Join IT Girls Rock to shake IT up for good!

IT is the fastest growing industry globally and underpins solutions for all other industries. Unfortunately the creators of technology are not representative of the communities we serve. With only 1/4 of tech related jobs held by women,  we're here to do something about IT - together.

Are you an IT-curious or IT-savvy woman looking for a group where you can share and workshop your experiences, build skills, confidence, shared language, connections, mindsets and tech clout with likeminded women? A place where there is no such thing as a silly question?

Look no further... IT Girls Rock is here!

IT Girls Rock brings together a safe and inclusive, global community of courageous women from all walks of life who are IT-curious or IT-savvy and believe that we need more girls and women involved in technology creation to inspire innovation and ensure ethical application.

We aim to:
📍change the gender balance in tech creation
📍build capacity and confidence
📍foster creativity and meaningful connections
📍discover our superpowers
📍empower each other to live our best lives with purpose and flair

We do this through challenges,  courses, coaching, conversations and collaborations.

Our purpose is to bridge gaps and create a more connected world where we celebrate differences and everyone feels welcome, valued and inspired - fostering innovation and technology for good.

An "it girl" is a trend-setting woman or girl with skills, confidence, eloquent language, relationships, and an entrepreneurial mindset that sets the example of how to have it all AND do good. She is across the latest trends in fashion, social conscience, technology and business. She knows exactly who she is and what she wants, and has an unbelievable generosity of spirit; always taking time to be kind and charitable.

Inspired by the "it girls" of the turn of the 20th century, the idea of IT Girls Rock was born! 

IT Girls come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, preferences and vintages.

Meet your host

Gry Stene is an original "IT Girl" from the 80s, starting out as programmer at a time when there were 35-40% women in key IT roles. She has loved her 30+ years working in tech across continents, in customer obsessed roles, and is equally at home in conceptual stage startups as she is in global conglomerates. 

Gry is deeply concerned about the downward trend of women in the industry, especially as tech creators and inventors, and is on a mission to encourage, enable, empower and inspire more women to step into IT in their own capability and capacity! 

IT Girls Rock is key initiative for our journey and brings the coaching, mentoring, training, conversations and collaborations that Gry has developed over 30 years to a wider audience.

Who is IT Girls Rock for?

We use IT (Information Technology / I.T.) as an umbrella term for any activity that involves using or creating technology. We also love the way we can playfully use IT instead of it, and explore the the terms IT Girls, IT Boys and IT Folk . 

IT is for everyone, and we want to make sure that the creators of technology are representative of the community we serve. 

This collective is for you whether you are IT-savvy or IT-curious. Whether you already work in or with IT teams, want to transition into IT, or have an idea that could be solved with IT. You want to level up your tech clout and confidence, and believe that we as women and girls have an important part to play in shaping our future.

Do you identify as a woman and:

📍 Are an entrepreneur, "techpreneur", business leader with a idea that needs IT

📍 Hold an IT role and want to connect with other women with similar roles

📍 Hold an IT leadership role and want to explore what other women do

📍 Want to transition into IT from a different role

📍 Have an idea for IT that you don't know how to evolve

📍 Are an educator who wants to step into IT or is looking to engage students in IT

📍 Are new to IT and want to meet women who have walked the path already

📍 Study IT and want to figure out what's in IT for you and what pathways exist

We recognise that we all bring different experiences, expertise, perspectives and ideas, and that we can create amazing connections and make a difference and create sustainable positive impact.

What makes IT Girls Rock unique

Here are a few things that make our community special:

• Created for IT Girls by IT Girls as a place where we can grow together and make a difference by inspiring others, and ensuring meaningful application of technology.
• We assume positive intent and don't judge. We are here because we want to be here and support each other
• Includes women who are IT-curious or IT-savvy who believe that we can work together to create a better future as tech creators and innovators.
• Brings together women of all shapes, sizes, experiences, cultures, preferences, and vintages
• Provides a safe place where all perspectives and levels of experience are welcome, valued and inspire us. There is no such things as a silly question.
• We work together to make sure that all our activities provide value to our community and individual members
• An opportunity to augment your skills, instil confidence, develop shared language, form cooperative relationships and build entrepreneurial mindsets - together.

