Women Who Code Celebrates Fifth Anniversary as a Nonprofit
Written by WWC Team
The World’s Largest and Most Active Community Dedicated to Inspiring Women to Excel in Tech has been Pursuing its Mission for Five Years
Women Who Code is a dream. It is the dream of community, a global network of women from countries around the world, united in a single goal: to inspire women in tech to excel in their careers. As technology becomes more prevalent, and every industry becomes a tech industry, this is a mission that is more important than ever, both for the individuals affected and for the future of innovation itself.
Today, Women Who Code celebrates our fifth anniversary. Five years ago today, a small meetup group for women engineers local to the SF area was officially transformed into an incorporated 501C3 nonprofit that would go on to expand to 60 cities, 20 countries, and which today has connected over 167,000 members. Since then we have hosted more than 9,000 free technical events, and have given away $2.5 million in scholarships and conference tickets.
But it’s about more than just numbers. The real impact of WWCode is on the lives and careers of our members. And here, are some of their stories.
“Women Who Code has ultimately shaped my career. I started out as a Software Engineer, and I am now the UK Technology Respect and Inclusion Manager for Deloitte. That’s a huge role and it sees me working with a lot of other leaders in the firm to create a more diverse and ultimately inclusive environment. And I’ve only been able to get the confidence and the leadership to do that kind of role through the leadership I’ve provided at Women Who Code for over 5 years.”
Sheree Atcheson, Board-Appointed Global Ambassador at Women Who Code
“WWCode Portland has pushed me in directions I never would have believed, and the stuff that I’m doing now I never would have believed I’d be doing it. They have made me seek new horizons, and pushed me in directions and made me come out of my shell a whole lot more than I ever thought I would.”
– Miki Demeter, WWCode Portland Evangelist
“Getting to this point in my career was a wild ride, and Women Who Code was with me every step of the way. I remember when I was a junior – actually, LESS than a junior, when I knew little more than a handful of HTML tags and some (terribly written) CSS. I came to Women Who Code meetups in my area and found a community that was inclusive and welcome to all. I went to a lot of Meetups when I was trying to break into the field, but none quite like Women Who Code. I networked with some amazing women and made friends and connections that are still with me to this day.”
“It’s been four years since my “baby dev” days, and I’m now a lead engineer at a company in Dallas. I’m also a Director for WWCode North Dallas, a position I am honored to hold. With my partner Lu Reed, I have increased North Dallas engagement and created a thriving community in my neighborhood, drawing in women of every kind, of every experience level, from every background imaginable, all unified by our love for engineering and helping other women.”
“My career simply would not look like it does today if it had not been for Women Who Code. It continues to open doors for me, and I intend to pay it forward by helping other women through our events and initiatives.”
– WWCode Dallas Director, Caree Youngman
“I am so glad that I found WWCode! I was able to get a fantastic job as a Front End Developer for CGI – an international IT outsourcing company because of the Full Stack nanondegree that WWCode offered me. WWCode has had such a fantastic impact on my enthusiasm, skills, and confidence.”
– Anne-Marie, WWCode London member
“Being a part of WWCode community helped me to find a mentor, and improve my technical skills, as well as social ones. And eventually, I got a job as a data scientist thanks to the reference of my mentor who is also one of WWCode Kyiv’s leaders.”
– Marianna, WWCode Kyiv member
Women Who Code is celebrating five years today, but there is so much more work to do. Together, we can ensure that women continue to be and become leaders in the industry, highlighting your success, supporting your careers, and transforming that face of tech, making it a more inclusive, diverse, and ultimately successful industry for everyone.
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