Supporting Women in Tech Starts with How We Show Up

When I began thinking about what it means to me to be a woman in tech, my first realization was that I do not typically frame my thinking through a gender-based lens. My perspective is usually shaped more by role, experience, and performance than by gender. I do not generally lead with my identity as a woman when forming opinions. In fact, the thought rarely crosses my mind that I am part of a minority.

That realization led me to a different question. Why is that? What gives me the confidence to work in an industry that is still predominantly male without gender feeling like a factor for me?

The first answer I came to was my foundation.

My father grew up in a family of five brothers. Then he married and had three daughters. He took us hunting and fishing. We fixed cars together. We painted the house. We repaired toilets. It did not matter to him whether we were boys or girls. He believed we were capable. Without ever naming it, he modeled equality through expectation.

That foundation shaped how I move through the world, including my career.

As I reflected on that, a more personal question followed. How do I make sure my own daughter grows up with that same foundation? I want her to be so confident in her abilities that she never assumes being a woman is a disadvantage before she even begins. I want her to focus on what she can learn, build, and contribute, not on whether she belongs.

Then I realized the question does not stop with my daughter.

PS Hummingbird Women in Tech at the AI Agent and Copilot Summit

Last week, PS Hummingbird sent an all-woman team to the AI Agent and Copilot Summit. After meeting just a subset of the incredible women who represent our organization, I felt energized and inspired. It made me think about the women in our industry who may not have had the same foundation I did. The ones who did not grow up being told, explicitly or implicitly, that they were capable.

That is when the question shifted. How can I help provide that foundation now? How can I lift other women up so they can move through this industry with the same confidence and sense of belonging?

I realized that the values I want to instill in my daughter are the same values I can practice every day in how I show up for other women in tech.

Support Through Visibility and Advocacy

Sometimes the most impactful support is simply using your voice and influence. Recognition matters.

• Amplify other women’s work in meetings, client conversations, and public forums

• Recommend women for opportunities, visibility, and stretch roles

Mentor Without Making It Formal

Mentorship does not have to be a long-term or formal commitment to be meaningful.

• Offer informal career conversations or quick check-ins

• Share lessons learned from your own path

• Be honest about mistakes, pivots, and challenges

Normalize Confidence and Capability

Many women still feel pressure to repeatedly prove themselves.

• Encourage women to own their expertise without over-qualifying

• Reinforce that it is okay to say, “I don’t know yet” and still appear capable

• Model confident, clear communication yourself

Share the Unwritten Rules

One of the biggest gaps is access to industry knowledge. Transparency is empowering.

• Explain how things really work behind the scenes

• Talk openly about negotiating compensation, scope, and roles

• Share how to navigate client dynamics, visibility, and burnout

Build Community, Not Comparison

Support does not require everyone to think, lead, or grow in the same way.

• Encourage women with different backgrounds, leadership styles, and goals

• Avoid framing success as a single path

• Celebrate peers, not just protégés

Support Without Labeling

You can support women without gender at the center of every interaction.

• Focus on capability, curiosity, and impact

• Let support feel natural, not performative

• Treat inclusion as part of good leadership, not a separate initiative

Lead by Example

Often, the most powerful support is simply being visible.

• Be a woman who leads confidently in technical and strategic spaces

• Show that you can be both deeply technical and people-focused

• Demonstrate that success does not require fitting a stereotype

My foundation shaped how I see myself and what I believe is possible. Supporting women in tech is a way to help extend that same foundation to others, regardless of role or title. These actions are simple but impactful, showing up in advocacy, visibility, mentorship, transparency, and everyday decisions. They are reflected in how we show up for one another, who we listen to, and who we elevate. The same confidence I want my daughter to carry into her future is something we can help build for each other today. That is how we create space for more women to thrive and build an industry where confidence is cultivated and opportunity is shared.