Technology is changing almost every part of the modern economy, but those who create that technology have not always been as diverse as the society that uses it. Reshma Saujani has spent more than a decade fighting that imbalance, first by creating Girls Who Code to help close the gender gap in computing, then by launching Moms First to push for structural changes affecting moms and working families.
Her career straddles two questions that are increasingly difficult to tease apart: Who gets to join the technology economy? And does the workplace allow people — particularly mothers — to stay economically active? Saujani’s story is a broader lesson for Silicon Valley about how technology leadership can be about building not just products, but also access, opportunity and social infrastructure.
Who Is Reshma Saujani?
Reshma Saujani is an American lawyer, activist, entrepreneur, author and nonprofit leader. Founder, Girls Who Code Founder & CEO, Moms First. She also served as the Deputy Public Advocate for the City of New York and has worked on issues of women’s economic empowerment, technology and public policy.
Saujani got her start as an attorney and political organizer. In 2010, she became the first Indian-American woman to run for U.S. Congress. During that campaign she went into schools and saw the gender imbalance of computing education. That experience was part of the inspiration behind the creation of Girls Who Code.
Her academic credentials include degrees from the University of Illinois, Harvard Kennedy School, and Yale Law School.
Girls Who Code and the Gender Gap in Tech
Saujain founded Girls Who Code with a single goal in mind—to increase the opportunities for girls and young women in computing.
The organization created educational programs designed to expose students to computer science and motivate them to view technology as a field in which they could have careers and be leaders.
Girls Who Code says its programs have now reached more than 670,000 girls, women and nonbinary people, illustrating the scale the organization has reached since its founding.
This is more than about programming education.
Technology is now contributing more and more to finance, healthcare, education, entertainment, manufacturing, artificial intelligence and government. The people who work on building these systems can influence what problems are prioritized and what perspectives are represented in product development.
From Coding Education to Artificial Intelligence
The gender divide is assuming a new dimension as artificial intelligence becomes ever more significant.
Artificial intelligence systems are being embedded into workplaces and consumer products, and questions around AI safety, product design, employment and governance are rising to the surface.
But, as Saujani has argued, women’s participation in technology must be part of that conversation. Her past work with Girls Who Code is highly relevant to the nascent discussion about who will build the next generation of AI.
The Making of Moms First,
Saujani’s work later expanded from technology education to the economic challenges of mothers.
In response to the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on American mothers, she launched Moms First, originally called the Marshall Plan for Moms. They’re pushing for things like paid leave and affordable, accessible child care.
The connection of technology with this work is more significant than it might seem at first.
Innovation, productivity and the future of work are common themes in the tech sector. But those ideas rely on workers having the infrastructure and support to be part of the economy.
So child care, paid leave and workplace flexibility are not just social issues. They may also influence workforce participation, career continuity and the ability of organizations to retain experienced workers.
Technology for Improved Access
Moms First has also looked into technology as a practical tool to help families access government benefits.
In 2023, Saujani and Moms First launched PaidLeave.ai, which helps parents understand and find paid-leave benefits. The organization’s current work is extending this concept to a wider family-benefits navigation platform.
It’s an interesting example of technology being used not primarily to create yet another commercial product, but to ease access to existing support systems.
It also speaks to a broader potential for AI: reducing administrative complexity when people want information but not necessarily from a specific source.
Reshma Saujani’s Next Focus:
Saujani continues to engage in women’s economic empowerment and tech conversations.
In 2026, Moms First began a series of initiatives to change the conversation around motherhood in American society including the documentary No Country for Mothers and the American Motherhood Tour. The group has continued to push for paid leave and affordable child care.
That work is still informed by her technology background, especially around what AI could do to help families access information and benefits.
Girls Who Code, meanwhile, continues its mission to close the gender gap in technology, recognizing young women pursuing careers in fields like cybersecurity and information technology.
Why Her Work is Important to the Technology Industry
Saujani’s career is a salient lesson on the future of technology: innovation is not only about building better systems.
It’s also about who gets to be in tech careers, who gets to design tech, and whether social systems allow people to remain in the workforce.
That view is more relevant than ever for Silicon Valley and the wider technology industry. AI is transforming the nature of work as companies compete for skilled talent and governments deliberate about how technology should impact society.
Saujani’s work tackles those questions through an opportunity and inclusion lens, not just a technology lens.
Summary
Reshma Saujani went from a career in law and political activism to technology education, entrepreneurship and mothers’ rights activism.
Through Girls Who Code, she helped build pathways into computing for hundreds of thousands of young people. She has highlighted the structural and economic challenges faced by mothers through Moms First.
The common thread is clear: the future of tech is not simply about what society builds, but who gets to build it, and whether or not people have the support to participate.
