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Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code in 2012, with a mission to close the gender gap in computer science and educate and prepare girls for careers in the technology industry. While the non-profit grew and the amount of women earning degrees in computer science increased, gender equality continues to lag inside of tech companies. Women are still being denied the same career opportunities as men, regardless of their education level or skill set. Then came the pandemic, dealing a devastating blow to women and their careers. Since the start of Covid-19, more than 2.3 million women have been forced out of the U.S. workforce, undoing over three decades of progress towards gender equality. The lack of leadership on this crisis was the impetus for Reshma\u2019s new initiative, the Marshall Plan for Moms, which calls for "long overdue policies like paid family leave, affordable childcare, and pay equity." She joins the podcast to talk about solving the cultural and systemic forces that exist inside of tech companies, and across greater society, that hold women back and inhibit the U.S. from realizing its full economic potential. \n\nListen to this episode to learn:\n\n\u2022 Why tech companies should be addressing the problem of \u201cunearned privilege\u201d rather than the myth of the \u201cpipeline problem\u201d \n\n\u2022 The cultural problem of toxic masculinity inside tech companies -- and how it\u2019s forcing far too many women (especially younger women) to drop out of tech entirely\n\n\u2022 How bravery can be the antidote to perfectionism \n\n\u2022 How role models like Vice President Kamala Harris inspire women of color -- or, as Reshma says, \u201cYou cannot be what you cannot see.\u201d\n\n\u2022 Why true gender equality needs vocal male allies and advocates -- at home and at work\n\n\u2022 What\u2019s next for Reshma as she steps down as CEO of Girls Who Code and hands leadership over to Dr. Tarika Barrett \n\nFor more information: girlswhocode.com and marshallplanformoms.com