Meet Jodi Kovitz — the woman behind #movethedial who is “turning tech into a girls club”
Girls Who Code’s Canadian Women in Tech Spotlights
In Canada, women make up 47 percent of the overall workforce, but only 23 percent of the technology workforce; they make up 53 percent of university graduates, but only 28 percent of graduates with degrees in technology.
That’s not lost on Jodi Kovitz, founder of #movethedial — an organization dedicated to bringing more women into tech in Canada.
Kovitz has worked as a lawyer and consultant, but throughout her career was struck by the lack of women in powerful positions, particularly in the technology industry. Understanding that a lack of female role models impacts the number of women who choose to pursue leadership positions, she decided to do something to change the status quo.
Kovitz created #movethedial to connect women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to one another, celebrate their successes, and empower women of all ages to become leaders in technological fields.
By the time my daughter enters the workforce, it’s my hope that we won’t even be having this conversation anymore because women in power will be the norm.
“It started early on when I would look around the room at executive meetings and wouldn’t see a single woman at the table,” said Kovitz. “We already have all the knowledge and statistics to show that diversity in tech, although slowly improving, is still an issue. Now we need to look at proactive solutions to engage more women in tech leadership.”
In 2017, #movethedial launched its first Global Summit in Toronto, bringing leaders from technology and innovation fields around the world together to speak about diversity and equity. That same year, Kovitz was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. Last year, she was honoured as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women by Women of Influence.
“The last couple of decades have seen an increase in women ascending, shattering glass ceilings and influencing their companies for the better,” said Kovitz. “But now that it’s started, it needs to be amped up and accelerated. By the time my daughter enters the workforce, it’s my hope that we won’t even be having this conversation anymore because women in power will be the norm.”
At Girls Who Code we believe that you cannot be what you cannot see. This is why we’ve created Women in Tech Spotlights featuring Canadian women in tech for our Clubs in Canada. These Spotlights are available to our Clubs Facilitators across Canada as teaching aids for the girls in their classrooms.
