Written by Florencia Soto Nino Martinez
If this town is just an apple, then let us all take a bite. We are very excited to officially launch in New York this week and meet all the smart and creative women in this city! NYC has always been a major hub for new ideas and enterprises, and over the past few years it has focused on fostering its tech community.
In fact, it is now the fastest growing tech hubs in the US, and home to companies like Etsy, Tumblr, Shutterstock, Vimeo and Buzzfeed. Women have been making their mark in NYC for quite some time. One only needs to look at women like Rachel Haot, who was named the city’s Chief Digital Officer in 2011 and is now the Deputy Secretary of Technology for NY State. Over her three years working for the city, Rachel was in charge of some 40 initiatives to increase Internet connectivity, online engagement and technology industry support in one of the biggest cities in the world.
Or Alexa Von Tobel, who founded the personal finance site LearnVest to help young people manage their budgets and has raised more than $25 million since it was founded in 2009. And big thinkers like Maria Popova, who curates the blog BrainPickings, bringing new meaning to all types of historic content, inspiring readers all over the world.
Women in the NY tech scene have also shown their interest in helping other women navigate their path to their own success. Through Dress for Success, founded by Nancy Lublin, women get provided with interview suits and career development training. The initiative is now in more that 114 cities in 12 countries. Reshma Saujani created Girls Who Code and young girls from all backgrounds jumped at the opportunity to get in on the action.
It is indeed an exciting time to be a woman in tech because we are just truly embracing our potential in this sector. It's inspiring to look at these women and the careers they have paved. And we hope that NYC Geekettes helps you find your way there. To all the young women with budding ideas, the ones already in the industry in need of support, successful entrepreneurs, founders, designers, digital strategist, media savvy gals and enthusiastic creatives: we can’t wait to meet you.
Love,
