LOS ANGELES, Dec. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WITI (Women in Technology International), the leading advocate for innovation, inclusivity and STEAM, today announced it is celebrating 30 years of supporting and fostering women in technology. Founded by Carolyn Leighton at a time when there were no organizations to support women in technology, WITI is now a powerhouse that women turn to for career enhancement and global support. Companies also rely on WITI to help create a pipeline for women in technology as well as building leaders and inclusive cultures.
“When I decided to launch WITI sitting at a coffee house, my vision was to create a global platform for women where they could collaborate, support each other and share ideas around technology, innovation and business,” said Carolyn Leighton, CEO & founder, WITI. “Today I am truly humbled to see the power of WITI, and credit the worldwide community of women and men who have made the organization the go-to-place for building effective leadership, innovation and collaboration.”
Milestones over the last 30 years.
- Established the first government relations program partnering with groups such as the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, the Department of Commerce, the Small Business Association and the White House to help create opportunities and develop policies for women.
- Established the WITI Public Education Campaign that opened doors for thousands of women in technology by campaigning to dismantle misperceptions, stereotypes, and biases against women.
- Established more than 60 networks globally to help women in technology gain access to each other and become influencers in their respective communities. Some of the recent networks include Toronto, Vienna, Austria and Columbus, OH. Additional networks planned to launch in Q1 2019 includes Bangalore, India and Munich, Germany.
- Established the Women in Technology Hall of Fame to honor the achievements of women in science and technology. Over the last 24 years, more than 135 women have been inducted into the hall of fame. The 25th Women in Technology Summit is scheduled for June 9-11 in San Jose, CA.
Celebrate with WITI.
- To celebrate the 30th anniversary, WITI has planned multiple events in various cities, in collaboration with industry conferences, including, AI World Boston, Bio-IT World, Boston and IT Expo, Florida.
- In 2019 WITI will:
- continue to work with analyst firms such as IDC to gather market data and help companies create gender inclusive cultures.
- create additional programs to develop women leaders and help women executives get voted to boards.
- develop programs to inspire students, especially girls, to follow STEM careers.
About WITI
Founded in 1989 by Carolyn Leighton, WITI (Women in Technology International) is a leading worldwide authority on women in business and technology. For nearly 30 years, WITI has consistently been a clear voice advocating women's contributions to the tech industry, inspiring young women to pursue STEM careers and actively working with corporate partners to create a culture of equality. WITI has built a community of more than three million women in technology and men that support them across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, more than 300 partners, 50 domestic and 13 global networks. WITI delivers to its members leading edge, best practice training consulting tools, programs and platforms designed to increase innovation, competitiveness and revenue. To learn more, please visit witi.com.
Contact:
Parna Sarkar-Basu
V.P. Marketing, WITI
parna@corp.witi.com