Reshma Saujani
About Her
Reshma Saujani is the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, an organization dedicated to teaching valuable tech skills to women and girls. Saujani obtained advanced degrees from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Yale’s Law School. She worked for many years within law and politics before going on to found Girls Who Code. Her goal is to increase women’s representation within the tech industry by giving them access to the tools they’ll need to succeed. Girls Who Code has already reached over 300,000 girls, and hopes to expand its reach by 2030.
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Girls Who Code reshmasaujani.com Linkedin TedTalkTimnit Gebru
About Her
Timnit Gebru is an AI researcher and advocate known for her work on algorithmic bias, ethical AI, and the social implications of artificial intelligence. As a co-founder of the Black in AI community, she has been a vocal proponent of diversity, equity, and inclusion in tech, highlighting the systemic barriers faced by Black researchers. Gebru gained widespread attention during her tenure at Google, where she co-led the Ethical AI team. Her departure in 2020, following her concerns about the ethical risks of large-scale language models and their potential to perpetuate bias, sparked a global conversation on ethics and inclusion in the tech industry. She continues to challenge norms by advocating for transparency, accountability, and social responsibility in AI development.
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Timnit Gebru's Twitter TedTalk ArticleTamar Huggins
About Her
Tamar Huggins, a Canadian tech entrepreneur, author, and educator, founded Tech Spark AI alongside her daughter, Talia Grant, eight years ago. Based in Toronto, Huggins has been a trailblazer in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in tech education, playing a key role in developing Canada's Black tech ecosystem. Her passion for technology and innovation has driven her to overcome challenges and create impactful change. Tech Spark AI is Canada's first tech and design school dedicated to empowering young girls and students of color through innovative tech programming. The school's mission is to help marginalized students see their culture positively reflected in their education. By providing culturally responsive curriculums, training for educators, and personalized AI tools, Tech Spark AI supports students in overcoming systemic barriers in STEM fields, preparing them to become creators and innovators within the tech industry. This approach aims to shift these communities from being mere consumers to creators of technology, promoting economic empowerment and reducing exclusion. Recently, Tech Spark AI launched "Spark Plug," a Black-owned alternative to ChatGPT. This tool allows users to translate class literature into modern languages, including African American Vernacular English (AAVE), further reflecting Tech Spark's commitment to inclusivity and cultural representation.