FedEx Institute of Technology again hosting Memphis’ All Women Virtual Hackathon: ATHENA{techne}

Sept. 10, 2020 — The FedEx Institute of Technology is again uniting with tech organizations in Memphis to bring back an all-women’s hackathon to Memphis. ATHENA{techne}, to be held virtually Sept. 11-12, is a hackathon designed to cultivate a positive environment for women in technology from across the region.

This year’s event – TECH LIKE A GIRL – is free and encourages women to come together, collaborate on projects, ideas, trends and attend sessions highlighting opportunities for women in technology. The event is open to females who are at least 13 years old.

Although women make up more than half the college-educated workforce, only 28% of the STEM workforce are women. Given they are still underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers, it is the responsibility of the tech community to cultivate opportunities for innovation that encourage women to take part in this rapidly growing field, and to foster spaces and places that create a strong community of empowered female technology professionals.

Participants in this hackathon will vary widely on skillset – from the novice to the expert – and the best hackathons bring together diverse backgrounds and experiences to create truly unique ideas. In addition to students, programmers and web designers, those in creative fields such as graphic designers, artists and writers are also encouraged to participate. ATHENA{techne} offers a safe and engaging environment to learn something new, meet new people and cultivate a fresh perspective on technology innovation in Memphis.

“As the FedEx Institute of Technology works to build Memphis’ reputation as a leading destination for emerging technologies and tech innovation, the commitment to building diversity in the tech community is vital to realizing that goal and will help Memphis tech be competitive globally,” said Mary Ann Dawson, assistant director of the FedEx Institute of Technology. “ATHENA{techne} provides women in this region an opportunity to come together and showcase the amazing talent that this community has to offer.”

Programs specifically designed to encourage young women to engage in the experience will also be available. Organizations like Black Girls Code, Blockchain901, Tech901, Memphis Public Libraries and CodeCrew are partners in cultivating the experience and helping make technology skills accessible for everyone, regardless of background. Starting Friday evening and running through Saturday, ATHENA{techne} will provide a great opportunity to educate young women and allow them to network with professionals and leaders in the technology space.

To register, visit https://www.athenatechne.com/. For more details, contact Mary Ann Dawson, assistant director of the FedEx Institute of Technology, at mdawson@memphis.edu.