​Women in Technology (WIT) is a non-profit organization committed to furthering the position of women in technology in the DC metro area. Despite the growing demand for tech professionals, women remain underrepresented. Established in 1994, the WIT community supports women with various educational opportunities and professional mentoring services. The organization has created five distinct programs to help address the various challenges faced by women working in the technology industry.

The Accelerate(her) Initiative offers a series of monthly virtual events focused on career development for women in technology. The events serve professionals at all career stages, from entry-level roles to executive leadership. Career coaches and experienced tech professionals lead sessions, covering topics such as strategies for career advancement, building high-performing teams, and bridging communication gaps between technical and non-technical teams. Entry-level topics include resume development and career planning.

Virtual events are always held on Thursdays. If WIT members cannot attend a virtual session, they can access archived sessions at womeinintechnology.org.

Girls in Technology (GIT) is one of WIT's most comprehensive programs. GIT consists of numerous sub-programs, including the GIT.Connect Program and an awards program for girls between Grades 6 and 8, as well as scholarship opportunities. The overriding mission of GIT programming is to foster an interest in technology among future generations of tech leaders, particularly those in underserved communities.

Programs are typically led by WIT volunteers who strive to fulfill the WIT goal of "advancing women from the classroom to the boardroom," per the WIT mission statement. All WIT and GIT members can access an archive of newsletters and video sessions at the WIT website.

WIT members interested in helping guide the next generation of women tech professionals should consider joining the WIT Mentor-Protégé program. While all WIT members are encouraged to support and guide one another whenever possible, the Mentor-Protégé program provides a structured platform that facilitates both personal growth and career advancement.

Established in 1998, the program is one of the organization's marquee offerings. That said, both mentors and mentees should review the program requirements to ensure they have the resources and time to fulfill all expectations. Individuals who support the spirit of the Mentor-Protégé program but do not have the time for a one-on-one mentoring relationship can email [email protected] to inquire about planning and organizing special mentoring events.

The Leadership Foundry program is specifically focused on the lack of women leaders in technology. According to a shocking statistic reported by Forbes in 2023, roughly 35 percent of tech leaders were women in 1984; by 2022, that number had fallen to 32 percent, and in 2023, it was down to just 28 percent. The Leadership Foundry exists to help WIT members develop the foundational skills needed to serve on a corporate board and hold other executive positions within the tech industry.

Finally, Women Business Owners (WBO) is a networking program that gathers women leading businesses of all sizes and at different stages of development. This program best exemplifies the WIT belief that when one woman helps another, anything is possible. The program features a series of events throughout the year with annual themes. The 2023-2024 theme was "Leadership." WBO video events from the 2023-2024 program can be found in the WIT archives.

​The American Economic Association (AEA) has facilitated and promoted the importance of economic research for more than 130 years. A non-profit, non-partisan association of economics professionals, AEA strives to provide both experienced and prospective economists with a depth of resources, including numerous AEA committees.

The AEA Program Committee is one of the organization's most important member groups, coordinating the AEA's presence at the Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) Annual Meeting. The AEA co-hosts this conference with 70 professional associations. Held over three days, the ASSA Annual Meeting consists of presentations and roundtable discussions on various economics and finance research topics. In addition to organizing AEA sessions, the committee reviews all proposed sessions and individual paper submissions. The AEA president appoints committee members.

The AEA Nominating Committee is another crucial group of the organization. Members are responsible for evaluating and nominating candidates for elected offices within the organization. The president-elect generally appoints members to the committee, though AEA members can vote a person onto the Nominating Committee by submitting a petition that is signed by a minimum of two percent of members. Nominating Committee candidates are changed each year, with the former AEA president ending their term serving as committee chairman. Other committees responsible for managing AEA operations include the Audit Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee.

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Use of Social Media in Economics, meanwhile, is one of the organization's new member groups. Established in May 2024, the committee was designed to review and chronicle professional opportunities for economists connected to different social media platforms, as well as economic issues stemming from the same platforms. Members of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Use of Social Media in Economics are further charged with establishing and maintaining social media best practices for economists and AEA members, as well as economics departments and business leaders who employ economists.

The initial committee spent significant time researching the AEA's social media objectives, which included a series of one-on-one interviews and a survey for all AEA members. The committee released its findings as part of the AEA 2025 Report. As part of the report, the committee expressed important goals for social media usage within the profession, from expanded networking opportunities to gaining information about the latest industry events and research findings.

The Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession (CSWEP) is one of the organization's longstanding member groups. Members of the committee are responsible for supporting the advancement of women in the field of economics and following the progress of women economists in different industries, including government agencies, as well as their access to financial education. The committee hosts numerous special events, including CSWEP sessions at the ASSA Annual Meeting. It maintains an awards program that consists of the Carolyn Shaw Bell Award and the Elaine Bennet Research Prize. CSWEP also manages a separate survey and annual report, which has helped evaluate the standing of women economists since 1993.

These are only a few of the organization's almost 20 professional committees. AEA members can learn more about groups such as the Advisory Committee on Editorial Appointments and the Oversight Committee for Registry of Random Controlled Trials by visiting aeaweb.org.