Reshma Saujani

Reshma​ ​Saujani​ ​is​ ​the​ ​Founder​ ​and​ ​CEO​ ​of​ ​Girls​ ​Who​ ​Code,​ a​​ ​ ​national​ ​non-profit​ ​organization working​ ​to​ ​close​ ​the​ ​gender​ ​gap​ ​in​ ​technology​ ​and​ ​change​ ​the​ ​image​ ​of​ ​what​ ​a​ ​programmer looks​ ​like​ ​and​ ​does.​ ​With​ ​their​ ​7-week​ ​Summer​ ​Immersion​ ​Program,​ ​2-week​ ​specialized Campus​ ​Program,​ ​after​ ​school​ ​Clubs,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​13-book​ N​​ ew​ ​York​ ​Times​​ ​best-selling​ ​series,​ ​they are​ ​leading​ ​the​ ​movement​ ​to​ ​inspire,​ ​educate,​ ​and​ ​equip​ ​young​ ​women​ ​with​ ​the​ ​computing​ ​skills to​ ​pursue​ ​21st​ ​century​ ​opportunities.​ ​By​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​2018​ ​academic​ ​year,​ ​Girls​ ​Who​ ​Code will​ ​have​ ​reached​ ​over​ ​50​ ​thousand​ ​girls​ ​in​ ​all​ ​50​ ​states​ ​and​ ​several​ ​US​ ​territories.​​ ​The​ ​results speak​ ​for​ ​themselves:​ ​88%​ ​of​ ​alumni​ ​have​ ​declared​ ​a​ ​CS​ ​major/minor​ ​or​ ​are​ ​more​ ​interested​ ​in CS​ ​because​ ​of​ ​Girls​ ​Who​ ​Code
Reshma​ ​began​ ​her​ ​career​ ​as​ ​an​ ​attorney​ ​and​ ​activist.​ ​In​ ​2010,​ ​she​ ​surged​ ​onto​ ​the​ ​political scene​ ​as​ ​the​ ​first​ ​Indian​ ​American​ ​woman​ ​to​ ​run​ ​for​ ​U.S.​ ​Congress.​ ​During​ ​the​ ​race,​ ​Reshma visited​ ​local​ ​schools​ ​and​ ​saw​ ​the​ ​gender​ ​gap​ ​in​ ​computing​ ​classes​ ​firsthand,​ ​which​ ​led​ ​her​ ​to start​ ​Girls​ ​Who​ ​Code.​ ​She​ ​has​ ​also​ ​served​ ​as​ ​Deputy​ ​Public​ ​Advocate​ ​for​ ​New​ ​York​ ​City​ ​and ran​ ​a​ ​spirited​ ​campaign​ ​for​ ​Public​ ​Advocate​ ​in​ ​2013.

Reshma’s​ ​TED​ ​talk,​ ​“Teach​ ​girls,​ ​bravery​ ​not​ ​perfection,”​ ​has​ ​more​ ​than​ ​three​ ​million​ ​views​ ​and has​ ​sparked​ ​a​ ​national​ ​conversation​ ​about​ ​how​ ​we’re​ ​raising​ ​our​ ​girls.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​the​ ​author​ ​of​ ​two books,​ ​​Girls​ ​Who​ ​Code:​ ​Learn​ ​to​ ​Code​ ​and​ ​Change​ ​the​ ​World,​ ​ ​the​ ​first​ ​in​ ​a​ ​13-book​ ​series about​ ​girls​ ​and​ ​coding​ ​which​ ​debuted​ ​as​ ​a​ ​​New​ ​York​ ​Times​ ​​bestseller,​ ​and​ ​​Women​ ​Who​ ​Don’t Wait​ ​In​ ​Line​,​ ​in​ ​which​ ​she​ ​advocates​ ​for​ ​a​ ​new​ ​model​ ​of​ ​female​ ​leadership​ ​focused​ ​on embracing​ ​risk​ ​and​ ​failure,​ ​promoting​ ​mentorship​ ​and​ ​sponsorship,​ ​and​ ​boldly​ ​charting​ ​your own​ ​course​ ​—​ ​personally​ ​and​ ​professionally.

Reshma​ ​is​ ​a​ ​graduate​ ​of​ ​the​ ​University​ ​of​ ​Illinois,​ ​Harvard’s​ ​Kennedy​ ​School​ ​of​ ​Government, and​ ​Yale​ ​Law​ ​School.​ ​She’s​ ​been​ ​named​ ​one​ ​of​ ​Fortune’s​ ​World’s​ ​Greatest. Leaders,​ ​Fortune’s 40​ ​Under​ ​40,​ ​a​ ​WSJ​ ​Magazine​ ​Innovator​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Year,​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​50​ ​Most​ ​Powerful​ ​Women​ ​in New​ ​York​ ​by​ ​the​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Daily​ ​News,​ ​CNBC’s​ ​Next​ ​List,​ ​Forbes’s​ ​Most​ ​Powerful​ ​Women Changing​ ​the​ ​World,​ ​Fast​ ​Company’s​ ​100​ ​Most​ ​Creative​ ​People,​ ​Crain’s​ ​New​ ​York​ ​40​ ​Under 40,​ ​Ad​ ​Age’s​ ​Creativity​ ​50,​ ​Business​ ​Insider’s​ ​50​ ​Women​ ​Who​ ​Are​ ​Changing​ ​the​ ​World,​ ​City​ ​& State’s​ ​Rising​ ​Stars,​ ​and​ ​an​ ​AOL​ ​/​ ​PBS​ ​Next​ ​MAKER.​ ​Saujani​ ​serves​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Board​ ​of Overseers​ ​for​ ​the​ ​International​ ​Rescue​ ​Committee,​ ​which​ ​provides​ ​aid​ ​to​ ​refugees​ ​and​ ​those impacted​ ​by​ ​humanitarian​ ​crises,​ ​and​ ​She​ ​Should​ ​Run,​ ​which​ ​seeks​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of women​ ​in​ ​public​ ​leadership.

Reshma​ ​lives​ ​in​ ​New​ ​York​ ​City​ ​with​ ​her​ ​husband,​ ​Nihal,​ ​their​ ​son,​ ​Shaan,​ ​and​ ​their​ ​bulldog, Stanley.

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