11 Companies Doing the Work to Support Women in STEM
Gender equity in the workplace has become a key indicator of a company’s social standing. While major corporations may invest in diversity and inclusion mainly to satisfy public expectations, to those whose identities are included in these initiatives, these actions mean a safer, brighter future. They mean access to opportunity and wealth, to progress and prosperity. And for these companies, it means that the work they do to support their people is paramount.
Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are a major demographic who face workplace discrimination, pay gaps, and lack of opportunity, according to the Pew Research Center.
Although women are more likely than men to say they will major in a STEM discipline as college freshmen, by graduation, far more men earn STEM degrees. This is largely due to the confidence gap. Even when women have the necessary skills to succeed in tech, they’re much less likely than men to believe that they’re capable of performing the job. While 40% of men with a STEM degree work in STEM jobs, only 26% of women with STEM degrees work in STEM-related fields.
While most fields see a gender gap in the treatment and pay of women, STEM fields are commonly known to be male-dominated—and difficult to infiltrate. Giving women equal opportunities to study, grow and thrive in STEM careers helps narrow the aforementioned confidence gap—and perhaps most importantly, the gender pay gap.
We’ve compiled a list of ten companies that are *actually* putting in the time, energy and resources into supporting women in STEM, and in turn, enhancing the economic security of women and creating visionary products and services with a diverse team of STEM professionals.
Airbnb
Airbnb is a popular platform that allows people to host their homes and spaces to travelers and guests through a streamlined and safe process. Their reach has grown dramatically since its inception in 2008, and with it, their population of employees has grown, too. Airbnb is dedicated to gender parity and is on track to reach its goal by 2025. According to a diversity report published in September of 2021, the percentage of women in tech at the company has increased by 2.2 percentage points to 27.5 percent since 2019.
Even in 2016, Airbnb was mindful of diversity during a time of hyper-growth. During that time, its data science team doubled the ratio of women employees by making their interview and hiring process more gender-blind, as well as hosting talks that empowered more women outside of the company to apply for data science jobs.
As Airbnb fights discrimination internally, they also provide tools for all of their hosts to learn more about navigating bias and fostering belonging through their digital Community Center.
Appian
Appian helps organizations build apps and workflows rapidly, with a low-code platform that can help companies maximize their resources and improve business results. The Appian Women in Engineering Guild is an employee-led working group that meets monthly to discuss topics around building community support within varying teams and driving initiatives that help us recruit more women at Appian.
Appian continues to feature women in tech who are making strides in the organization and encourages them to share their stories and words of wisdom to other women in STEM.
Rachel Bittner, a quality engineer at Appian, and member of the Guild said: “Women making contributions in STEM fields is not new. What is new is increased recognition. I know I was inspired when I read or heard about women working in engineering, technology, and other highly technical fields. I believe that increasing that type of visibility will inspire more women.”
Learn more about why women love working at Appian here.
Capital One
Capital One’s mission is to change banking for good, by advocating for an inclusive society, building thriving communities, and providing financial tools (such as credit cards, banking and more) that enrich lives. The Capital One Women In Tech business resource group encourages women technologists in ten different chapters across the country to reach their fullest potential and find mentorship and growth opportunities within the company.
The group offers events and learning opportunities for women within the company and extends into the community by getting girls interested in the tech space. Capital One also recently implemented the Julie A. Elberfeld Tech Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Awards to honor the work of a tech leader in the company who started the WIT resource group, and to build on the groundwork of creating a brighter future in tech for everyone.
Electronic Arts is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment, and is committed to building a culture of inclusion that enables positive experiences for their employees and players alike. Across EA, women are building the technology blueprint that will power the future of play. Within their company, the Women’s Ultimate Team ERG was founded as a place for women to support each other alongside male allies to increase female presence in the gaming industry. EA Studios' leadership team is now half female.
EA is also strongly committed to pay equity and recognizes that part of DEI is compensating workers fairly based on the work that they perform. “We’re committed to continuing to pay equitably as well as learning, evolving, and implementing practices that promote fairness.”
Learn more about Electronic Arts’ dedication to equality here.
Freddie Mac
Freddie Mac aims to build a better housing finance system, making homeownership and rental housing more affordable, lowering barriers to accessing sustainable housing, and advancing equity in housing across the U.S. With a number of women in high-level leadership roles, Freddie Mac is dedicated to closing the gender gap within their company. Betty Elliott, Freddie Mac’s Senior VP & Chief Information Security Officer was named among the top 100 CISOs by CISOConnect this year.
In addition, Angela Locke, Vice President of HR Business Partners,, aims to implement new policies in support of pay equity. This includes policies like no longer asking for salary history in job interviews and being mindful of bias in company policies and procedures.
“We stopped asking for salary history in job interviews,” Locke said. “This inclusive approach allows us to more strictly focus on the job itself – its value as defined by the marketplace and the pay equity of the position.”
Learn more about Freddie Mac here.
While Google is a name that doesn’t need much introduction, it’s helpful to note that the company’s mission is to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Their inclusive approach to business bleeds into their gender equality initiatives.
