Adriana Gascoigne
Speaker. Author. Founder.
ABOUT
The power of one girl in tech.
Adriana Gascoigne is the founder and CEO of Girls in Tech (GIT), a Nashville-based non-profit organization devoted to empowering, educating and engaging women in the tech industry. She is also the author of Tech Boss Lady: How To Start-Up, Disrupt, And Thrive As A Female Founder, and a board member on WAPPP, Harvard Kennedy School's Women in Public Policy Program.
More than a decade ago, Adriana found herself a victim of discrimination and harrassment as the lone female executive as a Silicon Valley startup. From that experience, she was inspired to help other women and thus founded GIT, which today advocates for diversity and inclusion in STEM fields.
GIT boasts 57 chapters throughout the world. It comprises an active, engaged community of more than 80,000 members in 42 countries. Hundreds of events and programs are held throughout the year and are tailored to address the unique needs of local chapters.
Through her leadership at GIT, Adriana has improved diversity in the tech workforce; encouraged policy change at government, corporate and community levels; inspired women to pursue any career they wish; and, created impact-oriented courses to support women throughout their career.
No stranger to growing brands and building amazing companies, Adriana has worked with tech companies like hi5, Algentis, Jam City, Social Gaming Network (SGN), ImpulseFlyer, RxMatch and QwikCart. She has also served in executive roles at Ogilvy & Mather, Interpublic Group of Companies, and SecondMarket.
Adriana holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a concentration in Organizational Studies and has a minor in Communications from the University of California at Davis.
Adriana’s accolades include:
Receiving a Singularity University Impact Fellow Scholarship
Being named one of the 20 most influential Latinos in technology in 2018 by CNET
Winning the 2018 Pioneer Leadership Award at the Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit
TESTIMONIAL
I had the pleasure of working with Adriana when she was a keynote presenter at our premiere annual conference - PegaWorld iNspire.
When looking for a keynote speaker, we wanted to support a great organization while also sharing an iNspiring story with our audience. Adriana delivered! She shared both her personal story as well as her organization’s mission to grow the development and education of this underrepresented group in Tech. As we all know, inclusion and diversity make us and our organizations better. Adriana was the perfect person to paint the picture of why it matters and how we can collectively do better.
I can’t speak highly enough about what a great partner Adriana and her team were through the process and what a memorable keynote presentation she delivered. As a testament, our partnership started with that keynote about four years ago, but continues to grow and deepen as the years go on.
MICHAEL BRENNER / VICE PRESIDENT, CLIENT EXPERIENCE / PEGASYSTEMS INC.
SPEAKING
Inspiration. Live.
Adriana’s vision, diverse experience and positive energy for people has seen her quickly become a favourite choice at leading tech conferences across the globe. Here she shares her personal stories, leadership inspiration and most importantly actionable strategies for all businesses to drive meaningful change through diversity, equality, inclusion and the bottom line.
Looking to make your next conference or business event a pivotal part of your company’s story? Talk with Adriana.
Choose from a list of speaking topics below or request bespoke content.
CORPORATE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
BOOK
Tech Boss Lady - how to start up, disrupt and thrive as a female entrepreneur.
You know startups are hard, but what is it like to fail, have a falling out with your co-founder, or to go through hundreds of pitches in an effort to get funded?
In Tech Boss Lady, Adriana Gascoigne, Founder of Girls in Tech dives into the gritty, raw side of startups. She shares her own story - of defying Silicon Valley's boy's club and founding the largest organization for female entrepreneurs in the world. Plus hear candid tales from more than 20 leading women in tech. The result: a no-nonsense guide for the entrepreneur, intrapreneur and Tech Boss Lady within each of us.
