Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • March 2020
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Girls Who Code

By: Brian Trelstad, Amy Klopfenstein and Olivia Hull
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:23
ShareBar

Abstract

In 2012, Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code (GWC) with the mission of closing the technology (tech) industry’s gender gap. While GWC offered coding education programs to middle- and high-school-aged girls, the organization also sought to alter cultural stereotypes surrounding women in tech through books, advertisements, and social media campaigns. Saujani remained active in promoting her organization’s message through a TED Talk, a best-selling book, and frequent media appearances and interviews. By 2019, GWC had served approximately 185,000 girls, expanded its programs to all 50 U.S. states, and reached hundreds of millions of individuals through its advertising and media campaigns. However, the tech gender gap was still significant. Saujani claimed that the organization was on track to close the gender gap among entry level tech roles by 2027. Would GWC reach its goal? If not, were there new initiatives that it should consider to increase its effectiveness?

Keywords

Coding; Gender Stereotypes; Information Technology; Gender; Education; Programs; Performance Effectiveness; Technology Industry; Information Technology Industry

Citation

Trelstad, Brian, Amy Klopfenstein, and Olivia Hull. "Girls Who Code." Harvard Business School Case 320-055, March 2020.
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Brian L. Trelstad

General Management
→More Publications

Related Work

    • July 2020
    • Faculty Research

    Girls Who Code

    By: Brian Trelstad and Amy Klopfenstein
Related Work
  • Girls Who Code By: Brian Trelstad and Amy Klopfenstein
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College