There are many different organizations out there aiming to improve diversity in technology and beyond. I've gathered a few of the resources I'm aware of here so that you can support or learn. If there are more out there you think I should be aware of, please fill out the form at the bottom to get them on my radar. 

 

Make Change

If you're leading a team or company, and you want to take concrete steps towards increasing diversity within your own organization, here's what you can do:

  • Get trained in bias busting - Google has externalized a lot of great resources to equip leaders and teams to run their own unconscious bias trainings. 

  • Check out Project Include - Mostly aimed at startup founders, this great resource talks through practical advice to increase and prioritize diversity within your organization. It's still helpful if you're at a big company, too. 

 

Organizations and Charities for Diversity

  • Anita Borg Institute - Anita Borg puts on the famous Grace Hopper Conference every year and runs many other initiatives to help advocate for women in tech. 

  • Code to Inspire - Code to Inspire teaches women in Afghanistan how to code. So cool. 

  • Code.org - A non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. It's ability to launch grassroots campaigns to improve access to computer science is super inspiring. 

  • Ada Developers Academy - A Seattle based initiative that offers a year-long intensive training program for women transitioning into software development. 

  • Lesbians Who Tech - Lesbians Who Tech is a Community of Queer Women in or around tech (and the people who love them).

 

Resources to learn more or inspire

  • Code: Debugging the Gender Gap - This documentary does a great job of describing why there's a gender gap in the software industry (which really only started to emerge in the 80's). For the men out there, it's a good lens into the world of women in software, and the challenges women face before they even arrive in the software industry. For the women out there, it does a good job of making you feel like you're not alone. :)

  • Parable of the Polygons - A fun, interactive example of how small bias can lead towards unintentionally negative results. 

  • Great Books for Girls - Shameless family plug, but also a really cool resource. Great Books for Girls recommends 600+ female inspiring books for young girls to read. My mom read me "Don't Bet on the Prince" growing up. Having strong female role models in fiction for young girls can be super impactful. 

  • Blind Arduino Project - They’re helping folks with disabilities connect with the Maker movement and technology.

 

Getting started coding

There are lots of resources for getting started coding. I'm still auditing the space and refining my opinions, but some initial suggestions:

  • Identify your end goal - Do you just want to get familiar with coding concepts? Do you want to do web development? Do you want to make mobile applications? Knowing where to start is important when knowing where to go next. Ask yourself this before you even start. 

  • New to coding concepts? I'd recommend starting with some of the tutorials on Code.org (Starting points: For kids, For adults)

  • Pick a goal after introducing yourself to core concepts. Here are some suggested resources depending on your goal:

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