Women in Technology International
An international organization that advances women in technology through professional networks, recognition, mentoring, resources, and corporate partnerships.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Women in Technology International, commonly known as WITI, is an organization focused on advancing the participation, careers, leadership, and recognition of women in technology. Carolyn Leighton founded the organization in 1989 under the name The International Network of Women in Technology. It began as an email-based network intended to help women working across technology and business sectors connect with peers, obtain professional support, and gain access to opportunities. The organization later developed into a broader professional association and adopted the WITI Professional Association name in 2001. WITI's central premise is that women are an important but underrepresented source of technical expertise, business leadership, and economic activity. Its activities combine community-building with professional development. The organization has supported professional connections, mentoring, speaking opportunities, member recognition, access to business and technology resources, and forums organized around particular industries or areas of expertise. These activities are intended to serve both individual professionals and organizations seeking to recruit, retain, and promote women in technology-related roles. The organization describes its activities through several network models. The WITI Professional Network is aimed at people who regard technology as central to their careers or businesses and provides connections, resources, and opportunities. The WITI Corporate Network is designed for companies and other organizations that want to engage with WITI's community, use its services, and improve their ability to attract and support women employees. WITI Industry-Based Networks and Skills, or WITI WINS, provide more specialized forums in which professionals can exchange knowledge, build relationships, identify opportunities, and address challenges within particular technology industries. WITI is also known for its Women in Technology International Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes women regarded as having made significant contributions to technology and gives the organization a public platform for highlighting professional achievement and historical contribution. Events and conferences have been another important part of its model. The 2014 WITI 25-year conference, titled Powering Up!, featured technology and business leaders including Gwynne Shotwell of SpaceX. By 2012, WITI stated that its network had grown to approximately two million people, reflecting the expansion of online professional communities and the organization's international ambitions. Its activities have extended beyond networking to include corporate engagement and advocacy for girls' and women's participation in technology education and careers. In 2022, Randstad Technologies announced a partnership with WITI intended to address the underrepresentation of gender groups in the workplace and encourage girls and women to pursue technology education and careers. WITI is best understood as a mission-led professional association and community platform rather than a conventional consumer brand. Its value proposition rests on access to relationships, expertise, visibility, mentoring, recognition, and employer connections. The organization serves individual professionals, technology leaders, entrepreneurs, corporate partners, and people seeking pathways into technology. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current headquarters, a detailed corporate ownership structure, or a complete current leadership roster.
History
Women in Technology International was founded by Carolyn Leighton in 1989 as The International Network of Women in Technology. The initial concept was a network for women working in technology and business who needed access to peers, advice, professional support, and opportunities across organizational and geographic boundaries. In its earliest form, the community operated as an email group, an approach that allowed professionals in different locations and sectors to exchange information before social and professional networking platforms became widespread. The organization's purpose was broader than representing a single technical profession. It sought to advance women's careers across technology-related sectors while also making women's achievements more visible. This combination of networking, career support, recognition, and advocacy became the foundation of WITI's later programs. The community model connected individual professionals with one another and created channels through which companies could engage with a wider pool of women in technology. In 2001, the organization changed its name to the WITI Professional Association. The new identity reflected its development from an informal electronic network into a more structured professional and trade association serving women in technology. Over time, WITI expanded its activities into professional networks, corporate relationships, industry-focused groups, mentoring, resources, speaking opportunities, recognition programs, and events. Its public description of the organization emphasizes both individual and institutional participation: professionals can seek connections and development, while companies can use WITI's services and community to support hiring, retention, and leadership objectives. WITI's network structure includes a professional network for people whose careers or businesses are closely connected to technology, a corporate network for employers and organizational partners, and WITI Industry-Based Networks and Skills, known as WITI WINS. The WINS groups provide industry-oriented forums where members can share resources, meet experts, identify opportunities, and work through business or career challenges. The model combines online and in-person forums with mentoring, professional resources, member promotion, and opportunities to speak at WITI or affiliated events. Recognition has remained a notable part of WITI's public identity. The Women in Technology International Hall of Fame honors women who have made significant contributions to technology. Through the Hall of Fame and related recognition activity, WITI presents women's achievements as part of the history and continuing development of the technology sector. The organization's scale grew substantially with the expansion of online communities. WITI reported that its network had reached roughly two million people by 2012 and described itself as a leading organization for women in technology. Its conferences have provided another mechanism for bringing together professionals, executives, and technology leaders. The 2014 WITI 25-year conference, Powering Up!, included Gwynne Shotwell of SpaceX among its speakers. WITI's later work continued to combine professional advancement with efforts to address gender imbalance in technology. In 2022, Randstad Technologies announced a partnership with WITI focused on underrepresented gender groups in the workplace and on encouraging girls and women to pursue technology education and careers. This partnership illustrates WITI's role as an intermediary between professional communities, employers, and broader inclusion initiatives. Public reference material does not provide a complete account of WITI's current legal structure, headquarters, revenue, or current executive team. The organization is therefore most accurately described as an active international professional association and network whose principal outputs are communities, programs, events, recognition, resources, and partnerships rather than physical consumer products.
