Israel Tech Challenge’s mission is to fill the gap in the shortage of tech human capital in Israel, train participants at the highest level and further place them in leading companies in Israel. Along with that mission, ITC is also focused on narrowing the gender gap. The technology field has been assumed to be a man’s world, however, more and more women are breaking the stereotype and excelling to new heights.
So, what steps are we taking?
1 – ITC Team
First of all, let’s look at our internal ITC team. Our ITC team is made up of 70% women, all across the various departments, and our management team is 80% women. Each in their dedicated role, but coming together as a strong and empowered team. The good news is that our team is expanding and growing – make sure to check out our Careers page and see if there’s a suitable position for you!
2 – Referral Programs
Our Referral program has been one of our most successful forms of growing our female ITC participants and community. Alumni and current participants have access to refer someone they feel can live up to the expectations and training of ITC and excel in the tech ecosystem. If you (Alumni/participant) have someone in mind, check out our referral form, and if they get accepted to the program, you get $150!
3 – Scholarships
Israel Tech Challenge offers a variety of scholarships for our programs. We aim to help those who are motivated, talented and determined to make an impact in the tech hub of Israel and globally. We are also in the process of bringing more scholarship opportunities to women applicants, and further make the opportunity to learn and advance easier for these young professionals. Watch this space and follow ITC for more updates!
4 – Events
In honor of International Women’s Day, we held an intimate chat led by the amazing Adi Zellner (Former Head of Mobile) and Michal Baram (Director of Product Management and Head of Wix Exposure) from Wix.com, for our alumna and current participants. This evening gave us the opportunity to discuss women in the workplace, their challenges and accomplishments, with this extraordinary duo. We all had an opportunity to ask questions, learn and empower one another about our experiences in the tech field. We look forward to hosting more inspirational and insightful events, resources and meetups for our community. We are proud to call our campus an educational hub where everyone who enters leaves with novel knowledge and an enriching experience.
5 – Lecturers, Teachers & Speakers
Within the design of our syllabus, we invite powerhouses in the tech field to run workshops and classes with our participants. In the latest cohort, we welcomed experts in the field, some of which were Chen Levanon (Co-Founder & CEO at SimilarTech), Yael Villa (Data Science & Cyber Executive), Maja Rudolph (Machine Learning Research Scientist at BCAI), Efrat Solodnik (Algorithm Engineer at Taboola), Lotem Peled (Machine Learning & Product Consultant), Ayelet Akselrod-Ballin, Director of AI at Zebra Medical Vision, and more.
ITC is proud to be the host of introducing many women into the world of tech through our various STEM-focused programs.
To date, our Coding Bootcamp has been comprised of 30% women and Fellows programs 25%. With the upcoming cohort, we’re expecting to reach 50% women! This counts as a great milestone for ITC, as well as for the tech community in Israel. The increase in the number of women in the advanced technology field is a testament to their power, determination, resilience and professionalism.
For every new cohort, we are impressed with the skills of the women that join. Our participants are now making a meaningful difference in the world of advanced technology across Israel and we are proud to partner with the most innovative and leading companies and startups that welcome them. Below are some of the companies where our participants from the last cohorts are currently working at, as software developers, data scientists, and hardware engineers.
We are devoted to empowering and educating women in tech and are striving to narrow the gender gap and erase the stigma of females in this industry. Join us in this adventure!