4 Fantastic Meetup Groups for Women who Code in NYC
I’m a woman who is learning how to code, and I’ve been attending tech meetups regularly for the past several months. My favorite meetups have been the ones that are focused on women and non-binary people. With the majority of people in this field being men, it feels nice to be in a room full of people whose experiences are similar to my own.
I can share stories of painful experiences and hear from someone who has gone through something similar. We can talk about the gender pay gap, anxiety related to salary negotiations, and which companies are on our blacklist due to how they treat women. It’s a relief to be able to talk openly and honestly at these meetups.
I’ve had such positive experiences with these groups, I just want to share them with more people and help someone else find a community where they feel comfortable. If you are a woman or non-binary person who codes or is interested in learning how to code (and you live in or around New York City), I highly recommend attending an event hosted by one of these groups!
NYC Ruby Women
Recent Event: Hack & Chat (with Book Club!)
NYC Ruby Women hosts Hack & Chat at The Paperless Post on the 3rd Monday of every month. It’s usually small and casual, the book discussion is always interesting (whether you’ve read the chapter or not), and it’s a great space to work on a personal project and ask for help if you’re stuck on something.
League of Women Coders
Recent Event: Cupcakes and Code: A Hacknight
The League of Women Coders hosts Cupcakes and Code at ThoughtWorks once per month. It’s a larger event, but it feels small. This is a great event for getting help with your project, discussing issues you are facing as a woman in tech, and networking with people who are at all stages of their careers.
Write/Speak/Code NYC
Recent Event: Demystifying Data Structures: Binary Trees
Write/Speak/Code hosts a different event every month at a different location. The events are usually workshops, where you learn something and immediately put it to use. The number of attendees can range from 30 to 200+ depending on the event. The company that hosts the event might also have representatives in attendance who are open to talking about job opportunities. This event is great for networking, learning something new, and even giving your first lightning talk.
Women Who Code NYC
Recent Event: Algorithms @ Betterment
Women Who Code hosts Algorithms at Betterment once per month, in addition to other interesting events. The event is very structured. Attendees are split into groups by programming language and they solve whiteboarding problems with the help of volunteer mentors. It’s good practice for whiteboarding interviews, and there are always networking opportunities. Women Who Code also has a fantastic newsletter that is sent out multiple times per week and contains job opportunities, upcoming events, and an application for women and non-binary people to apply for ticket giveaways to upcoming conferences!