- 2022
Partnership with Randstad Technologies
[1]Randstad Technologies announced a partnership with WITI addressing gender underrepresentation and promoting technology education and careers for girls and women.
- 2014
Powering Up! 25-year conference
[1]WITI held a conference marking its 25th year, with speakers including SpaceX executive Gwynne Shotwell.
- 2012
Network reaches approximately two million people
[1]WITI reported that its community had grown to around two million people, reflecting its expanding online and international reach.
- 2001
Renamed the WITI Professional Association
[1]The organization adopted a professional-association identity as its activities and membership network expanded.
- 1989
Founding as The International Network of Women in Technology
[1]Carolyn Leighton established the organization to advance women’s careers in technology and business and initially operated it as an email-based network.
Products and positioning
A mission-led international professional association and community platform that helps women build careers, leadership, visibility, and connections in technology while helping organizations engage with underrepresented talent.
Professional network
WITI Professional Network
A community for professionals who consider technology important to their careers or businesses. It provides access to peer connections, professional resources, opportunities, and channels for sharing expertise.
Corporate partnership network
WITI Corporate Network
A platform for organizations that want to engage with WITI's professional community and use its products or services. Its stated value includes access to talent and support for recognizing women's leadership and participation in the technology workforce.
Industry community
WITI Industry-Based Networks and Skills (WITI WINS)
Industry-oriented forums designed to help members connect with peers, exchange resources, work with competency experts, discover opportunities, and address sector-specific career and business challenges.
Recognition program
Women in Technology International Hall of Fame
A recognition program honoring women who have made significant contributions to technology. It helps preserve and publicize examples of women's achievement in the field.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014Powering Up!
International
A conference held to mark WITI's 25th anniversary, bringing together technology and business speakers and professionals.
Outcome. The event reinforced WITI's role as a convening organization for women in technology and included Gwynne Shotwell among its speakers.
Brand decisions
2022
Partnership with Randstad TechnologiesOtherBackground
Gender groups remain underrepresented in many technology workplaces, while education and career pathways into technology remain uneven.
Action taken
WITI and Randstad Technologies entered a partnership focused on workplace representation and encouraging girls and women to pursue technology education and careers.
Aftermath
The partnership extended WITI's corporate and inclusion-oriented work, although public reference material does not quantify its results.
2001
Transition to the WITI Professional AssociationStrategyBackground
The original email-based network had developed into a broader organization serving professionals and corporate participants.
Action taken
WITI adopted the WITI Professional Association name and a more formal professional-association model.
Aftermath
The organization continued expanding its networks, events, resources, recognition programs, and corporate services.
Recent events
- 2022
Randstad Technologies announces partnership with WITI[1]
Other
The partnership was presented as an effort to address gender underrepresentation in the workplace and encourage girls and women to pursue technology education and careers.
- 2014
WITI marks its 25th year with the Powering Up! conference[1]
Other
The organization's 25-year conference featured speakers from technology and business, including Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX.
Sources2 sources
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