My Nonprofit Reviews
Ore S.
Review for Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, Palo Alto, CA, USA
I had been a member of the ABI list for a few years before, but my first 'real' experience with ABI was in 2008 after I established a nonprofit organisation, W.TEC, focused on mentoring Nigerian women and girls in their use of information technology (www.w-teconline.org). We were planning a pilot technology camp for teenage girls and sourcing for funding when I learnt of the Pass it On grants. We applied and got it. I was thrilled and that was the start of a wonderfully supportive relationship with ABI. The funding from the PIO grant was instrumental in getting the girls tech camp going (it is now in its 4th year).
In 2009, I was nominated for and selected for the ChangeMaker award. As part of my prize, I was invited to the Grace Hopper Conference to receive my award and participate in a panel with other ChangeMaker award winners. I can honestly say that GHC is the best conference I have been for (and I have attended a few). All the women I met (the ABI staff) were warm and everyone shared their experiences as women in computing freely. I learnt so much from the sessions and other attendees that I could apply to my work in Nigeria.
Through this network of incredible women, the GHC, the lists and regular newsletters, ABI has supported and encouraged many women in their technical careers (no matter what stage they are at).
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
As mentioned above in my review.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Maybe have regional chapters. Aside from that, the Anita Borg Institute is a fantastic organisation that is much more than a talk-shop and has a big impact on women in computing.
