Israeli tech community for women is expanding
She codes; is an organization designed to help women integrate and advance in the country’s cut-throat hi-tech world
She codes;, Israel’s largest tech community for women, is expanding and opening a new branch at Kaltura, a successful international video technology company.
The community has been teaching coding to 50,000 women across 45 branches, intending to attain equal gender distribution among software developers in Israel. Participants learn to code from female volunteers in key positions in high-tech.
She codes; welcomes women of all walks of life, all of whom share the notion that code is a must-know language in today’s hi-tech world, as well as the understanding that the best way to integrate into this male-dominated industry is through a supportive community of women.
The new branch is run voluntarily by two Kaltura employees – Tali Kishon, Director of Infra and Cross Integration R&D Technical Services; and Lior Bukshpan, Kaltura Branch Manager. The exposure to Kaltura employees contributes to the participants' sense of ability and self-confidence in entering the world of hi-tech.
Sigal Srur, Kaltura's Chief Human Resources Officer, notes that “opening the new she codes; branch marks another important step in bringing more women into the world of technology in Israel and beyond. We believe that support for women in the overall technological ecosystem will lead to the introduction of more women in high-tech companies."
Hagar Reuveni is a private language teacher. The fresh she codes; student explains: "I did a master's degree in education but very quickly felt ready for a career change. She codes; is the right place for me to get a foot in the door of the high-tech world. I still have a long way to go but I feel I’m headed in the right direction."
Maayan Katz, 30, is a jewelry designer with a design degree. Despite her success, she feels that the future lies in tech careers, and doesn’t want to be left behind.
"I realized that if I didn’t learn code now, my future grandchildren might look at me as someone illiterate," she says.
Moran Dankner left the US for Israel six months ago. She was a visual content creator and was looking for a similar role in Israel’s high-tech industry. "I took a course at she codes; while looking for a job. The support of the girls and the professional help led me to find a job”. Moran landed a job as Head of Creative Production at Overwolf.