Women Who Code Dallas Experiences Rapid Growth

Dallas network of the global organization reaches 500-member milestone; Expands events to Downtown Dallas and Denton locations

Dallas, TX – September 23, 2015 – 2015 marks a year of rapid growth for Women Who Code Dallas, a professional community for area women in tech and a local network of the global organization Women Who Code (https://www.womenwhocode.com/). The network recently surpassed the 500-member mark, rounding out a diverse community of developers, engineers, designers and entrepreneurs, as well as women interested in pursuing a tech career. Women Who Code Dallas has been active in the area since late 2013, but has recently seen acceleration in new member participation and active involvement. So far in 2015, membership has grown by 42%.

To better reach its members the organization has spread across the Dallas metroplex, Women Who Code Dallas has expanded its monthly events to include locations in downtown Dallas at West End coworking space The Grove and in Denton at software and web development company GSATi. The network has one existing event in north Dallas at nōd Coworking. Events feature lightning talks by tech industry experts, as well as time for networking.

“The rapid growth of Women Who Code Dallas reflects a strong demand for community and professional skill development among Dallas women in tech,” said Carole Bennett, Director of the Women Who Code Dallas network. “Downtown Dallas and Denton are widely considered emerging tech hotspots in the region, and monthly Women Who Code events serving these communities will only help to bolster the tech talent and innovation here in North Texas – especially as more women ‘lean in’.”

Cheryl Hartman is taking the helm as Denton Lead, at a time when she’s also stepping back into her career as a software developer after time off to spend with her family.

Likewise, leaders for downtown Dallas, Angela Landrith and Robyn Brown, see the benefit of giving female developers access to more technical resources that help them advance in their careers.

“Right now, we’re seeing the barrier to entry for learning computer programming continue to get slimmer. Considering our changing economy and the evolving nature of jobs today, it seems right on time to help many women expand their tech skillsets,” said Brown, whose non-profit organization Bold Idea also hosts the events. Bold Idea mentors Dallas-area K-12 students to make an impact in their community using code.

Recently added program is aimed at helping Women Who Code Dallas members gain new skills in coding and hone existing skills for professional advancement, and foster environments where networking and mentorship are valued. On Sept. 19, Women Who Code Dallas kicked off the first class in its free Coding Skills Workshop Series that includes instruction and hands-on experience in Java, user interface (UI) development, frameworks including node.js and Ruby on Rails, databases and web applications.

Women interested in joining Women Who Code Dallas, attending monthly events and learning more about the network’s professional development opportunities can visit: http://www.meetup.com/Women-Who-Code-Dallas/.

Women Who Code Dallas network hosts include Hunter Technical Services ,ThoughtWorks and TekSystems.

About Women Who Code

Women Who Code (WWCode) is a non-profit dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers. The organization provides an avenue into tech, empowers women with skills needed for professional advancement, and creates environments where networking and mentorship are valued. To date, WWCode has produced more than 2,000 free technical events around the world, garnered a membership exceeding 30,000, and has a presence in 18 countries. Media Contact: press@womenwhocode.com