Inside the August WIT Forum: Closing the Opportunity Gap

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Three people pose and smile in front of a purple backdrop with WIT Women in Technology logos. The group includes two women and one man dressed in business attire.

Every WIT Forum starts with a question, and this month’s, delivered live to a packed room, cut right to it: is there really a promotion gap between men and women in tech?

Roughly 80% of the room said yes. And the data our panelists brought to the stage backed them up: according to McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report, for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women were promoted at that same stage.  The gap doesn’t open up mid-career. It starts at the very first promotion, and compounds from there, into pay, into retirement contributions, into every opportunity that follows.

That’s the kind of insight WIT Forums are built to surface. But the real value of this session wasn’t in naming the gap. It was in what our panelists, Jasmine Grant, Ryan Radding, and Kanyatta Walker, gave the room to do about it.

Mentors help. Sponsors move careers.

One of the sharpest distinctions raised on stage: mentors are common. Sponsors are rare, and they’re the ones who actually advocate for you in rooms you’re not in. As one panelist put it, “who’s got the juice” in your organization? Who’s quietly taking on more, growing their scope, showing up in conversations before the job is even posted? Those are the people worth building relationships with, not because they can hand you a promotion, but because visibility, sponsorship, and opportunity tend to travel together.

Find your “superpower,” then talk about it.

Panelists pushed back on the idea that doing great work is enough on its own. In today’s environment, being your own advocate, professionally, not performatively, is part of the job. That starts with identifying what you uniquely bring (your “superpower,” as one panelist called it) and being intentional about how you communicate it, whether that’s in a 1:1, a hallway conversation, or the meeting before the meeting.

The system changes as you rise, and that’s not a secret you’re supposed to already know.

Another key point: promotion decisions get less personal and more institutional the higher you go. Early-career moves might be a single manager’s call; senior-level moves happen in rooms with names like leadership committees or promotion boards, rooms most people don’t know exist until someone tells them. Understanding who actually sits at that table, and who influences them, is part of navigating the system rather than just working hard within it.

Negotiate anyway, even when the answer is no.

The panel also tackled a common misconception directly: one attendee cited newer research that shows women do ask for raises and promotions at rates comparable to men, they’re just told no more often. The advice from the stage wasn’t to stop asking. It was to treat repeated “no’s” as information: know your market value, and be willing to look outside your organization’s walls if your organization won’t recognize it inside them.

What happens next

This is where WIT Forums do their real work, not in the panel discussion itself, but in what attendees carry out of the room. Every attendee left with a discussion guide to keep the conversation going with their teams, their WIT groups, and their own networks. That’s the multiplier effect of these sessions: one morning of insight, translated into hundreds of conversations across the companies represented in that room.

If this conversation resonated, there’s more where it came from. On October 9th, we’re hosting the WIT Careers in Action Summit: a half-day program focused on professional development, community, and intentional career advancement at every stage.

Register here: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/UV5PnA?vid=1qx6ax

Thank you to our Presenting Partner

None of this happens without the partners who make WIT Forums possible. Thank you to our presenting partner, Tier4 Group, for supporting this session from start to finish.


Logo with the words TIER 4 GROUP. The 4 is stylized in blue, incorporating a human figure into the design. All other text is in gray, and the design has a modern, clean look.

Thank you to our additional WIT Forum Partners

We’re also grateful to our additional partners for their continued investment in this community: Adapture, Brooksource, Cargill, CDW, Cox Enterprises, Fiserv, Genuine Parts Company (GPC), Georgia-Pacific, Google Cloud, Infor, Norfolk Southern, Pyramid Consulting, QTS, Rollins, Salesforce, Southwire, State Farm, Synchrony, The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, and Truist.

Women in Technology (WIT) creates possibilities for more women to explore, pursue, persist, and lead in technology careers.

The Real Question Isn’t “Am I Ready for More?” It’s “Is This Worth It?”

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Five women sit on stools speaking at a panel in front of an audience, with a presenter standing at a podium and a blue screen behind them reading Welcome to WIT Technology Uncorked!.

Inside our August WIT Technology Uncorked

The August WIT Technology Uncorked brought together five women who have each, at some point, had to decide whether to stay, push back, or walk away from a role that looked good on paper but didn’t add up in practice. The theme: responsibility without recognition, and what to do when you’re handed the work but not the title, the trust, or the pay to match.