The company’s Women Techmakers program provides visibility, community and resources for women in tech, bringing together over 70,000 women each year through events and leadership programs. The Women Techmakers program highlighted Black women engineers at Google this year with their “Tech Bytes” series.
In addition, Google launched the Grow With Google for Women in STEM initiative this summer. This is a three-month program that seeks to train more than 100 women engineers and engineering students in cloud technology. Selected students will receive mentorship from members of the Google Cloud team and will complete an online course to specialize as an Associate Cloud Engineer.
Google also demonstrates an understanding of intersectionality, supporting women engineers of different racial backgrounds. On their diversity and inclusion webpage, Google says: “We are building a robust, diverse talent pool to support our industry’s growth. By providing computer science education from primary school through university we are growing the next generation of Black and Latinx tech leaders.”
Lucid Motors
Lucid Motors is known for its focus on innovation, luxury and sustainability in the automotive industry. Earlier this year, Lucid introduced their Lucid Air luxury electric car—which was produced under the leadership of three brilliant women. Sue Magnusson, Jenny Ha and Joann Jung were lead engineers at the company involved in developing the new car.
Lucid Motor's commitment to women in leadership demonstrates how an empowering and inclusive work environment breeds innovation. Jung stated in an episode of the Formcast podcast that the field needs the perspective of women, sharing that automotive professionals are moving further away from simple mechanical engineering and into developing innovative software and catering to the identity of the customer. “I am not going to try to be a man,” she said. “I love being a woman, and I think we made things really sexy and beautiful.”
Learn more about Lucid Motors here.
McMaster-Carr
Women looking to break into tech and grow their skill sets with collegial support should look no further than McMaster-Carr — an e-commerce company where diversity is a key driver of success and growth. To support women in STEM, McMaster-Carr offers an inclusive work environment that encourages career exploration, mentorship, and continued learning. Regardless of their prior technical backgrounds, women are warmly welcomed, and the company provides comprehensive tech training to support their growth and success. McMaster-Carr even offers opportunities for women in management to transition into different tech areas within the company if they wish to explore a different career path.
Additionally, the company's commitment to empowering women in tech extends to fully paid tuition programs, enabling them to upskill and excel as STEM professionals. Plus, formal mentorship initiatives further empower women to flourish in their roles, while dedicated employee resource groups, such as "Women in Technology," foster vibrant female communities within McMaster-Carr. Learn more about McMaster-Carr here.
Moody's
Moody’s is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. The company has invested heavily into researching the impact of gender equality across sectors and leans in heavily to diversity initiatives in the finance industry. Their gender and finance dashboard presents their research findings, as well as robust insights about the economic and social impact of empowering women in finance.
Moody’s also boasts a holistic approach to diversity and inclusion, including comprehensive education programs and diversity trainings, as well as business resource groups, and a Courageous Conversations platform. Women leadership in the executive suite has increased by 3% since 2018, according to Moody’s most recent DEI report.
Learn more about Moody’s here.
Rubrik
Rubrik is on a mission to secure the world’s data, and believes an inclusive and diverse workplace is foundational to achieving that mission. This includes supporting more women in tech. One way Rubrik does so is by helping to build community among women and their allies within its walls through the launch of its employee resource group (ERG), Women@Rubrik. The group serves as a vehicle for creating a sense of belonging for women at Rubrik, advancing the professional growth of women and their allies, and connecting women in the technology industry. With nearly 400 members worldwide, the group provides ongoing workshops, lunch & learns, speaker events, mentorship programs, and much more – including a recent webinar, 'Women in Cybersecurity: a Female Powerhouse Panel' to generate awareness around inclusion at work.
Learn more about life at Rubrik here.
SRS Distribution
SRS Distribution is the fastest-growing distributor of building products in the US. Beyond their commitment to professional roofing contractor’s business, SRS Distribution is committed to making their workplace a place where every employee feels they belong.
This mission of inclusion is shown in the Women in Search Of Excellence employee resource group. This group fosters mentorship, professional development, and leadership opportunities for women within the organization. SRS has also been a supporter of National Women in Roofing (NWiR) since its founding. SRS maintains leadership within NWiR, and is also a regular sponsor. In 2019, the SRS Women’s Leadership forum donated $10,000 in honor of NWiR to the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Initiative — a program working to create a society in which women are empowered against domestic violence.
Read more about life at SRS Distribution here.
Target
One of America’s favorite superstores, Target’s mission is to “help all families discover the joy of everyday life.” Target was recently named one of the Top Companies for Women Technologists by AnitaB.org and hosts an annual conference boosting the leadership, networking and change-making potential for women in tech at Target.
The Elevate Conference was first hosted in India, and in 2020 hosted 400 women to inspire and grow as leaders in STEM. 2021’s conference is a virtual gathering that will discuss the future of connecting in a digital space. Rachel Whitcomb, Target’s VP of Engineering, leads the charge in the success of the Elevate conference. The conference website states: “It helps women excel at what they do, empowers them with the skills to push the boundaries of what’s possible, learn from each other and form a support system to co-create and co-succeed.”
There are so many great companies out there doing the work to support women in STEM – the ones listed above are just a highlight of what's out there. However, if you're looking for a company that will support you in the workplace and help you launch your STEM career, be sure to check out the standout organizations listed above.
