Lesbians Who Tech

Lesbians Who Tech
Name	Lesbians Who Tech
Formation	2012
Founder	Leanne Pittsford
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Region served	Global
Fields	Technology, Advocacy, Networking

Lesbians Who Tech is a community organization that connects queer women, non-binary people, and allies in the technology sector. Founded in 2012, it hosts conferences, chapters, and programs focused on career development, visibility, and inclusion across the tech industry. The organization operates internationally and collaborates with companies, foundations, and advocacy groups to expand representation in technology.

History

Founded by Leanne Pittsford in San Francisco, the organization emerged amid conversations in Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and among communities connected to Silicon Valley startups, Y Combinator cohorts, and employees of firms such as Google, Facebook, Apple Inc., and Twitter. Early gatherings drew attendees from networks including TechCrunch-linked startups, Women Who Code, and local meetups in neighborhoods like SoMa, San Francisco and Mission District, San Francisco. Over time the organizers expanded beyond the United States to partner with entities in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Toronto, Tel Aviv, and Sydney. Growth paralleled broader sector conversations involving groups like Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Out & Equal, and funders such as the Ford Foundation and Mozilla Foundation.

Mission and Activities

The stated mission emphasizes community-building among queer technologists and allies, career advancement, and policy advocacy that intersects with initiatives from organizations like Lambda Legal, National Center for Transgender Equality, and ACLU. Activities include professional development modeled on practices from entities such as LinkedIn, Code2040, Black Girls Code, and Ada Developers Academy. The group’s work addresses industry hiring patterns exemplified in reports from McKinsey & Company, Pew Research Center, and Annie E. Casey Foundation, while collaborating with corporate diversity teams at Microsoft, Intel, Amazon (company), and IBM.

Conferences and Events

Major annual conferences bring together speakers, recruiters, and attendees influenced by events like SXSW, Grace Hopper Celebration, Web Summit, TED, and TechCrunch Disrupt. Programming often includes panels featuring leaders from Pinterest, Airbnb, Stripe, Salesforce, Snap Inc., and research from academics affiliated with institutions such as Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and University of California, Berkeley. Regional meetups occur in collaboration with cultural venues in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Paris, Amsterdam, and Mexico City.

Programs and Initiatives

Notable initiatives include mentorship programs reminiscent of efforts by The New York Times leadership initiatives and fellowship models used by Echoing Green and Ashoka. Talent pipelines echo partnerships similar to Hired and Glassdoor collaborations, while scholarship models align with philanthropic programs from Gates Foundation-funded projects and educational partnerships like those at Columbia University and New York University. Leadership and advocacy training has parallels to curricula used by Recode Decode interviewees and nonprofit incubators such as Techstars and 500 Startups.

Partnerships and Sponsorships

The organization has accepted sponsorships and forged partnerships with major technology firms and philanthropic organizations including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Atlassian, Box (company), Salesforce, and foundations similar to W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Open Society Foundations. Event and program sponsors have also included recruitment platforms like LinkedIn and Lever, venture firms such as Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, and media partners comparable to Wired, The Verge, and Fast Company.

Chapters and Global Presence

Local chapters operate in metropolitan areas alongside civic and cultural institutions in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Toronto, Berlin, Sydney, São Paulo, Mexico City, Tel Aviv, and Mumbai. Chapter activities mirror community organizing found in groups like Meetup (service), VolunteerMatch, and international networks such as Amnesty International local groups. Collaborations extend to academic campuses including University of California, Los Angeles, University of Toronto, Imperial College London, and University College London.

Impact and Recognition

The organization’s visibility has been noted by outlets and award programs such as Forbes, Fast Company, Time magazine, The New York Times, and festival stages similar to South by Southwest (SXSW). Recognition of leaders and alumni parallels honors bestowed by Fortune (magazine) lists, Inc. (magazine), and civic awards from city governments such as City and County of San Francisco. Research and reporting on diversity metrics by McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and Glassdoor contextualize the organization’s influence on hiring pipelines, representation, and industry culture.

Category:LGBT organizations Category:Technology organizations