The Girls in Tech nonprofit women’s tech community is closing its doors after 17 years, according to a newsletter from founder Adriana Gascoigne.
Gascoigne said the decision was made with “sadness and devastation” and was not made lightly.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Girls in Tech will be closing its doors. This decision was not made lightly, and the sadness and devastation we feel cannot be overstated,” Gascoigne wrote. “For 17 incredible years, we have offered a welcoming community based on empowerment, support, and inspiration for women in the tech industry. Together, we have made a profound impact, helping women reach for the stars and excel in their careers, while working tirelessly to eliminate the gender gap in tech worldwide.”
Updated: In an interview on Tuesday, Gascoigne told me that the nonprofit found it was getting harder and harder to raise funding for the organization.
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“It’s pretty sad. It’s unfortunate given that it’s not just Girls in Tech, but other organizations as well that are impacted. It’s a sad state of affairs any way you look at it,” Gascoigne said in our interview. “It’s a labor of love, and it grew and grew. I felt that it was something needed within the community. Obviously it was impacting me personally. I’m glad other people felt the same way. It’s just a tragedy that we weren’t able to get funding. That’s the main thing, the main reason we had to close our doors.”
She said the funding had been drying up since 2023 but also since COVID started. The funding was increasingly scarce among corporate sponsors and major gift donors. Many of the corporations found funding via their diversity, equity & inclusion departments, or DEI. Yet amid layoffs at a lot of tech companies, the DEI funding also dried up.
“That’s a massive tragedy, because it’s exactly when women need more support, when there are tumultuous times in the industry. We need more career development support, job opportunities, mentorship. But it’s very challenging for us to get that funding,” Gascoigne said.
She was proud of the accomplishments of the group in its pre-pandemic years. The Catalyst event in San Francisco drew 4,000 attendees and featured speakers like Mayim Bialik, the actress from Big Bang Theory. And the group had a gala event at San Francisco’s City Hall. Gascoigne also felt the group had a role to play in the wake of the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements. Yet in recent years, political tension has meant there is pressure on DEI budgets from political opponents. That was the death knell.
“But then you had the DEI backlash, and that’s hit us really hard,” Gascoigne said. “That, honestly, led to the demise of Girls in Tech. I truly believe in diversity and inclusion in the tech space. I believe that we create better products and services in tech with diverse teams. It’s not just racial diversity. People think of that as a primary way to define diversity, but it’s not. It’s diversity of thought. It’s diversity of background, diversity of expertise, diversity of where you’ve lived in the world, what languages you speak, what you like to eat for breakfast. You have to think about the gamut of what makes people unique.”
The group reached more than 250,000 individuals across 35 chapters in 30 countries on six continents. It was founded in Silicon Valley, but Gascoigne relocated the group to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2022 during the pandemic. I interviewed her numerous times about the group’s mission and goals, and how it rose to greater relevance in fighting the “toxic culture” of Silicon Valley.
“Girls in Tech has always been more than just an organization; it has been a community built on love—love for technology and love for one another. The passion to support, uplift, and inspire each other is what has truly set us apart. I am immensely proud of what we have built together and the lasting impact we have made,” Gascoigne said in the newsletter.
The group’s programs included a mentorship program, hackathons, coding bootcamps, the Girls in Tech Conference, a startup challenge, global classroom, podcast, blog, jobs board, and shop. The group organized thousands of in-person and virtual events, producing educational and engaging content.
“To everyone who poured their heart into building this wonderful community where women in tech could have a voice, learn, grow, and be celebrated just as they are—I am profoundly grateful,” Gascoigne said. “A special thanks to all of our members, who established such a friendly, warm, and collaborative environment and culture; the managing directors and advisory board teams who led our chapters; our staff at headquarters who managed and grew the organization; our sponsors who funded our programs and events; and our board of directors.”
Without explanation, Gascoigne said in closing, “Though Girls in Tech is closing its doors, the movement we started must and will continue. I encourage each of you to carry on the fight to eliminate the gender gap in tech. Our mission will live on in other forms, driven by the same passion and commitment that have always defined us. I will miss you all deeply. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey.”
[Updated: Added interview info at 12 pm Pacific on 7/11/24]