ADRIANA GASCOIGNE

Adriana Gascoigne is the founder and CEO of Girls in Tech (GIT), a Nashville-based non-profit organization devoted to empowering, educating and engaging women in the tech industry. She is also the author of Tech Boss Lady: How To Start-Up, Disrupt, And Thrive As A Female Founder, and a board member on WAPPP, Harvard Kennedy School's Women in Public Policy Program. She was the winner of the 2018 Pioneer Leadership Award at the Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit.

More than a decade ago, Adriana faced discrimination and harassment as the lone female executive in a Silicon Valley startup. From that experience, she was inspired to help other women and thus founded GIT, which today advocates for diversity and inclusion in STEM fields.

GIT boasts 50 chapters throughout the world. It comprises an active, engaged community of more than 130,000 members in 42 countries. Hundreds of events and programs are held throughout the year and are tailored to address the unique needs of local chapters.

Through her leadership at GIT, Adriana has improved diversity in the tech workforce; encouraged policy change at government, corporate and community levels; inspired women to pursue any career they wish; and, created impact-oriented courses to support women throughout their career.

No stranger to growing brands and building amazing companies, Adriana has worked with tech companies like hi5, Algentis, Jam City, Indiegogo, Social Gaming Network (SGN), ImpulseFlyer, RxMatch and QwikCart. She has also served in executive roles at Ogilvy & Mather, Interpublic Group of Companies, and SecondMarket.

Adriana holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a concentration in Organizational Studies and has a minor in Communications from the University of California at Davis.

Speech topics

Belonging is big business

Diversity is a mere metric without belonging. Discover how recruiting and maintaining a diverse workforce requires cultural policies to celebrate uniqueness, manage the moment, fix the broken ladder and reduce unconscious bias in the workplace.

Growing tomorrow’s leadership

Leadership looks different for everyone. Support your upcoming leaders with the skills, vision and compassion they need to find their own style of success.

Confidence is a skill

We’re all good at different things. Discover how defining and celebrating your abilities can build the confidence to smash your career goals.

DEI at the Top: How business leaders can authentically and meaningfully institute DEI initiatives that actually work

DEI has become more than a buzzword for Fortune 500 companies, but event the most well-intentioned executives are failing at creating lasting change. Learn how business leaders can authentically and meaningfully institute DEI initiatives that actually work.

Diversity = Innovation: How critical diversity is in driving (or holding back) innovation

The business case for diversity is clear and definitive: companies that approach parity at the top of the ladder can earn as much as 19% higher revenues and 50% profits compared to those companies that aren’t diverse and inclusive. Adriana can explain how critical diversity is in driving (or holding back) innovation and bottom-lines.

Social entrepreneurship and nonprofit leadership

From working at 12 startups to turning a passion project for good into a global nonprofit heavyweight, Adriana Gascoigne knows how to build an idea into a thriving global organization. She has a wealth of knowledge and experiences, good and bad, to share as her gender equality nonprofit Girls in Tech turns 15 years old.

Books

Tech Boss Lady: How to Start-up, Disrupt, and Thrive as a Female Founder

The founder of Girls in Tech offers first-hand accounts of the realities of startup life, with the very best advice from top women entrepreneurs.

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