If you work in the tech industry today, you are probably familiar with disruption. Part of what I do in my role at Guidewire involves keeping my finger on the pulse of insurance industry disruption to coach insurers on ways to innovate their business and achieve a competitive advantage. Now, it’s no secret that tech has been a male-dominated industry that, although considered disruptive, still has a ways to go when it comes to women. That’s why it’s important to me to align with organizations who support the healthy disruption of empowering women to be successful in their passions and careers.
One such organization is Girls in Tech, founded in 2007 by Adriana Gascoigne. Girls in Tech is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the gender gap in tech. Girls in Tech started with an idea: There is a strong, smart, and outspoken girl within all of us. And the organization exists to make sure that all women are heard, because when every voice, every perspective, and every personality is honored and respected, we do better work and live richer lives.
I am honored to join Girls in Tech’s Board of Directors to raise awareness about inclusivity and to help put an end to gender inequality in high-tech industries and startups. Not only do Girls in Tech’s goals align closely to my own ideals and work, but to Guidewire’s as well. Guidewire is dedicated to inclusion and is proud to collaborate with Girls in Tech to help nurture the female leaders of tomorrow.
On September 9, 2020, Guidewire will be participating in the Girls in Tech Conference, a one-day virtual event where participants gather to find community, sharpen their skills, and learn how to thrive in tech. I am excited to be presenting a session, “Confidence at Her Core – Achieving Success in Silicon Valley and Beyond,” touching on my own personal experiences in life and at work. I am looking forward to the discussions that will take place, as well as connecting with and being inspired by like-minded women who are a force to be reckoned with. I hope you, too, will join me!