How a dedicated hackathon breaks down barriers in the tech industry and makes female* talent visible in the long term.
Innovation thrives on diversity, but women are often still underrepresented in high technology. This is precisely where the “Women* Are Gonna Make It” project comes in: It creates a space in which women can freely develop their technological ideas, collaborate and innovate.
By focusing on a supportive environment without the pressure of male-dominated competition, the initiative not only promotes creative solutions, but also strengthens the professional self-confidence of the participants. The result is a growing network of female experts who are actively shaping the future of the tech industry.
The project at a glance
- Target group: Women* in the technology sector and those interested in the field
- Focus: Networking, mentoring and breaking down stereotypes
- Objective: To increase the visibility of non-male talents and promote professional cooperation.
Challenges
In male-dominated fields such as high technology, women* often face specific hurdles. One major problem is a feeling of intimidation that can arise from a predominantly male audience. This dynamic often leads to women*:
- share their ideas less frequently or participate less actively in specialist discussions.
- Developing reduced self-confidence, which makes it difficult to demonstrate one’s own abilities.
- Have less access to informal networking opportunities and influential industry contacts.
In addition, implicit prejudices and stereotypes make professional recognition difficult and often undermine the professional credibility of experts. These factors inhibit individual development and limit opportunities for valuable industry-wide collaborations.
The solutions
The hackathon “Women* Are Gonna Make It” was conceived as a targeted response to these challenges in order to create an inclusive environment that empowers all participants.
Networking and visibility as a success factor: The deliberate design of the event enables solutions to be realized on several levels:
- Safe space for innovation: The supportive atmosphere encourages creative risk-taking behavior and allows participants to fully express their ambitions.
- Building mentorships: Bringing like-minded women* together fosters relationships that go far beyond the event and form the basis for future professional collaborations.
- Breaking down stereotypes: By presenting their technological projects, the participants directly challenge common prejudices and demonstrate their expertise.
Overall, the showroom enables craft businesses not only to embrace innovation, but also to use it as a productivity-enhancing tool. This enables companies to attract new customer groups, develop additional service models and increase their turnover in a sustainable way.
*The asterisk in “women*” is meant as an inclusive “placeholder” symbol that represents all women, including cisgender, transgender and non-binary or intersex people. The term “women*” is thus expanded beyond a strict, traditional binary definition to make it more inclusive and diverse.
