Diversity & Inclusion
Resources / Women in tech

90 career-building resources for Delaware women in tech

We asked local women in tech to share resources that have helped them advance on their career path — from books to podcasts to mentorship programs.

The 2018 Great Dames Remarkable Ideas finalists. (Courtesy photo)

This editorial article is a part of Technical.ly's Women in Tech month.

Whether you’re a female founder, a coding newbie or somewhere in between, take heart: Technical.ly Philly’s list of 75 career-building resources for women in tech is every bit as useful for women in Delaware.

After all, Wilmington is part of Greater Philadelphia, leaving you free to join most Philly chapters of organizations even if they don’t have anything Delaware-based.

Some of the resources — things like local meetups, books, websites, podcasts, mentorship programs and nonprofits — on the Philly-geared list have a Delaware presence , including Great Dames, TechGirlz and Coded by Kids. At the same time, some Delaware-based resources are meant for women in Delaware specifically, and some, especially downstate resources, are off the Philly radar.

So, here is your Delaware version of the list, including all 75 of the Philly resources collected by Technical.ly Philly lead reporter Roberto Torres, plus 15 just for Delaware.

Why do we need resources focused specifically on women? Because they make a difference when it comes to access for women in a male-dominated industry (in Delaware, according to Status of Women in the States, about two-thirds of the tech workforce are men). Case in point: Zip Code Wilmington’s enrollment of women in their coding boot camps rose from around 6 percent to 60 percent after the org started holding women-focused “Cocktail and Conversation” events.

And why does it matter that more women gain access to the tech workforce?

To quote Roberto:

“For managers, a company without a diverse team and an inclusive culture will ward off talented staffers, at a time when talent is the hottest commodity. For consumers, the adverse effects of homogeneous companies have been widely chronicled. One example is the first version of Apple’s health app, which claimed to track major all health indicators yet lacked a way to track menstrual cycles. And for employees from underrepresented groups, a mostly-male workforce can open the door to a lack of inclusivity in the workplace and even harassment (which, as developer Shanise Barona will tell you, is a technical problem.)”

The original list was mostly crowdsourced from Philly women in tech and is an updated version of our 2017 list of career-building resources for women.

Quick shoutout to everyone who helped us compile this list: Lauren Hallden, Zeina Barr, Sharon Hake, Tiffanie Stanard, Maggie Deptola, Amelia Longo, Adriana Vazquez, Melissa Le, Jen Dionisio, Alisha Miranda, Yuval Yarden, Jessica Cornell, Jessica David, Sharon Hake, Brie Wildau, Rana Fayez, Suzie Nieman, Morgan Berman, Alana Bly, Kiera Smalls, Adele Oliva, Heather B., Ashley Turner, Tahroma Alligood, Mariah Schmidt and Kristen Fitch.

Here’s the list, which we’ve broken down by categories for easy access:

Meetups and events

Programs

Podcasts

Books

Organizations

Websites and blogs

Etc.

  • PHL Design Co’s #phl-xx Slack channel: Practical advice for women in design.
  • Dream, Girl“: A documentary on women entrepreneurs by Brooklyn-based filmmaker Erin Bagwell. Here’s how to watch it.
  • Seeking mentorship: Consultant Brie Wildau said “the human element goes a long way” when thinking through problems.
  • … or speech coaching: Sharon Hake, of Great Dames, recommends seeking a coach like Laura Sicola, of Vocal Impact Productions, who can help women “gain the ability to confidently and authentically command the room, connect with the audience, and close the deal in any context.”
  • … or Brazilian jiu jitsu: MilkCrate founder Morgan Berman credits her practiced of the martial art with helping her life stay balanced. “Learning how to fight, and how to fight men or anyone else bigger or stronger than me has been the biggest gift I’ve ever given myself. It’s also helped me find comfort in the uncomfortable. Like being one of the only woman in the room. Or on the mat.”
  • The Headspace app: “It’s so important for people to turn off their ‘work’ and take time to give their minds a break,” says SocialLadder cofounder Alana Bly. “I’ve been meditating for years and have found headspace is a great tool to introduce friends/coworkers to meditation. It’s approachable, affordable and can be done with minimal commitment.”
  • Our interview with Grubhub CTO  Maria Belousova: Where she lays out the company’s roadmap to making a remote team function smoothly.
  • Technica.ly’s This Week in Jobs newsletter: Weekly roundups of open tech jobs in the area (and remote jobs), including those that don’t require a college degree.
  • Technical.ly’s jobs board: For jobs, of course.
  • Bumble Bizz: Swipe on this app to connect with other entrepreneurs in the area.
  • Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk: A look at how body language shapes who we are.
  • Coworking spaces: Hake strongly encourages women to join a coworking space, for access to an environment that “can help brainstorm business ideas and make connections to resources and potential clients.” Some, like Indy Hall, have a code of conduct. The Old City space declares itself to be a “respectful and harassment-free” environment for everyone.

Delaware-specific resources

Did we miss any? Let us know — delaware@technical.ly.

Series: Women in Tech Month 2019
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