Over 100 women will converge in KC for a weekend of coding and camaraderie
July 19, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
This coming weekend, Kansas City will host over 100 women coders from around the Midwest for an immersive, two-day workshop.
The second annual workshop Django Girls is an international non-profit organization that is organized locally by Kansas City Women in Technology. The workshop will be held July 21 and 22 and attendees will build web applications using HTML, CSS, Python and Django.
Jennifer Wadella, founder of Kansas City Women in Technology, said that the goal of the workshop is to empower women in the technology industry.
“Kansas City Women in Technology is excited to bring Django Girls to Kansas City,” Wadella said in a release. “We want to continue building Kansas City’s thriving technology and startup scene with diverse professionals.”
Following a competitive application process, 113 women were selected to attend the event, which will be held at the Sprint Accelerator in the Crossroads Arts District.
Event sponsors include Think Big Partners, EquipmentShare, RevSYS, Pawn & Pint and more.
“Django Girls is an amazing program because we start with absolute beginners and by the end of the day, they’ve created a website,” said Django Girls KC marketing coordinator Amy Norris, in a release. “It’s also one of the only free workshops offered, which opens doors to web development to women who might not normally be able to try it.”
Founded in 2013, Kansas City Women in Technology is a nonprofit aimed at growing the number of women in technology careers in the metro. The organization offers several programs that encourage people of all ages and genders to learn to code: CoderDojoKC, Django Girls KC, Coding & Cupcakes and Coding & Cocktails
Wadella told Startland News in January that encouraging more women to pursue careers in technology will bring diverse thinking and well-rounded design to more companies, thus creating better products.
In April, Kansas City was ranked at the second best metro for women in technology, according to a study conducted by SmartAsset. This is the second consecutive year that Kansas City has earned the No. 2 title.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Digital Sandbox expands to St. Joseph, partners with animal health incubator
Digital Sandbox KC will expand its efforts northwest to reach entrepreneurs in St. Joseph, Mo. The proof-of-concept program announced Wednesday that it has established a partnership with Innovation Stockyard, a St. Joseph-based animal science business incubator. Located inside the Christopher S. Kit Bond Incubator, Innovation Stockyard will offer grant recipients of Digital Sandbox office space…
Kansas Citian wins Missouri State Star for her business counseling
On Monday, a Kansas Citian was recognized by America’s Small Business Development Center as the State of Missouri’s most outstanding business counselor. Thanks to her contributions to the region’s business growth, Rebecca Gubbels was named the 2017 Missouri State Star. Gubbels is a business and program consultant at the University of Missouri–Kansas City’s Small Business…
KCRise Fund backs five more KC-area tech startups
Spurring engagement from dozens of area investors, the KCRise Fund has announced five new funding deals in area firms. Launched in 2016 in conjunction with the regional KC Rising economic initiative, the KCRise Fund has added ShotTracker, SMRxT, SquareOffs, Backlot Cars, and Bardavon Health Innovations to its portfolio of now 10 firms. The fund did…
Report: KC artists have spurred hundreds of millions for the region
It’s no secret that art has an impact on the heart and soul. But in Kansas City, art also has a significant impact on the economy. The art industry added a total of $276 million to the metro’s economy in 2015. The figure is a slight increase from the 2010 figure, according to a report…