Our moderator opened with a story a lot of the room recognized immediately: being “promoted” in name only, more than once, by the same company. It set the tone for a conversation that wasn’t about complaining. It was about the moment of clarity that comes right before a real decision.

How do you know if it’s still worth it?

The first question of the night set up the whole conversation: how do you evaluate whether your organization still deserves your investment?

The answers converged on three things worth checking for, whatever stage of your career you’re in.

Peace of mind. Not just satisfaction with the work, but the ability to actually stop thinking about it when you walk away from your desk. If you’re doing your best thinking at 3am, that’s a signal, not a badge of honor.

Sponsorship, not just mentorship. One panelist drew a sharp line between the two: mentors give you advice in the room. Sponsors talk about you when you’re not in it. If leadership isn’t doing the second one, the first one doesn’t count for much.

Investment in the work itself, not just in you. A team can champion you personally and still starve your project of funding. That gap is worth watching.

Culture came up as its own category entirely, and the panel was clear that it isn’t one thing. There’s the culture of the company, and there’s the culture of your specific team, and they can be completely different animals. One panelist described watching a strong, inclusive culture quietly erode after the leader who built it moved on, and not seeing it happen in real time. “When you’re in it, you don’t see it,” she said. “Later on you’re like, that was a full force hurricane.”

Advocating from the inside

The conversation shifted to what it actually looks like to push for change without leaving. The advice was less about big speeches and more about specificity: figure out exactly what you need, ask for it directly, and frame it in terms the business understands.

One panelist described telling her manager plainly that she’d be gone certain afternoons for her kids’ games, and that the tradeoff was a better, more present version of her at work the rest of the time. Another described asking her provost for a salary adjustment based on public pay records, being turned down, and using that as the push to leave for an opportunity that nearly tripled her salary.

The through-line: know your own value before you ask anyone else to recognize it, and be ready to act on what you learn either way.

Investing in your own career, on your own terms

By the end of the night, the room had moved from strategy to something more personal. Several panelists talked about reaching a point where they stopped waiting for someone else to notice their work and started asking for more of it directly, whether that meant more responsibility, a renegotiated role, or a title that finally matched what they’d already been doing for years.

One panelist summed up the throughline of the whole evening: find the work you’d want to keep doing even if no one were watching, and then make sure someone is.

The evening closed with a moment of quiet reflection, giving everyone in the room a chance to write down what had landed for them, and where they might be carrying work that isn’t being recognized in their own careers right now, before moving into table conversations to talk it through with each other.

Meet the panel

  • Kerri Sauer (Moderator), FinTech & Technology Leader
  • Dorren Schmitt, Ph.D., VP of IT Strategy and Innovation IT & Cybersecurity, Allen Media Group (parent company of The Weather Channel)
  • Akhila Gullapalli, VP of Data and Tech, Fiserv
  • April Lake, CIO, Novelis
  • Leanne West, Chief Engineer of Pediatric Technology, Georgia Tech; Chief Research and Innovation Officer, Shriners Children’s; President, International Children’s Advisory Network
  • Windy Nicholson, former VP of Product M&A, Salesforce; Tech Executive & Nonprofit Board President

Women in Technology (WIT) creates possibilities for more women to explore, pursue, persist, and lead in technology. Learn more at mywit.org.

WIT Campus Spring 2026 Cohort Closes: By the Numbers and in Their Own Words

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WIT Campus Mentorship Program · Spring 2026

Nine weeks. Fifty-five college women. Fourteen industry mentors. And results that speak for themselves.

The WIT Campus Mentorship Program wrapped its Spring 2026 cohort on May 4, 2026, and we’re proud to share what happened when we brought college women and technology industry professionals together across a fully virtual, nine-week experience built for exactly this moment in a student’s career.

What the program set out to do

WIT Campus connects college women pursuing technology careers with industry professionals from the WIT community. Over nine weeks (March 9 through May 4, 2026), participants engaged in structured virtual small-group mentoring sessions with a clear mission: build job readiness, expand career awareness, grow professional networks, and strengthen the sense of belonging that keeps women in technology.

Each group completed five small-group sessions, with mentees grouped across institutions to encourage cross-campus connection. Standardized mentor guides and discussion prompts ensured every cohort had a consistent, high-quality foundation, while still leaving room for the real, honest conversations that make mentorship matter.

The numbers

We set ambitious targets. The Spring 2026 cohort didn’t just meet most of them. It exceeded them.

