Reshma Saujani, Founder @ Girls Who Code

Simi sits down with Reshma Saujani — Founder of Girls Who Code. Reshma is also an international bestselling author, attorney, and activist. 

The daughter of Indian refugees, Reshma studied political science and eventually went on to pursue her Masters in Public Policy and J.D.

After graduating from Yale Law, Reshma worked as a corporate attorney on Wall Street. But soon, she pivoted to politics. She founded South Asians for Kerry, during John Kerry’s 2004 presidential election run. She also served on the Hillary Clinton’s National Finance Board during her 2008 campaign. In 2010, she herself became the first Indian-American woman to run for congress. Though her was bid was unsuccessful, her time on the campaign trail laid the groundwork for Girls Who Code. Reshma’s visits to K-12 schools made her increasingly aware of gender disparities in STEM classrooms. So in 2012, she founded the nonprofit in an effort to close the gender gap in tech. To date, they’ve served over 450,000 girls around the world. 

Since retiring as CEO of the organization, Reshma has embarked on a new mission: the Marshall Plan for Moms — her vision to revitalize women in the workforce and to compensate them for their unpaid labor. Her book on the subject, Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work is due for release in March 2022. Listen in for key insights into Reshma’s successes in law, politics, and tech.

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