Girls in Tech (GIT), a global non-profit that works to put an end to gender inequality in high-tech industries and startups, hosted its first Mentor/Mentee mingle on October 10th 2019 at the University of Guyana, Education Lecture Theatre from 4pm to 6pm

The local chapter which launched in Guyana on August 7, 2019 is eager and ready to bring local and global programs to Guyana’s female tech students, enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and professionals.

Under the theme ‘Coffee and Code’, Girls In Tech brought together students, young tech professionals and seasoned professionals or tech entrepreneurs to become familiar with each other in preparation for the launch of their global program “Mentorship”

The Girls in Tech Mentorship Program focuses on the education and empowerment of women in technology and entrepreneurship. Offered for university and professional women, the goal of the program is to identify and solve the obstacles keeping mentees from achieving their professional goals. As a result, the program is customized to each participant and her goals.

It is Girls in Tech’s mission to support women with the access and community they need to succeed in tech by educating and empowering women who are passionate about technology and entrepreneurship in technical industries.

The main objective is to create customized goals for each mentee around career development.  The structure is formal with 1:1 pairing and regular meetings both in-person and on the phone. The program utilizes an extensive vetting process that ensures they match mentors and mentees optimally, men are also welcomed to apply to be mentors.

This event was made possible through a collaboration with the University of Guyana, Computer Science Department, and generous sponsors who see the benefits of diversity and inclusion for the advancement of technology and innovation in Guyana.

 

GIT was founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Francisco. The Girls in Tech global community is 60 chapters strong with an impact of more than 100,000 members in 36 countries. As a result, events and programming in each chapter vary to fit the unique needs of each community.

At the mentor meetup, attendees got the chance to hear from an outstanding women in technology, the challenges they faced, and how they navigated them.

The featured speakers  Nexus Hub founder, Mr. Eldon Marks on “The potential for techpreneurs and Guyana’s future” and Samantha Sheoprashad who shared “How she navigates challenges faced as a woman in STEM”.

There was also be a Q&A segment and speed networking.