Mission & Vision
Girls Who Code programs work to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities.
Inspire
In 1984, 37% of all computer science graduates were women, but today that number is just 18%. 20% of AP Computer Science test-takers are female, and 0.4% of high school girls express interest in majoring in Computer Science. What’s going on?
Girls Who Code believes to close the gender gap in technology, we have to inspire girls to pursue computer science by exposing them to real life and on screen role models. We engage engineers, developers, executives, and entrepreneurs to teach and motivate the next generation. Our guest speakers, mentors, and instructors are leaders in their fields, working in positions our girls aspire to attain.
Educate
Our unique pairing of high quality instruction in programming fundamentals, web development and design, mobile development, and robotics with exposure to real-world technology companies is unmatched by any other program.
Girls Who Code programs are providing unparalleled computer science education to girls nationwide — giving them the hard and soft skills needed to become the technologists of tomorrow. We don’t just offer exposure to technology, we train tomorrow’s engineers.
Vision
Our vision is to reach gender parity in computing fields. We believe this is paramount to ensure the economic prosperity of women, families, and communities across the globe, and to equip citizens with the 21st century tools for innovation and social change. We believe that more girls exposed to computer science at a young age will lead to more women working in the technology and engineering fields.
Path to Success
The U.S. Department of Labor projects that by 2020, there will be 1.4 million computer specialist job openings. To reach gender parity by 2020, women must fill half of these positions, or 700,000 computing jobs. Anecdotal data tells us that an average of 30% of those students with exposure to computer science will continue in the field. This means that 4.6M adolescent girls will require some form of exposure to computer science education to realize gender parity in 2020. Girls Who Code has set out to reach 25% of those young women needed to realize gender parity.
Girls Who Code aims to provide computer science education and exposure to 1 million young women by 2020.
Together with leading educators, engineers, and entrepreneurs, Girls Who Code has developed a new model for computer science education, pairing intensive instruction in robotics, web design, and mobile development with high-touch mentorship and exposure led by the industry’s top female engineers and entrepreneurs. Since beginning in 2012, Girls Who Code to date has served over 3,860 girls in 29 states.
Our Founder
Reshma Saujani, Founder & CEO
Reshma Saujani is the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code and the former Deputy Public Advocate of New York City. As Executive Director of the Fund for Public Advocacy, Reshma brought together public and private sectors to encourage entrepreneurship and civic engagement across NYC. Today, she has galvanized industry leaders to close the gender gap in STEM education and empower girls to pursue careers in technology and engineering. In 2010, Reshma became the first South Asian woman to run for Congress, promoting smarter policies to spur innovation and job creation. Advocating for a new model of female leadership focused on risk-taking, competition and mentorship, Reshma is also the author of a new book entitled, Women Who Don't Wait in Line, released in October 2013 by Amazon Publishing. Click here to request Reshma as a speaker.
Our Team
Staff
Angelica Medina
Miami Program Manager
Christina Honeysett
Communications Associate
Clayvi Brown
Senior Clubs Program Manager
Dana Ledyard
Managing Director of Program Development
Dayna Hine
Operations Manager
Deborah Singer
VP of Marketing & Communications
Dejanelle Peterkin
New York City Program Manager
Delana Colvin
Chicago Program Manager
Elizabeth Caudle
East Coast Reginal Director
Emily Reid
Curriculum Director
Emmeline Cardozo
Washington D.C. Program Manager
Feargus Leggett
VP, Finance
Helen Knight
Development Associate
Irwin Horowitz
Solutions Architect
Isabelle Langrock
Office Manager
Jessica Dorsi
Executive Assistant
Josephine Lee
Seattle Program Manager
Karolina Kumiega
Clubs Operations Manager
Lexi Curtice
Bay Area Program Manager
Liz Garcia
Bay Area Program Manager
Loraya Harrington
Clubs Program Manager
Lucy McLoughlin
New York City Program Manager
Madalyn Lee
East Coast Operations Coordinator
Meg Tobin
New York City Program Manager
Natalie Bonifede
Director, Summer Immersion Program
Nora Goldfield
West Coast Operations Coordinator
Salleha Chaudhry
West Coast Regional Director
Sarah Judd
Curriculum Developer
Seng So
Los Angeles Program Manager
Solomon Steplight
COO
Yasmine Laurent
Boston Program Manager
Girls Who Code has engaged a network of experts in technology, education, entrepreneurship and engineering to advise the organization and support its work to empower young women to pursue opportunities in technology and engineering.