By program close, 94% of participants reported stronger job readiness confidence, and 84.6% said the program broadened their understanding of career paths in technology. Nearly nine in ten (88.1%) came away with a stronger sense of belonging in the tech community, and 83.3% grew their network of professional connections through the program.

The belonging score may be the most striking of all. Entering the program, only half of participants reported feeling a sense of belonging within the technology community. By close, that number had climbed to 88.1%, a 38-point gain that represents something more than a metric. It reflects what community actually feels like when it’s built intentionally.

On professional networks: at program start, nearly one in three participants (30.8%) reported zero personal connections to technology professionals. By the end, 83.3% said their network had grown, with the majority adding two or more new connections through the program.

In their own words

Data tells one story. The 24 mentee testimonials and 7 mentor reflections from this cohort tell another. Together, they give you the full picture.

On finding direction:

“I came into this program somewhat lost about my field and not knowing anyone. I wanted to learn more about the different ways I could stand out with my resume, and this mentorship program has helped me learn what recruiters are looking for.”

“I joined the WIT Campus Mentorship Program looking for direction, but I left with something much more valuable: confidence and clarity. As a computer science student, I had the technical skills, but I wasn’t always sure how to apply them or where I truly fit in the tech industry.”

On belonging:

“The WIT Campus Mentorship Program made me feel seen. As a woman pursuing a career in technology, I was looking for a sense of community and belonging in a field where women are often underrepresented… it became much more than that.”

“I feel a sense of belonging with other women in tech, and I feel better about networking and improving my skills. I feel much more confident in defining who I am in tech.”

On expanding what’s possible:

“I joined the WIT Campus Mentorship Program with a limited idea of what I could do in my technology career. I used to think I could only follow the path related to my major. Through this program, I realized there are many more roles I can explore.”

“I’ve become more concrete in my pathway, developed ways to make myself stand out on LinkedIn and in interviews, and I know where to seek help even when I feel like I don’t have someone to contact.”

On real outcomes:

“I would also like to give credit to this program for helping me develop myself professionally in such a way that I was able to secure an internship for this summer.”

From the mentors who made it happen:

“Mentoring has broadened my perspective by reminding me that everyone’s path into technology is different, and diverse experiences and viewpoints make our industry stronger.”

“What surprised me most was how much I learned from my mentees. Their resilience, curiosity, and openness pushed me to reflect on my own journey and reminded me why this work matters.”

“Many students are more capable than they realize, and thoughtful conversations can shift how they see themselves and their future in tech.”

What comes next

The Spring 2026 cohort is closed, but the momentum it built is not. The connections made, the confidence earned, and the career paths clarified over these nine weeks will carry forward into internship applications, job searches, and eventually into the next generation of women who mentor others.

That’s the arc WIT has always believed in: mentees become mentors, students become industry leaders, and communities grow stronger when the people who’ve found their footing turn around to help the next person find theirs.

Interested in mentoring the next cohort of college women in tech, or connecting your company with the WIT Campus program? Reach out to us at programs@mywit.org.

Women in Technology (WIT) creates possibilities for more women to explore, pursue, persist, and lead in technology. Est. 1992.

The Meetings Before the Meetings

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There’s a moment most of us have experienced: You walk into a room thinking a decision is still on the table, and you quickly realize it was made before anyone sat down. The meeting was a formality. You just didn’t know it.

The women who shape decisions, the ones who actually move things forward, know something the rest of the room doesn’t always see. The real work happens before the calendar invite goes out.

At a recent Women in Technology (WIT) Technology Uncorked event, a panel of senior leaders in technology and strategy gathered to talk about navigating power, pushback, and decision- making. And across every story they shared, one strategy surfaced again and again: Do the meetings before the meetings.

What that actually means

It’s not about going around people or playing political games. It’s about doing the relationship work that makes the formal meeting matter.

One panelist described leading a new product initiative at The Coca-Cola Company. She walked in with a room full of longtime employees who immediately pushed back. “We tried it. It won’t work. There’s a white paper that says so.” Instead of defending the idea on the spot, she paused. She went back and had individual conversations. She found out who had reservations, and more important, she learned why. She identified her champions. She understood the history.

Then she came back with a real business case, answers to the objections, and with the people in the room already partially won over.

