As companies realize the value of recruiting, retaining, and supporting women, they are beginning to make tremendous contributions to pave the way for the next generation of female leaders. Below are just five examples of global Silicon Valley-based organizations that are supporting the pipeline of future women leaders in STEM.
Oracle Women’s Leadership (OWL) is a professional development group which aims to support and empower women leaders at Oracle. Oracle’s Women’s Leadership Summit provides an opportunity for the company’s executive-level women to engage with their peers and industry leaders to share leadership perspectives, discuss ways to further their professional development, and inspire other women in the company and the community.
Through its Y! Developer Network, the company offers a forum where employees can organically collaborate on projects that are meaningful to them. Yahoo! Women in Tech is one such employee organization focused on helping women at Yahoo! succeed in their careers by providing technical training and opportunities to work with women and girls in the community.
In addition to having four women filling some of its top executive positions, Microsoft has made a major push to highlight the significant returns on investing in women in leadership positions. The Women at Microsoft Employee Resource Group currently has more than 12,000 female Microsoft employees worldwide and actively contributes to initiatives focusing on diversity, professional development, and networking.
IBM received the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology’s Top Company for Technical Women award in 2011. Led by CEO Virginia “Ginni” Rometty, IBM has more than 50 groups which provide opportunities for women employees to collaborate on projects of mutual interest, develop mentoring networks, and nurture leadership and networking skills.
Intel was recognized as the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology’s 2013 Top Company for Technical Women for its progress in advancing women in technical roles. Intel currently enjoys one of the lowest voluntary turnover rates (2%) among technical women. In addition to empowering its female employees, the company supports and implements technology-based scholarship programs in education and literacy.
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