Women In Computing

I once hired someone who cried in an interview. And I almost didn’t. I was building a new team in a high-pressure role, and I needed a right hand—someone who could keep the trains running, connect the dots across my creative team, and handle all the details I’m, well… not great at. Enter the candidate: Sharp. Experienced. A long tenure in two key roles. But during the interview—with two of my trusted colleagues, a VP and a member of the C-suite—she was asked a question that caught her off guard: “When was the last time you were honored?” And she cried. When they told me afterward, I’m a little ashamed to admit—my first reaction wasn’t compassion. It was judgment. I wondered if she was trying to manipulate the conversation. If she’d be “too emotional” for the demands of the role. If I was being too soft. What I didn’t see in that moment was her strength. I didn’t see the single mom going through a brutal divorce, worried about supporting three children, and feeling unsure of her place in a corporate world that often expects toughness over truth. Thankfully, I didn’t let that moment define her. I looked deeper. What I found wasn’t fragility—it was strength. What she lacked wasn’t skill—it was confidence. And that became our focus. When given responsibility, she owned it. She connected teams. Solved problems. Brought calm to chaos.  She didn’t rise because I carried her.
She soared because someone didn’t penalize her for being real. So no—I’m not saying hire every person who cries in an interview.
But I am saying this: Leaders—do better.
We say we want authenticity, but flinch when it shows up in ways that make us uncomfortable.
We say we want resilience, then miss it when it looks like quiet courage instead of loud confidence. Vulnerability is not a liability.
It’s a signal of someone who feels—and people who feel deeply often lead, serve, and show up in ways that transform teams. Don’t miss someone extraordinary because they let you see who they really are.
 Sometimes, the bravest thing a person can do… is be human in front of you. And your job?
Is to recognize that kind of strength—and hire it.

You’re getting stalked. Harassed. Doxxed. The social media platform says: “This doesn’t violate our policies.” Tracy Chou heard that one too many times—so she stopped reporting and started building. Tracy was a Stanford-trained software engineer. A second hire at Quora. A founding engineer at Pinterest, shipping everything from infrastructure to growth. Quietly brilliant. Head down. Crushing code. Then, in 2013, she published one blog post asking a simple question: “Where are the numbers?”—a challenge to tech companies to reveal how few women were in engineering roles. It went viral. Tracy went from backend engineer to accidental face of diversity in tech. But visibility came at a cost. Trolls. Stalkers. 10,000 password reset requests. Conspiracy theorists claiming she was married to James Comey. Real-life threats. Real-life fear. She reported it. Platforms shrugged. So she did what Silicon Valley loves to preach but rarely practices: she built the product she needed. Block Party was born in 2018—not as a startup idea, but as self-defense.   What started as a Twitter anti-harassment filter has grown into a powerful browser extension used across 9+ platforms. It deep cleans your social media, locks down privacy settings, and gives users back control of their data. Because Tracy knows: what starts online rarely stays there. Venmo. Strava. Instagram. We’re bleeding personal information by default. And for women, activists, and marginalized communities—that can be life-threatening. So Block Party does the hard part: scans your accounts, flags your risks, and helps you wipe your data trail before someone weaponizes it. And she’s not stopping there. She’s advocating for legislation that would force platforms to open their APIs. Why? So third-party tools like Block Party can exist without permission. She wants a future where people can build their own feeds, filters, and safety nets—not beg corporations to care. In Tracy’s world, privacy isn’t a product feature—it’s a fundamental right. Stanford Terman Scholar. TIME Woman of the Year. Forbes 30 Under 30. Co-founder of Project Include. She’s graced the covers of WIRED, The Atlantic, and MIT Tech Review. And yet, had you heard her name before today? In 2025, I’m sharing 365 stories of women entrepreneurs in 365 days—because the women reshaping tech, safety, and society deserve to be celebrated every day. 💡Follow Justine J. for more #femalefounder spotlights.

