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
Bringing grub to KC food deserts, Rollin’ Grocer to expand impact after contest win
While he takes pride in his roots, Priest Hughes said it saddens him to see a staple of life — fresh food — become so difficult to attain in parts of Kansas City. Over the course of a decade, Hughes has noticed several grocery stores in his neighborhood close at an alarming rate. Purchasing fresh,…
Truck-sharing app Bungii hauling early success, eyeing expansion
Less than a year after its launch, Kansas City-based truck-sharing app Bungii is gaining significant traction. In addition to expanding its platform from only Kansas City to include Lawrence, Bungii has tapped hundreds of users that temporarily need a truck to haul their stuff. Led by two recent college graduates, Ben Jackson and Harrison Proffitt, Bungii’s on-demand…
Kauffman Foundation: National startup activity continues to improve
National startup activity grew slightly in 2016, a consecutive three-year improvement that reached pre-Great Recession levels, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. However, in the long-term view startup activity is still in decline when compared to the 1980s, the 2017 Kauffman Index of Startup Activity found. Victor Hwang, vice president of entrepreneurship at the…
Kauffman report: KC startup momentum builds for 3 years running, improves national rank
It’s not just a feeling. Momentum in Kansas City’s startup community continues to grow, according to new data from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Kauffman Index of Startup Activity found that for the third consecutive year, entrepreneurial activity in the Kansas City metro has grown. The index — which presents entrepreneurial trends nationally, at…