so I have limited datapoints to make any conclusions but I am going to share what I have seen so far. Out of ~3600 applicants for our 8 posted engineering roles since the beginning, only 242 have been women, with our recent job post attracting less than 5% female applicants out of 1200. This is troubling on a lot of fronts. To compound this issue, a key org, Women Who Code that was fighting the good fight to promote programming among women is shutting down. Their departure is a huge blow to this cause. At Finofo, we want to build with women. I want to ask other builders in tech what they are seeing - is this a larger issue?

It is SO difficult for non-profits in the current economic environment. Women Who Code's closure is a huge blow towards trying to make tech, and indeed accessing skills and jobs within it, a more diverse and inclusive space By their nature, charities are always going to ask for donations. Between the cost of living crisis, inflation and instability across the world, a lot of non-profits really mean it when they say they need your financial help, now. If you want to support causes close to your heart, the time is now! #nonprofit #diversityandinclusion #womenwhocode

It's disheartening to hear about the closure of an awesome company dedicated to supporting women in the tech industry. This news highlights the ongoing challenges that women face in this field, from underrepresentation to systemic barriers. It's crucial that we continue to advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech, not just as a matter of social justice, but also because diverse teams drive *innovation* and *creativity*. While the closure of Women Who Code is undoubtedly a setback, it shouldn't deter us from our collective efforts to create a more inclusive tech community. We need to support existing initiatives, foster mentorship opportunities, and advocate for policies that promote gender equality in the industry. So here's to continuing to BE Women Who Code!! Our work is not done!

The most important thing I learned from working with Women Who Code after almost a decade is this: we are the ones who build and maintain community -- not external organizations. We don't need permission to build our own communities, to build ways to engage with each other, we can just DO IT ourselves! One of the things I loved about the WWC model for many years is that it was a very loose, non-hierarchical organizational structure: everyone had their own interest or event and managed that, and if a problem arose, we came together to solve it. This gave everyone the chance to get involved at a level that worked for them, and to invest in or take out as much as they needed. I started working with WWC in 2015 when I was post-bootcamp, anxiously looking for my first tech job, and desperate for community. The past 9 years have been an incredible series of lessons and gifts about how powerful community can be for so many reasons, and how that community can exist as a part of, or in spite of, external forces. I'm ever grateful for the chance to learn and grow with this community, but even more excited to see what my fellow organizers and I can continue to bring to the Austin community moving forward. Any Austin folks who'd like to chat about joining our events, community Slack (sign up here: https://rb.gy/4hncqk) or sponsoring events feel free to reach out to me directly and I'm happy to figure out how to accommodate, and moving forward will be hopefully posting more about Austin-area events. If any WWC alums are interested in continuing to discuss community organizing someone set up a new group, WWC Organizer Alumni, and we can see you there. Happy organizing!