Reshma Saujani

Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code in 2012 to close the gender gap in technology. The organization has taught computing skills to 580,000+ girls across all 50 U.S. states, and its alumni are entering the tech workforce at a time when the industry desperately needs diversity. Girls Who Code has become the largest pipeline of future female engineers in the country.

Saujani's path to tech education came through politics. She was the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress (in 2010, she lost). During her campaign, she visited schools and was struck by the complete absence of girls in computer science classes. She pivoted from politics to education and built Girls Who Code into a nationally recognized brand with corporate partnerships across the Fortune 500.

Her TED talk 'Teach Girls Bravery, Not Perfection' has been viewed millions of times and articulates her philosophy: the socialization of girls toward perfection (rather than risk-taking) is the primary barrier to women entering technology. Girls Who Code's summer immersion programs, clubs, and college-loop programs have created a generation of young women who see coding as accessible, not intimidating.