Girls Who Code to Host Second All-Virtual Hiring Summit, Serving Over a Thousand Women Seeking Technical Roles in Computer Science

Following the success of the inaugural Hiring Summit in January, the September 15th event will connect students and young professionals to top companies across a variety of sectors.

New York, NY -- (September 14, 2021) -- Girls Who Code (GWC), an international nonprofit working to close the gender gap in technology, announced its second Hiring Summit – a one-day event designed to connect the Girls Who Code community with internship and job opportunities in the technical workforce, and to connect hiring managers to a diverse slate of candidates for internships and jobs.

“Today, because of the pandemic, there are 4.2 million fewer women in the labor force than a year ago, marking a 30-year low in women’s labor force participation. Our second Hiring Summit is part of Girls Who Code’s response to this crisis, and cements our commitment to supporting our more than 90,000 college-aged alumni, ensuring they maintain career momentum and continue to build their networks,” said Dr. Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code. “We’re proud to partner with companies dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology and make a difference for hundreds of young women who deserve opportunities to work and lead in a thriving industry.”

Over 800 young women and 11 partners attended GWC’s January’s inaugural Hiring Summit, and September’s event will expand to host over 1,000 young women and 28 partners.

“We’re thrilled to be part of Girls Who Code’s second Hiring Summit, and we look forward to connecting with young women seeking jobs in the exciting tech field,” said Katrina Roberts, Senior Vice President for Technology at American Express, the event's keynote partner. “At American Express, we know that with the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. We strive to provide an environment where everyone is seen, heard, and feels like they truly belong. We’re honored to support Girls Who Code in their efforts to close the gender gap in technology by empowering a new generation of young women with the tools and support they need to succeed.”

The Hiring Summit will host women and non-binary technologists who are either currently enrolled in college and are seeking an internship or are recent college graduates seeking an entry-level or early-career job. Participants will have opportunities to:

• Visit the Expo: Hear directly from hiring managers and recruiters about their summer and full-time opportunities, and sit in on a special panel from keynote partner American Express about moving from an intern to a full-time role.

• Network: Be introduced, through facilitated matching based on each young woman’s registration information, to employees from partner companies for quick chats.

• Build Community: Spend time in the Sisterhood Lounge, a breakout space for attendees to hang out and get to know each other, without the pressure of professional networking.

One returning supporter, Wells Fargo, hired 17 young women following GWC’s January summit and created an internal “Community of Support'' program for them, designed to ensure that those Girls Who Code alumni continue to find the sisterhood and community that led them to pursue a career in tech and keep them engaged.

“The Girls Who Code Hiring Summit opened up exciting opportunities to me,” said Rebecca Horowitz, Engineering Analyst at Wells Fargo. “It allowed me to build long-lasting connections with other young women aspiring to be developers and gave me the unique opportunity to network with companies that I look up to. The event led to interviews which were followed by job offers and helped me get to where I am today. The speakers were inspiring and made me feel proud to be a part of Girls Who Code.”

Companies participating in the Girls Who Code Hiring Summit include: American Express, Accenture, Aristocrat Technologies, KPMG, Aflac, Ally Financial, Arcadia, Arcesium, Arrowstreet Capital, LP, athenahealth, Bank of America, Cadence, Chicago Trading Company, DeepMind, Entain, GDIT, L'Oréal, Raytheon Technologies, ResMed, The TJX Companies, Inc., TransPerfect, Varis, ViacomCBS, Walmart, The Walt Disney Company, Wellington Management, Wells Fargo, and Xandr.

About Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology, and leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st century opportunities.

Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 450,000 girls through our in-person programming and we have nearly 90,000 college-aged alumni. We have sparked culture change through marketing campaigns and advocacy efforts, generating 13 Billion engagements globally. In 2018, the organization was named the #1 Most Innovative Non-Profit on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list.

Follow the organization on social media @GirlsWhoCode.