The technology industry increasingly finds itself at a competitive crossroads. More than one million jobs are forecast to remain unfilled by 2020, while leading brands come under assault for a lack of diversity amidst their ranks. Bringing more women into the fold not only helps address the looming workforce crisis, it also helps companies build a competitive advantage by aligning their workforce with the gender diversity of their customer base. But how to do this effectively? Tracey Welson-Rossman, technology industry veteran and founder of nonprofit TechGirlz, shares lessons for building The Path that will help more women embrace and succeed in technology careers.

Dozens of current studies reinforce an intuitive understanding that girls as young as six years old need more exposure to technology related curricula and female role models to emulate. Tracey has pioneered a novel program and course of instruction for reaching and inspiring middle school girls to purse a technology career. She will combine learnings and stories from this experience with academic research and insights from complementary programs to illuminate The Path girls can follow from a young age through to the end of their careers. It will highlight the resources, the gaps, and the network that exist today, as well as how we can continue to build a more robust Path for tomorrow. Attendees will learn how they can become champions of diversity within their own organizations, and how they can engage with programs in their community or nationally to help others set out on The Path.