By amanda klassen on February 2, 2020
Adriana Gascoigne is the founder and CEO of Girls in Tech, a not-for-profit organization that aims to put an end to gender inequality in the technology sector. While Girls in Tech was initially founded in 2007 in San Francisco, it has since grown to include chapters in 33 countries around the world. Through educational events, mentorship, networking, and even venture funding competitions, Girls in Tech empowers women tech entrepreneurs to solidify their ideas, business plans, and networks
Adriana Gascoigne received a BA in Sociology with a concentration on organizational development. Most of her career she has worked in tech companies, such as Indiegogo, Oracle, and Change.org. She has also held executive positions at Ogilvy & Mather and Social Gaming Network. In addition recognition as an influential woman in tech, she has also been named one of the most influential Latinos in technology and 2018 Pioneer Leadership Award winner at the Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit. Her experience as a woman in the tech sector inspired her to launch Girls in Tech, as she often noted that she was often the only woman in the company.
While Adriana has an impressive leadership resume, she is supported by a team and board of directors that represent some of the biggest names in technology such as Amazon and Cisco.
Check out Girls in Tech here: https://girlsintech.org/
I’m drawn to those who successfully cross-over into areas radically different from where they started. Adriana launched an incredible career in tech without a programming/technical background, nor with a focus on Economics or Business, but a degree in general Arts. Non-tech talent is needed as much as tech skills, it appears, in the world of technology. And she’s done it all – climbing to executive leadership to founding a non-for-profit start-up – in order to bridge the gender gap in tech.
Despite her personal success and the success of Girls in Tech, however, even in the Founder’s Parade, I noted she is still one of only a handful of female Founders, and of those, found it a greater challenge to get funding than their male counterparts. Not that the pool of start-up founders or entrepreneurs must be equally divided amongst genders, nor is it to be bitter at the way things still are in the world. But there definitely is room to improve and I admire Adriana for her contribution to bring about this change.
Alice, thank you for sharing Adriana!
You sum out why she is a stellar role-model beautifully. She reminds me of a line from the movie Ratatouille: “Not everyone can become a great [entrepreneur], but a great [entrepreneur] can come from anywhere.”
Adriana G. represents a strong role model for would-be entrepreneur. Through her venture girls in tech she is empowering girls and woman around the world to be become part of of a diverse and inclusive tech workforce the world needs.
I was inspired by this tech organization for women. It was interesting that every perspective and personality is respected. I was also glad to see the Girls in Tech in Korea programs, too.