How we built a Women in Technology Committee and how you can, too

The strength of a female community has always been a defining force in my life. From childhood friendships to professional mentors, the support, wisdom, and encouragement of women around me have shaped who I am.

I seek community everywhere I go, so when I joined 5Y, I wanted to do the same.

I started the Women in Tech committee for a simple reason: to bring women together to share their experiences, offer support, and connect with one another.

The trouble is, I had no idea where to begin.

I saw big companies like Google and Microsoft with well-funded diversity initiatives, but I struggled to find examples from smaller organisations like ours — ones where resources are limited and everything feels more grassroots.

This blog is for anyone who, like me, wants to create a space for women in tech but lacks a roadmap. I'm sharing what I've learned along the way, hoping it will make starting your own WIT group easier.

Without further ado, here’s my advice for starting your own WIT committee:

1. Start small

Even in a small startup, you can make a big impact. You just need a group of passionate individuals.

At 5Y, we started with four of us catching up informally every week. Today, we have over 30 members with an annual action plan. All it takes is baby steps.

2. Have a clear vision

Your Women in Tech group doesn’t need to conform to any norms. It can be anything you want it to be. But you do need a clear vision.

So, ask yourself:

• Why do you want to create a WIT group?

• What would your committee like to achieve?

At 5Y, our vision has always been to champion diversity, inclusion, and gender equality across the company and the tech industry.

A clear vision for a Women in Tech group provides direction, ensuring all initiatives align with a common purpose and drive meaningful impact.

It inspires members, helps set measurable goals, and secures leadership buy-in, making the group more effective and sustainable.

3. Set clear goals

You’ve got a vision; now set clear goals to achieve it.

Define the committee and objectives, whether that’s mentorship, networking or professional development.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed when tackling the issues that women face. So, start close to home. Focus on the challenges that the women in your organisation want to overcome and the initiatives most important to them.

Our goals in 2024 were networking, career development, celebrating WIT and recruitment and retention initiatives.

We took these goals and broke them down further to tangible, clear actions, assigning different owners and target dates across the group.

A brainstorming tool like Miro is a godsend here.

4. Get leadership support

One of 5Y’s values is being proactive. Our leadership team always encourages us to take initiative, try new ideas and collaborate.

From the start, our leadership team recognised the value of fostering diversity and inclusion and supported the idea of creating a Women in Tech group.

By presenting a clear vision and action plan that aligned with company goals, we secured leadership backing — not just in principle — but also through a dedicated budget.

Their support has been instrumental in helping us build initiatives that empower women, drive professional growth, and create lasting impact within our company.

“When Jess came to me with a clear vision, goals and plan, it was easy to give her the support and financial backing she needed.”

Jamille Samour, Co-founder and COO.

5. Gather feedback

There’s always room to improve.

As we prepared for our 2025 WIT vision, I created a feedback form for the women in the group to reflect on what we achieved in 2024, what we enjoyed as a group, what we didn’t and what we want to do in the future.

After compiling this feedback together, we had a brainstorming session to prepare our 2025 vision collectively as a group so that all voices were heard.

It may take one or two pioneering women to start a WIT group, but it’s vital to involve everyone in the group’s future.

Starting a Women in Tech group wasn’t easy, but it has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.

The power of women in technology

When women support women, it doesn’t just benefit individuals—it strengthens entire industries. A thriving community inspires more women to enter and stay in the field, leading to greater diversity, innovation, and progress.

It’s especially important in a male-dominated field like technology. Research consistently shows that gender-diverse companies outperform those with less diversity, particularly those with women in leadership.

In fact, organisations with inclusive cultures are twice as likely to meet or exceed their financial targets. Creating space for women in tech isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a smart business decision.

Let’s build a community together

If you’ve been thinking about creating a similar space in your organisation, I hope this blog has given you the confidence to take that first step. Because even the smallest initiatives can create meaningful change.

If you have questions, need advice, or just want to share your own experiences, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn, and let’s keep the conversation going.