Mayor Wheeler Connects with Portland Women in Technology

PORTLAND, Ore. - Nov. 8, 2017 - PRLog -- Portland Women in Technology, a nonprofit organization, is hosting an informal discussion with Portland's Mayor Ted Wheeler at New Relic on Tuesday, January 9th at 5:30 p.m. This fireside chat will address Portland's' complex challenges and new opportunities, and the tech industry has a pivotal role to play.

"Over the last ten years (2008-2017), Portland's tech community has grown by 77% and now employs more than 15,500 people. Women make up 33% amount of the tech workforce in Multnomah County. In Portland, we understand our economic success is tied to building inclusive work environments where groups who are underrepresented currently cannot only work but strive. This is why I am encouraged by the initial results from the TechTown Portland Diversity Pledge surveys." said Mayer Ted Wheeler. "Participating companies have increased their hiring, and 41% of their workforce identify as female. We're moving in the right direction but have much more to do, and we need your help. Come join me in a conversation to codify this in a way that works for the City and works for you."

Ted Wheeler started his term as Portland's mayor on January 1, 2017. Prior to that, he was the Chair of Multnomah County from 2007-2010 and the State Treasurer from 2010-2015. A sixth-generation Oregonian, Ted was born in Portland and graduated from Lincoln High School. Ted earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Stanford University, an MBA from Columbia University, and a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

PDXWIT has hosted many fireside chats throughout the year to encourage transparency and an open dialog with our city and state representatives. This event is open to the general public. Participants are encouraged to RSVP (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pdx-women-in-tech-pdxwit-fir...) for this event.

"As a community of women in technology, Portland is at the heart of our identity. With 86% of our community having lived in Portland for over six years, we care deeply that our city is healthy, safe, vibrant and diverse. We are thrilled to meet with Mayor Wheeler to discuss the issues and policies that are important to us. We hope that together we can ensure more women in Portland join and stay in tech," said President and Co-Founder of PDXWIT Megan Bigelow.

PDXWIT (http://www.pdxwit.org/) is a community-based non-profit organization. Our purpose is to strengthen the Portland women in tech community by offering educational programs, partnerships, mentorships, resources, and opportunities. We are unifying a supportive environment for current and potential women in tech, all of whom are committed to helping each other. Our goal is to bring together and empower current women in tech and to encourage others to pursue tech careers. This is our step towards reducing the gender imbalance in the industry and addressing the current negative effects of that imbalance on women.

Trans and non-binary people are always welcome at our events.