While women make up 47% of all employed adults in the US, as of 2022, they hold only 28% of computing and mathematical roles. (Women in Tech Network).

The percentage of women in tech leadership roles has fallen to 28% in 2023 (Women in Tech Network).

In 2019, Accenture/Girls Who Code reported that by age 35, 50% of females are leaving tech due to non-inclusive cultures.

Thirty-two (32%) percent of women in technical and engineering roles are often the only women in the room at work (Zippia).

Girls have fewer role models to inspire their interest in these fields, seeing limited examples of female scientists and engineers in books, media, and popular culture. There are even fewer Black women role models in math and science (American Association for University Women).

Black and Hispanic women account for 3% and 2% of the computing workforce. Black, Latina and Native American women (BLNA) representation in the tech workforce has declined by 10% from 2018 – 2022. (Reboot Representation)

But won’t the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) create new jobs for women?

Unfortunately, even with the significant growth in tech and the current zeitgeist of artificial intelligence (AI), we continue to witness a lack of representation from women. A 2020 LinkedIn report found that “AI Specialist” is the top emerging job in the United States, with hiring growth for the role increasing 74 percent annually over the past four years. While the demand for AI talent is experiencing growth at exponential rates, a 2020 World Economic Forum report revealed that women make up only 26 percent of data and AI positions in the workforce.

“When you see us, you can be Us!”

Girls K-12 need female role models to inspire them to keep going. With the launch of the Indiana Girls IN STEM Academy in 2024, we have the unique and awesome opportunity to empower girls pursuing STEM education to achieve academic success in a culture of excitement, inclusion, and community collaboration. College-aged women, female career-pivoters and underrepresented women need to look up and see leaders who look like them and have mentors to inspire their tech aspirations.

Throughout our lives, many women have received messaging that we need to work hard and keep our heads down to get ahead. In many ways, what was viewed as sage advice by parents and mentors, has resulted in us being invisible to each other and the tech industry.

With Women IN Tech Week, we will have a chance to recognize women, and invite the rest of the US see that women in the state of Indiana are valued contributors to the tech economy. This not only helps us as a state encourage more women and girls to pursue careers in tech and perhaps slow the flight of tech talent out of our state, but also showcases to ventures and large companies outside the state that we can provide representative talent pipelines to meet and exceed their tech strategies and their bottom lines. This is the WHY for this recognition of women in tech and an Indiana Women in Tech week.

We must disrupt the trend now. Through organized and strategic initiatives, we must employ multiple tactics to increase the number of girls and women pursuing tech education, attract and retain more women in tech, increase female leadership in tech and ensure, with the emergence of AI, we do not take steps backwards in a representative workforce. A Women in Tech Week, standing alone, is NOT going to solve the gap or address the issues of inclusivity. However, a week celebrating and recognizing women working in tech careers and female students pursuing tech education will invite discussion on how we create a more representative tech workforce, how we tackle challenges of inclusivity in the workplace, and how we amplify those women in the state of Indiana who are contributing to the tech economy!

A favorite mantra of mine is “When you see us, you can be Us!” Girls K-12 need female role models to inspire them to keep going. With the launch of the Indiana Girls IN STEM Academy in 2024, we have the unique and awesome opportunity to empower girls pursuing STEM education to achieve academic success in a culture of excitement, inclusion, and community collaboration. College-aged women, female career-pivoters and underrepresented women need to look up and see leaders who look like them and have mentors to inspire their tech aspirations. Throughout our lives, many women have received messaging that we need to work hard and keep our heads down to get ahead. In many ways, what was viewed as sage advice by parents and mentors, has resulted in us being invisible to each other and the tech industry.

Why we need Women in Tech Week for State of Indiana

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032. About 377,500 openings are projected each year, on average, in these occupations due to employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupations permanently.

In 2022, statista.com reported that the US tech sector contributed nearly two trillion U.S. dollars to the country's overall gross domestic product (GDP), making up approximately 9.3 percent of total GDP. Additionally, according to COMPTIA, the leading IT certification provider in the US, despite the layoffs in the tech sector, 272,000 jobs were added to the tech sector in 2023. All of this to say, money, jobs and opportunity in tech flourish! There’s room for everyone to participate in the tech economy, BUT...

Meet the Creators of Women IN Tech Week

Linda Calvin

Along with founding Indiana Women IN Tech Week, Linda Calvin serves as the Chief Impact Officer for Reboot Representation. In her role, she collaborates with Reboot Tech Coalition partners to establish and nurture cultures that foster the retention, attraction, and advancement of Black, Latina, and Native American (BLNA) women in the tech industry. Linda is also the President of Transcend Consulting LLC. With over three decades of experience in the private IT Sector, Linda has led global teams to implement digital and mobile applications strategies, and data privacy and social media policies.

Linda is also an attorney, licensed to practice law in the Northern and Southern Districts in the state of Indiana. Learn more about Linda at https://www.transcendent-talks.com/about.

Kara Kavensky

Kara is a corporate communications and storytelling expert, and an award-winning writer who has authored thousands of human interest stories for a variety of publications. She has worked with hundreds of companies and helped raise millions of investment dollars. Later this year, Kara is releasing REMAIN RELEVANT, a corporate storytelling masterclass in which she shares all of her trade secrets.

Kara is also an author. Her first memoir, FINDING JOY, is based on an interview with a WWII Veteran who changed the trajectory of her life. Release date to be announced soon.