Looking back at WITI's birth:
Celebrating 10 years of advancing women in technology

By Carolyn Leighton-Tal

often revisit the moment I decided to start Women in Technology International (WITI). Little did I realize how dramatically that decision would affect my life -- both personally and professionally.

The question most frequently asked of me by the media and WITI members is: "Why or how did you start WITI?" As WITI celebrates its 10th anniversary -- 10 Years of Advancing Women in Technology -- it seems timely to reflect on the challenges the organization has experienced during its development. I'll start with a look back at WITI's development.

Factor 1: The trigger

The idea for WITI was conceived when I was waiting for a client in a
coffee shop and reading the cover article of a major business magazine. The article was titled "Why Women Have Not, Are Not, and Will Not Get to the Top."

The writer had clearly done her homework, with provocative statistics about the lack of progress of women into management, and insights about the plight of professional women, where they were headed, and why.

At that point in my professional career, I was running my fourth start-up: Criterion Research, a technology-based search/research company. I was also the classic entrepreneur, with lots of ideas, good instincts, and a love of business. Having grown up in a family business based on solid New England values -- hard work and honesty -- I had never lost my idealism. I knew I could not be satisfied with my work until I found something that combined my love of business with a real contribution to society.

Factor 2: The situation

My work with Criterion Research required me to meet regularly with high-tech and aerospace companies. Although most of my clients were men, I made a point of developing relationships with women in these environments, whether they were secretaries, researchers, or engineers. Once we established a mutual trust, I found they were eager to share stories of humiliation and frustration in their work environments -- exactly the issues addressed by the author of the thought-provoking article.

As a former teacher turned professional businesswoman, it took me some time to grasp the serious impact the workplace was having on these women. I also thought about the factors that had been central to my own professional development and how I could apply these lessons to enhance the lives of other professional women.

Factor 3: The marketplace

If I had learned nothing else in business up to that point, I knew that no venture could succeed unless it solved a problem or filled a need in the market. The following are a number of market factors that indicated that WITI made sense.

• Technology was moving into interdisciplinary directions, so there was a need and benefitto effectively reaching professionals working in all technology sectors.

• NOW was the prevailing voice for women's groups at that time -- and perceived by many as male-bashing and adversarial. I felt strongly that women needed to position themselves very differently to gain economic and gender equality.

• The Internet -- specifically e-mail -- was becoming mainstream and providing a cheaper, easier mechanism for reaching hundreds of women anywhere, anytime.

• The demand for skilled labor was growing, and nothing accelerates gender equity faster than demand outweighing supply.

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© 1999 InfoWorld Media Group Inc.