Proud to share that Saudi Arabia ranked #1 for female inclusion in AI. According to Stanford University's AI Index Report 2025, Saudi Arabia now ranks… → 3rd in global AI job growth → 4th in the number of top AI models → And 1st in the world for female inclusion in AI That last one stopped me. While most countries are still talking about women in AI, Saudi has already built the pipeline, and the talent is showing up. Here’s what’s behind this unexpected lead: 1. Women are being trained, not sidelined. Through initiatives like Elevate (with Google Cloud), the goal is to train 25,000 women in cloud and AI by 2028. And these aren’t one-off workshops. These are deep, technical programs backed by KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), SDAIA | سدايا, Apple, and more. 2. They're entering STEM in real numbers. Today, 59% of computer science students in Saudi universities are women. That's not a slight shift, that's a structural one. 3. There are real role models (not just panels). Women like: > Dr.Fatmah Baothman — the first woman in the Middle East with a PhD in AI > Dr. Latifa Al-Abdulkarim — one of Forbes' "Top Women in AI Ethics" > Deemah AlYahya — who led digital transformation at Microsoft and launched Women Spark to train 26,000+ women These are names you’ll be hearing more often, because they’re not just breaking in, they’re building what's next. 4. It’s not performative. It’s ecosystem-deep. From flexible work policies to women-focused bootcamps to actual funding, this isn’t window dressing. It’s infrastructure. ___ We talk a lot about innovation. But what’s happening in Saudi right now is a reminder that real innovation comes from inclusion. Not by chance, but by design. #AI #WomenInTech #SaudiVision2030

I'm happy to share the release of the #WiSER White Paper, "Igniting a Global Sustainable Economy," following the impactful discussions at the WiSER Annual Forum during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week - ADSW 2025. This report highlights the critical role of female entrepreneurs in driving climate solutions and provides actionable strategies to bridge gender gaps in finance, scalability, AI, mentorship, and accessibility—especially for women in the Global South. Why This Matters: Women-led ventures are key to unlocking innovation in sustainability, yet systemic barriers persist. This paper outlines 5 recommendations: 🔹 Increase Gender-Focused Investment : Boost funding, financial literacy, and microloans for female-led climate projects. 🔹 Scale Women-Led Ventures : Streamline policies and partnerships to accelerate growth. 🔹 Harness AI & Digital Tools: Bridge the AI literacy and access gap to empower business expansion. 🔹 Strengthen Mentorship and Networking: Build cross-sector collaborations to provide women with the resources to succeed. 🔹 Empower Women in the Global South : Address legal and financial barriers, invest in STEM education, and improve access to markets and resources. Dive into the full report below or on Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company)’s website for insights on turning these strategies into action: https://lnkd.in/dyAFPEP2 Thanks again to my fellow roundtable participants: Lawratou Bah, CFA, Mirella Amalia Vitale, Natasha Shenoy, Hajar Alketbi, Manal B., Mariam Alnaqbi, Shaima Al Mulla

"Wow, you know your numbers!" "You don’t look like a tech founder!" At some point, I stopped saying “thank you” and started asking, Why is this surprising? Because these aren’t compliments. They’re low expectations wrapped in politeness. As a woman in tech, you learn to spot it early. The way people are impressed when you’re prepared. The surprise when you have clear opinions.The disbelief when you talk systems, not just vision. It’s not flattery. It’s bias disguised as encouragement. I don’t want to be the exception. I want the baseline to shift. So the next time you find yourself impressed that a woman is confident, sharp, and knows what she’s doing — Ask yourself why that still surprises you.