“I had the meetings before the meetings,” she said. “And I love hearing the pushback, because that way you can position it when you’re in the real meeting. You can say, I heard you. This is what we’re doing about it.“

Influence doesn’t live in your title

Another panelist made a point that reframes how most of us think about organizational power. She had grown up in her company, risen through the ranks, earned her C-level seat, and discovered that one director in a finance support function had more influence over hiring decisions than anyone with a formal title.

“It wasn’t me with my C title or the CEO who told me it was approved. Ultimately, she had the influence and helped drive that for the entire organization.”

The lesson: Influence is informal and distributed. It lives in relationships, in trust, in who people call when they need to think something through. And you don’t find that out from an org chart. You find it by paying attention, building relationships across levels, and as one panelist put it, going to the food court.

“You start to see who hangs out with each other, whose kids go to school together, who’s neighbors with who. And then you start to understand how influence actually moves.”

Resistance Is data

Every panelist had experienced pushback. The kind that’s obvious, and the kind that isn’t. Silence in a meeting. An idea attributed to someone else. A decision quietly reversed after you leave the room.

Their advice wasn’t to avoid conflict or push harder. It was to get curious.

“When I find resistance, I say: ‘I feel some tension here. Tell me what I’ve missed. Help me understand what you see as a blocker.” One panelist described this as turning resistance into information. “The resistors give you so much data. They show you the path. They tell you exactly what you need to address.”

That reframe matters. Pushback isn’t a wall. It’s a map.

Building alignment is the job

As careers advance, the work shifts. It’s less about executing tasks and more about building consensus, removing obstacles, and moving ideas through people.

“When we’re younger in our careers, it’s all about the task,” one panelist reflected. “The further we progress, all of my time is spent shaping, influencing, working with peers, and helping move ideas forward.”

That’s not a soft skill. That’s leadership. And it requires a different kind of preparation than most of us were taught.

The meeting before the meeting isn’t a trick. It’s the practice of showing up to formal moments with the relationships, information, and alignment already built. It’s how decisions get made, and how you get to be part of making them.

Try it this week

Before your next important meeting, ask yourself:

  • Who in this room hasn’t been heard yet?
  • Who are my potential champions, and have I talked to them?
  • What’s the real resistance, and what does it tell me about what I still need to address?
  • Is there a conversation I can have before that would make the formal meeting more productive?

The goal isn’t to predetermine the outcome. It’s to show up prepared, to bring people along, and to lead in a way that makes the work, and the people doing it, better.

This insight was drawn from a WIT Technology Uncorked event on navigating power, pushback, and decision-making. Women in Technology (WIT) creates possibilities for more women to explore, pursue, persist, and lead in technology. Learn more at mywit.org.

WIT Connect 2026 Recap

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WIT Connect 2026 was everything this community stands for: energy, generosity, purpose, and the undeniable power of what happens when Georgia’s technology leaders come together in the same room. On April 29th, more than 550 supporters gathered for an evening that was as inspiring as it was fun—celebrating the women and girls who are shaping the future of technology, and raising critical funds to power WIT’s programs for another year. Thanks to the leadership of our Presenting Sponsor, Cox, and a community that showed up in full force, WIT Connect 2026 raised $339,000 to fuel the year ahead.

An Evening That Delivered

WIT Connect is not a typical gala. It is a high-energy gathering that blends meaningful conversation with friendly competition, peer connection with senior leadership access, and celebration with accountability. Attendees left having made real connections, heard honest perspectives from leaders they admire, and contributed directly to a mission they believe in.

The Silent Auction featured exceptional experiences and items donated by partners across the Atlanta technology community. The energy in the room during bidding was electric, and the generosity on display was a testament to how deeply this community invests in WIT’s work.

Why WIT Connect Matters

Every dollar raised at WIT Connect goes directly to supporting WIT Girls, WIT Campus, WIT YoPros, and the forums and programming that have built this community over three decades. When you show up for WIT Connect, you are not just attending an event. You are funding the scholarship that helps a young woman pursue a computer science degree. You are supporting the middle schooler who just discovered she loves coding. You are backing the early-career professional who needs a community to help her persist.

Save the Date for 2027

Did you miss it this year? Mark your calendar now: WIT Connect 2027 is Thursday, May 6, 2027. Sponsorships and tickets will open in early 2027. In the meantime, stay connected by subscribing to our newsletter and following WIT on social media.

AI and Your Career: Key Takeaways from a Recent WIT Forum

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The conversation about artificial intelligence and career development is no longer hypothetical. It is happening right now, in boardrooms, on factory floors, and in every corner of the technology workforce. At a recent WIT forum, a panel of senior technology leaders came together to share candid perspectives on what the AI moment means for women in tech.

