Tour de Code provides monthlong platform for women in tech

Tour de Code kicked off with a bang Thursday night, with close to 200 women attending the opening reception held at Google’s D.C. digs.
The monthlong series of events organized by DCFemTech will feature 18 beginner-friendly hacknights, conferences and workshops from local women in tech groups.
“They all have different styles,” said organizer Shana Glenzer, adding that the multitude of groups also presented an opportunity for collaboration and sharing.
“Everyone in here has the kind of let’s do it together” approach, said organizer Stephanie Nguyen,  who cut her teeth at nightly hackathons when she first landed in D.C.
She conquered a “huge learning curve” before eventually co-founding Silica Labs. “Even having diversity in tech can really shape the way you angle your company,” she said.

DCFemTech has also launched a hashtag jobs board: #dcfemtechjobs.

The wine flowed while women shared their experiences as technologists or budding coders, and some fruitful conversations broke out.
Amelia Gray, 59, worked as a programmer for decades until she had to start taking care of her husband’s grandmother in 2000. She stayed busy at home, keeping updated on newer coding languages and writing a computer guide for seniors called “Gracious Training.”
She ran into Kathleen Egan, 43, a mother who created coding classes for elementary school-age girls that are spreading in Maryland. Now, Gray is planning on teaching coding to a more enthusiastic set: children.
Technology firm CEOs circulated among women trying to discreetly branch out into the sector.
At 27, Adrianne Burke is the founder and CEO of ChangeComm.net. Though she knows she isn’t alone at the top, she said, “this is the most empowering thing I’ve ever been to.”
October is just a beginning for Tour de Code, which Glenzer and Nguyen want to make a twice-a-year event. DCFemTech has also launched a hashtag jobs board: #dcfemtechjobs.
Others in attendance included Hibah Hussain, a public policy analyst at Google who helped secure the company’s sponsorship and Jenn Gustetic, the assistant director for Open Innovation at the Executive Office of the President.
For a better sense of the mood and some self-starter selfies, check out the nvite.