Recently I’ve been feeling like I’ve hung up my diversity activist hat — maybe temporarily, maybe for good — I’m more in the trust & safety and startup founder circles these days, but there was a moment at yesterday’s fireside chat with Julie Inman - Grant and Tazin Khan, hosted by Mike F. / Compiler News at Cornell Tech, that got me all fired up again. It was a question from a female CS student in the audience: Is this an issue of diversity and inclusion? You have to think that we wouldn’t have so many problems with abuse, on social media or with AI being misused and weaponized, if there were more women and marginalized people involved in building the tech, right? (paraphrased) Girl, I cannot begin to tell you. Yes, 100% yes. But it’s not just in the engineering and technical ranks. You can’t solve the problems of tech-facilitated violence, destruction of truth and democracy, and cryptocrap fraud by stuffing more women and minorities into tech teams as entry-level workers, even middle-management, sprinkling a few at the top for flavor. The failures of the tech industry today are due to structural issues with incentives that will keep leading us down bad paths unless we find structural interventions that change those incentives. Telling people they just need to slow down when all of capitalism is pushing them to move faster harder raise more money make more money get more users faster faster faster… that is futile. There are also pervasive DEI issues at the ecosystem level of tech investment and entrepreneurship. Still only 2% of VC money goes to female founders. Even if there are some of us around, we are simultaneously under capitalized and held to a higher standard in literally everything we do. Often, people don’t want to pay us for our expertise and services either. “If you care about this work, why don’t you do it for free?” We get DEI weaponized against us in spurious takedowns or baseless legal threats that we have to fight anyways (ask me how I know). So yes. Let’s get more women and URMs into engineering and into the tech industry, for sure. But there’s a lot more to do after that. When I have the time, energy, and most importantly, freedom to speak about my experiences as a female technical founder, I will have a LOT to say. Okay, so probably that DEI hat has only been hung up for the time being. I’ll be back.

Nearly 30 years into my career, I’m still nervous to speak up in meetings. Most women I know are, too. Here’s what I mean: In team meetings or in larger project reviews in which many of my peers and colleagues are present,  I tell others “there are no dumb questions” and then I think my own questions are dumb. I worry I’ll say the wrong thing. I’m nervous I won’t sound smart. But I’ve come to understand one important thing. It’s something no one is going to tell you, because most people don’t even notice. No one is paying attention. While I’m hashing through these concerns in my own mind, many of the folks around me will miss most of what I say because they are so busy worrying about themselves. They’re *also* concerned about what they might say, and how they will be perceived. They will remember that I spoke, and the tone and confidence I brought, not necessarily what I said. Here’s the thing: We know speaking up in meetings is important, that it is one way we are recognized and perceived to have “executive presence.” So this is what works for me: 1️⃣ Before I enter the room, COMMIT TO MYSELF TO SPEAK. Remind myself to chill out. (Probably do that a lot.) 2️⃣ As soon as a forum for conversation is open, I say something. Often at the start of a conversation, there are easy questions that nearly everyone has. Or a clarifying question that shows you understand a point. Or there’s an opportunity to agree with the speaker and support the work. Jump in early. 3️⃣ Sometimes speaking once is enough to break the ice and lead me to feel more comfortable engaging more deeply in a conversation, great! And sometimes speaking once is all I can summon. Here’s what you have to do then: Congratulate yourself anyhow. I’m serious about this. You have to be your own best cheering squad here. This is a strategy that builds on itself. Over time, people will come to expect your voice in a room, to look for it. You may even become less nervous. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you will have built a reputation for yourself as a woman with something to say. I talked about this with Samara Bay, author of Permission to Speak, for a recent episode of Hello Monday. You can check out our convo here: https://lnkd.in/gsUMgwBh But mostly, I’d love to know what helps you. How do you speak up? PS: This is a photo of me trying to ask a question at a conference. Can you tell how scared I was?

