Reshma Saujani: Coding a Future Where Every Girl Belongs

source: Reshma Saujani

In a world shaped more and more by technology, one woman dared to ask: Why aren't more girls part of the story? Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and a fierce advocate for women’s education, didn’t just identify a gap—she set out to close it. Her mission goes beyond teaching girls how to code. It's about reprogramming a culture that tells young women they need to be perfect instead of brave, silent instead of seen.

Reshma’s journey began not in a classroom or a boardroom, but in a moment of bold failure. After running for Congress in 2010 and losing, she could have stepped back, played it safe, or returned to her legal career. But instead, she chose to listen to what the experience was teaching her: that her true purpose was calling her elsewhere. While campaigning, she had visited schools and seen firsthand how few girls were in computer science classrooms. That reality lit a fire in her—one that’s now igniting futures around the globe.

Since launching Girls Who Code in 2012, Reshma has helped create one of the most powerful movements in tech education. What started as a single idea has grown into a national force—reaching hundreds of thousands of girls, building confidence, breaking down stereotypes, and showing the next generation that they belong in rooms where decisions are made and innovations are born. And this isn’t just about future jobs. It’s about future leaders. Reshma’s vision is about equity, representation, and rewriting who gets to shape the world.

“I want women to be comfortable with being imperfect. I immediately see how girls are afraid to try things that they won't be good in. And women stay with the things they're good at even if that's not what they're put on this earth to do.”

But her leadership doesn’t stop at the edge of code. She’s become a voice for modern feminism, one that doesn’t shy away from hard truths. In her bestselling book Brave, Not Perfect, she challenges women to break free from the cultural expectations that keep them afraid to fail. She points out how from a young age, girls are taught to be careful, to follow the rules, to color inside the lines—while boys are encouraged to take risks. That conditioning, she argues, holds women back not only from coding but from truly leading.

Reshma’s bravery lies not only in her vision but in her vulnerability. She speaks openly about the fear of failure, the pressures of leadership, and the toll of burnout. During the pandemic, she founded the Marshall Plan for Moms, a national movement advocating for policies like paid family leave, affordable childcare, and economic support for mothers—because she understands that empowering women in tech or business means supporting them at home too. Her advocacy is holistic. It's not just about getting girls in the room—it’s about changing the room so more of us can thrive once we’re there.

source: gradfutures - princeton university

What makes Reshma a powerful force in this purpose-driven era is her commitment to collective progress. She doesn’t lead for applause—she leads for impact. She lifts as she climbs, pulling up the next generation with both hands. In her world, success isn’t about standing at the top alone—it’s about building ladders for others to join you.

Reshma embodies what it means to rise and thrive. She’s not only building programs—she’s building pathways. She’s not just closing the gender gap in tech—she’s cracking open the doors of possibility for every girl who’s ever been told she’s not enough. Her story reminds us that courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s choosing to move forward anyway, and to bring others with you.

In a time when technology is shaping the future, Reshma Saujani is making sure that future includes all of us. She is proof that one woman, one idea, one bold act can ripple across generations. Her legacy is not written in code alone—it’s written in courage, community, and the unstoppable belief that when girls rise, we all do.

This is the kind of leadership the world needs. This is how change begins—not in perfection, but in purpose. Not in silence, but in showing up. And thanks to women like Reshma Saujani, we’re no longer waiting to be invited. We’re writing our own programs, telling our own stories, and building futures where every girl knows she belongs.

www.sherisesstudios.com