Encouraging Women and Non-Binary Computer Scientists at TechTogether Boston

When determined women make strides towards the advancement of society, a transformative event like TechTogether is born. TechTogether Boston (formerly SheHacks) is the largest all-female and non-binary hackathon held in Boston. The upcoming event will be from March 22-24, this year at Boston University. Its mission is threefold: empower women and femme non-binary individuals in technology; provide them with opportunities to explore the tech industry in an encouraging and inspiring environment; and create a community of inclusivity within the tech industry.

Sreeya Sai, a fourth-year Khoury College of Computer Sciences computer science major, serves as the director of partnerships for TechTogether Boston. She manages a fundraising team to give all participants the opportunity to attend for free. She also handles corporate, non-profit, and government relations, ensuring that participants can approach opportunities at companies such as Wayfair, PayPal, and Microsoft.

Sai recalls her story of getting involved in computer science. “I was originally a biology major when coming to Northeastern but decided to switch to computer science after taking a CS class my freshman year. I soon realized that I was passionate about problem-solving through code.” Though she finds it challenging to balance a full-time course load with TechTogether Boston, the event’s impact on encouraging women and non-binary individuals to pursue computer science makes the challenge worth it.

Miracle Olatunji, a first-year business and cybersecurity major at Northeastern, began her technology route in Engineering Experience at MIT. After meeting Sai and hearing about TechTogether Boston, she was inspired to explore the field while at Northeastern. This year’s TechTogether Boston will be her first time attending a hackathon, and she’s excited to break down stereotypes and work with other empowering women. She says, “In the future, I’d like to leverage the technical skills I gain into a career that blends business and technology.”

Mounica Kamesam is a third-year Khoury College computer science student who became involved in TechTogether Boston after attending in 2018. “I have always believed that computer science can be applied to just about any field, and that is what makes it very interdisciplinary,” which she implements as Director of Operations for TechTogether Boston. “My role ties to TechTogether’s mission by finding volunteers to help make the event a success in terms of things running smoothly and providing inspiring mentors as role models for hackers.”

“As a female studying computer science, I’ve wanted to change my major quite a few times because I thought that I wasn’t capable enough,” says Kamesam. “However, after attending events like the Grace Hopper Conference and TechTogether Boston last year, I began to get very inspired by all the ways that one can achieve in a career in tech.”

TechTogether Boston 2019 began March 22 at the Agganis Arena at Boston University. This female and non-binary event will allow budding hackers to leverage their skills and gain more insight into the interdisciplinary diversity of computer science. If hackers want to build their skills before the event, they can also find resources and tutorials on the website.