𝗛𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲, 𝘀𝗼 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 - 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 Last week, during a business trip to Germany, Moritz and I had the opportunity to visit a manufacturing factory. 👷Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Marcel, our guide - a vibrant, mid-20s young man. 🤔 Throughout the factory tour, I noticed a recurring pattern: Marcel directed his explanations predominantly toward Moritz. Even when I asked technical questions, his responses were primarily directed at Moritz. 😅 Whereby I have an engineering background and Moritz has a business background. Yet, Marcel assumed Moritz held a greater interest and comprehension of technical aspects than I did. 🚗 This reminded me of when we bought a car for me eight years ago. The salesperson talked only to Moritz about technical things like horsepower, while I got the lowdown on colors and cup holders. 👉 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀—𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆, 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀. Though these incidents might seem small, accumulated they lead to systemic biases, discouraging girls from STEM and making women doubt their abilities in these fields. 🤫 Have these incidents ever happened to you? I am curious to hear how you responded to it. #unconsiousbias #assumptions

💻 20 years in IT. That’s how long I’ve worked in this industry. In that time, I’ve built my career on technical knowledge, hard work, and a deep love for what I do. But despite that, I still walk into rooms where people assume I can’t be the technical SME. Not because of my experience. Not because of my skills. But because I’m a woman. Over the years, I’ve had to fight harder to prove myself than male colleagues with less experience. I always believed things would get better, that we’d evolve past those outdated assumptions. Sadly, even in 2025, I still encounter that same disrespect, and not just from men. Sometimes, it comes from other women too. Let’s not forget the women who helped shape this industry, Ada Lovelace, Margaret Hamilton, Dorothy Vaughan. They were pioneers, innovators, and leaders. Women have always belonged in tech. 👉 So here’s my ask: If you work in IT, assume the woman in the room knows her stuff. Assume she’s the SME. Assume she’s a badass. Because more often than not, she is. Let’s break the bias. Together. #WomenInTech #GenderBias #InclusionMatters #TechIndustry #STEM #BiasInTech

"We urgently need more women building AI technologies, and the fact that women make up less than a third of AI professionals and only 18% of AI researchers globally is a crisis that demands attention. But this isn’t just a pipeline problem; women everywhere need to start using AI tools in their daily lives and work. In AI training programs, women represent just 28% of enrollments worldwide. Studies show women are 16 percentage points less likely than men to use AI tools in the same job. This reluctance creates a dangerous cycle: as women hesitate to adopt these technologies, they fall further behind in both the workplace and a society increasingly shaped by AI.    But this time could be different. The good news? You don't need a computer science degree or corporate backing to start using AI. Many of the tools are free and available to anyone with a computer or smartphone.  Imagine having a mentor available at any hour, offering guidance without judgment. Master new skills at your own pace, free from the weight of imposter syndrome that haunts so many women in male-dominated spaces. This technology could be more than just another tool; it could be the great equalizer we've been fighting for, giving women the support, efficiency, and confidence that the prior systems have consistently failed to provide. We have, at times, had to forge new paths without established role models. This systemic lack of guidance remains a barrier to equality, with women 24% less likely than men to get advice from senior leaders, and for women of color, the gap is even wider, with nearly 60% never having had an informal interaction with a senior leader. With tools like ChatGPT, every woman can now have a mentor in her pocket—one that helps her rehearse difficult conversations and provides the continuous support that was historically only available to those with strong networks. This technology could also be powerful in addressing the confidence gap that has held women back for generations, the self-doubt and internalized societal messages women often carry that undervalue their abilities and discourage risk-taking. Today, we see similar patterns in women's hesitation to adopt AI technologies. But with these tools, it’s possible for women to get feedback on overly apologetic language in their emails, help preparing for salary negotiations, coaching on presentations, and support identifying the achievements they may be underselling on their resumes.  Research shows that when women overcome this initial hesitation, they often outperform their male counterparts. The key differentiator? Not technical skills, but the confidence and a willingness to experiment. Women who ease into using AI—perhaps using generative AI to draft a challenging email or prepare talking points for a meeting—quickly discover how these tools can augment their work and amplify their expertise." Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/ejEJJjqR #WomenInAI #WomenInSTEM