Our Goal
Align local actors to build inclusive pathways for women in tech – from their first college course to their first round of funding – that kickstart a more vibrant tech economy nationwide.
GET Cities is working to build a more inclusive future in tech, starting at the city level.
GET Cities is kicking off in Chicago.
LEARN MOREAlign local actors to build inclusive pathways for women in tech – from their first college course to their first round of funding – that kickstart a more vibrant tech economy nationwide.
Technology is one of the most economically vibrant and powerful innovation industries we have, but its full potential is wasted when women are underrepresented in the workforce.
In 2011, the percentage of women receiving computing degrees reached a near
all-time low of 16% and has
remained stagnant around 19% ever since.
At the current rate, the United States will only have
17% of the graduates necessary
to fill these openings.
Every day that we don’t see equality in the tech sector is a day that we leave talent, ideas and growth on the table.
GET Cities is designed to accelerate representation and build a more vibrant tech industry.
Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities is an initiative designed to accelerate the representation and leadership of women in tech to meet the demands of the industry’s future.
A thriving tech economy will only exist when all of the talent in our workforce is engaged and has the opportunity to advance. Together, we can GET there.
GET Cities is working to develop inclusive tech hubs across the United States. We believe that national change can be accelerated when we start at the local level. Over the next five years, GET Cities will focus on three U.S. cities – starting with Chicago in January 2020.
GET Cities is led by SecondMuse and Break Through Tech in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, the investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates. Contact info@getcities.org if you're interested in becoming a national partner.
Our city-based collaborators include universities, tech companies, and local organizations that are unique to each of our GET Cities. Click here for more information on our local partners for Chicago.
GET Cities supports women from all backgrounds, ethnicities, races, and sexual orientation by:
Supporting both short- and long-term change: Bringing together the supply side (academia, startups) and the demand side (industry, venture investment) to build an ecosystem where more women are graduating with relevant degrees today and finding an inclusive career environment waiting for them for years to come.
GET Cities is a national initiative aimed at accelerating women’s representation in tech and innovation by creating supportive, inclusive tech hubs on a local level.
The program works to understand and amplify effective local models that can be replicated by other cities throughout the country with a commitment to gender equality in tech.
Over the next five years, we are focusing our investment on three U.S. tech hubs that we believe have the power to be national leaders in gender equality in tech – beginning with Chicago in January 2020.
GET Cities identifies cities where women in tech have the highest potential to thrive based on four common elements:
In addition to the city’s established tech sector, strong academic institutions, and vibrant entrepreneurial and venture ecosystems, the GET Cities team was inspired by the breadth and commitment to equality among the organizations already present in Chicago. GET Cities believes Chicago has the ethos to see women soar in tech and develop models to share with the rest of the country. As of January 2020, only Chicago has been announced as part of the GET Cities initiative. Stay tuned for future city announcements.
GET Cities will have local teams based in each city to focus on connecting the many players and initiatives within each tech hub, understanding what works, and identifying barriers that prevent the change we are working toward. Each city will have a university partner committed to ensuring more women enter and graduate from computing degree programs. Local GET teams will work to make sure women coming out of these programs, as well as other programs working to advance women in tech, have access to the resources needed to do so.
GET Cities plans to amplify and support existing local organizations as well as convene organizations interested in and committed to closing the gender gap in technology. Please check back on our website as we start to support and amplify the work of existing organizations and host our first event in the first half of 2020!
If you’re a national or local organization looking to partner with us, please reach out to us on our contact page. Someone from our team will be in touch with you shortly. Chicago companies can connect with our team to learn about innovative internship opportunities that would allow them to engage with UIC undergraduate women in tech and/or offer their employees ways to volunteer as coaches and mentors to UIC women in tech.
If you’re a woman in tech or an ally and want to learn more, follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all GET Cities news. Women and allies in Chicago who would like to attend local events can check the News & Events section on our GET Chicago page over the coming months.
We’re proud to support @GETCities launch in Chicago & begin working together to accelerate representation and leadership of women in tech. We have the talent and power to create an inclusive workforce now. Learn more about how to #GETCities motivated:
Home - GET Cities
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With the help of Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, #BreakThroughTech is eager to be part of @GETCities #GETChicago to help create a female driven tech hub in Chicago.
Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures Commits $50M To Increase Women In Tech And Support Emerging Hubs
The Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities Initiative is looking to tackle underrepresentation by women in tech--a known issue in the industry that hasn...
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"We have the opportunity to reimagine what the sector could look like,” @melindagates writes of her new @GETCities initiative to boost women in tech. That begins in the classroom with programs like #APCSP welcoming new tech talent. #GETCities #CSforAll
https://twitter.com/melindagates/status/1222176001976946691
How do we make Silicon Valley more inclusive? Maybe the answer is to start somewhere else.
I’m excited to announce #GETCities, a new initiative to develop inclusive tech hubs in three U.S. cities over the next five years. https://m-gat.es/2GHhPjn