Why is IT Girls Rock important?

IT is the fastest growing industry globally and underpins solutions for all other industries. With only 4% of Australian 15 year old males and a negligible percentage of girls reporting an interest in IT-careers, we need to think outside the box to  develop, attract and retain additional talent while we fix the pipeline. There are plenty of people with transferable skills who would love to be involved, but don’t know how to approach IT. At the same time, many IT folk struggle to navigate the system, ensure we are inclusive and politically correct, and remain authentic.

Sometimes all you need is a sounding board, whether that is for working out your business or product strategy, dealing with your boss, figuring out your next career step, or understanding how you can contribute to the solution and help create a diverse and inclusive organisation. Some organisations have invaluable  internal programs, but if you don’t, how do you find a coach and mentor? Many of us also find it easier to speak with an external coach, consultant and mentor rather than someone that is within the organisation. 

 From my own experience as a protégé/mentee, mentor, coach, leader and consultant, I know that engaging someone to help for a reason, a season or a lifetime can be invaluable personally, professionally and for your business. I love to enable, empower and inspire people to think outside the box and find their voice, and guide them on their journey when they want it.

My coaching blends robust, contemporary business coaching in IT with a lifetime of mentoring and guiding people on their journey.

Sneak peak of IT Girls Rock

Check out the video below for a look inside our platform. The content will change over time, but the principles remain.

How do I join IT Girls Rock

You can request to join the COMMUNITY for free any time. This will give you access to our free resources, challenges and conversations, including our live monthly calls, and an opportunity to join conversations inside the COMMUNTY HUB and COMMUNITY CHAT. 

If you are interested of stepping up and being a more engaged and contributing member, we are starting out with 3 paid membership packages:

• CURIOUS IT Girls is for you if you have limited time and aren't quite ready to be a changemaker yet. This will give you access to some of our exclusive challenges and courses at reduced price and a "Lounge" where you can hang out with other members at the same level. This will help you explore the community and get a sense of who we are and what we do (USD15/month).
• CHANGEMAKER IT Girls is where the MAGIC happens through weekly drop-ins with group coaching. This is where we come together and collaborate to grow the community into a force to be reckoned with to ensure innovation and responsible application of technology to solve real world problems (USD40/month). Includes CURIOUS benefits
• COACH ME to Rock IT if you want personalised one-on-one coaching and mentoring to get to your confident self (USD200/month). 

We want the community to give value to all our members and you can access a variety of programs and packages inside the community.

Please note that the names may vary slightly in the video.

Scholarships and Equity Pricing

We are committed to welcoming everyone IT Girl who is interested in being part of and building this community and offer scholarships for students and equity pricing for those who are marginalized or in need.

Please contact us at [email protected] if this applies to you and we will provide a tailored program and pricing for you. 

Before You Join...

In order to help our community be the best it can be for all members, please be sure to read and understand our guidelines:

Basic Community Guidelines

• Be inclusive and respectful of all members and ideas
• Participate! Join in discussions and events!
• Fill in your profile and add your URLs to your profile
• Choose an appropriate username (real name preferred)
• No profanity/hate speech/slurs/etc
• No spamming of any kind

This Community IS For You If:

• You're committed to your IT Girls Rock journey
• You want to connect with a community of enthusiastic and inspiring women in IT
• You're ready to offer feedback in a valuable, constructive way
• You're open to receiving feedback from others
• You're "in it for the long haul" and plan to make a difference in IT

This Community IS NOT For You If:

• You're not willing to support women and girls in IT
• Your content is negative, hateful, or otherwise harmful
• You're not open or comfortable with feedback from people with different points of view

By joining the IT Girls Rock community, you agree to follow the above guidelines and understand that you may be removed for violating them.

👉 Heads up – if you're on the app, you'll need to use the link with a web browser on your device as described here.