AI Is No Longer Experimental — It Is a Competitive Requirement

When attendees were asked how AI feels in relation to their careers, the most common responses were “competitive advantage” and “skill requirement.” The panelists agreed: this is not hype, and it is not coming someday. AI is already reshaping knowledge work in ways we have not seen before. Those who adopt early will have a distinct edge. Those who wait may find themselves left behind.

Gender Gaps in AI Adoption Are Real — and Worth Naming

Research suggests that women are less likely than men to self-start their AI learning journeys. Imposter syndrome, experienced by a significant majority of women at some point in their careers, plays a real role. The takeaway: culture matters enormously, and not everyone is working in a supportive one.

If Your Organization Is Not Giving You Time, Find It Yourself

The companies leading on AI are intentionally carving out time for their teams to learn, experiment, and fail safely. But for those without that support: do not let your company’s priorities determine your learning. Start small. A ten-minute YouTube video. A podcast on your commute. A few questions typed into a free AI tool on your own time.

Diversity Is Not Separate from AI — It Is Essential to It

Generative AI models are built on data, and that data carries bias. Diverse teams are not just a values-driven priority in the AI era; they are a technical and strategic necessity. Women who step into AI roles are helping to shape technology that will affect everyone.

The Bottom Line: Start Somewhere

AI may not replace your job. But people who understand AI will be more competitive for it. The skill gap is real, the opportunity is real, and the moment to begin is now.

Celebrating Our Champions of Possibility

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On January 15, WIT hosted our Champions of Possibility event – a special evening dedicated to celebrating those who make our mission possible. The event was a joyful gathering filled with connection, reflection, and celebration of the incredible impact our community has created over the past year.

Multiple Ways to Make a Difference

After a happy hour where attendees had a chance to reconnect and meet new people in the WIT community, guests explored our Impact Stations, where they learned more about the programs WIT volunteers and partners make possible, opportunities to become part of the WIT Community Giving Circle, and WIT merchandise available for purchase.

Inspiring Stories of Impact

Kerri Sauer, Managing Director at Sia Partners (and our 2025 Woman of the Year: Mid-Sized Business), shared her personal experiences with WIT and spoke to the power of community, connection, and the impact WIT has had on her journey.

Ryan Radding, Senior Vice President of Financial Services U.S. and Canada at Salesforce, highlighted Salesforce’s partnership with WIT, sharing why investing in community and supporting women in technology is a priority for the organization.

Become Our Next Champion of Possibility!

Thank you to all who attended and celebrated with us! Your commitment and enthusiasm are the heartbeat of WIT. Learn more about how you can get involved, whether as a volunteer, partner, or supporter.

Sports Technology and Leadership: Insights from Our Virtual Forum

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On January 21, 2026, WIT hosted a virtual forum exploring how technology is transforming women’s sports and how female leaders are shaping the future of athletics. The discussion was moderated by Marie Mouchet and brought together three accomplished panelists:

  • Joni Taylor, Texas A&M basketball coach and five-time USA Basketball gold medalist
  • Tiffany Daniels, SEC Associate Commissioner for Competition and former University of Georgia player
  • Danielle Donehew, Executive Director of the WBCA, trained engineer, former Pat Summitt staffer, and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Leadership, Representation, and the Future of Sports Tech

Each speaker shared experiences of being “the only woman in the room,” especially early in their careers. Over time, their approach shifted from trying to fit in to confidently asserting expertise and leadership. Women must not only use technology in sports, but lead its development and application.

Technology in Athlete Performance

The panel highlighted how wearables and data are revolutionizing training and player safety. Joni Taylor shared how tools like the KINEXON track player movements, workloads, and recovery. Transparent sharing of this data allows athletes to monitor progress and learn from their performance.

AI and Smarter Competition Management

Tiffany Daniels discussed how AI systems such as Fastbreak.ai have streamlined complex scheduling for conferences. These tools consider factors like home/away balance, rest periods, travel distances, and television requests to optimize schedules while reducing human error.

Visibility and Growth of Women’s Basketball

The conversation explored the growing audience and commercial value of women’s basketball. From a single televised NCAA final in 1982 to hundreds of games today, viewership continues to rise. Danielle Donehew stressed that fan engagement is critical to sustaining the sport’s growth.