Created in May of this year, DCFemTech is a collective made up of more than 25 organizations throughout the DC region that aim to support women in tech. Organizations in the group include Women Who Code DC, the National Center for Women in Tech, Code for Progress, and many others. Nguyen – who’s also the cofounder of DC-based startup Silica Labs – was inspired to organize the group after discovering (in her own search to find support for broadening her technical skills) that all these different organizations were already collaborative in nature. DCFemTech allows these groups to come together and find new ways to help lower the barrier for women in tech and to provide the necessary resources to help them reach their career goals. Tour de Code is DCFemTech’s first major initiative since the collective was born. According to Nguyen, the series is focused on really encouraging other women to come out and to see what it’s like to work in tech. Many of the events throughout the month are geared towards those with no prior experience in tech or design, or for those who are just new and starting off a new career in these fields. Especially in an industry that’s notoriously dominated by men, Nguyen notes that even merely surrounding yourself with other women can provide a greater sense of empowerment and motivation: DCFemTech’s Tour de Code starts October 2nd and will kick off with a meet and mingle event with leaders of the DCFemTech organizations. You can RSVP to the Tour de Code Meet & Mingle event here. Check out the full Tour de Code calendar here, and follow @DCFemTech on Twitter for updates. Stephanie Nguyen is a Tech Cocktail contributing writer.
