Ohio nonprofits fights for equal gender representation in U.S. tech industry

CLEVELAND — GetWITit (Women in Tech), a nonprofit organization based in Ohio and Pennsylvania, is pushing for equal gender representation in one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States.

“It’s just about rising to the challenge, supporting one another and doing the best that we can,” Sarah Armenio said.

Besides working as a senior manager of solutions management for a software company, Armenio has served as the copresident of the group’s Cleveland chapter for the past three years. GetWITit began in 2018 and has since strived to support women in an industry where they’ve historically been a minority. Approximately 35% of all science, technology, engineering and math careers in the United States are occupied by women, according to 2024 data from Women in Tech.

“A lot of tech careers or tech adjacent careers, they’re male dominated, right?” Armenio said. “We know the disparity of more of men in these types of careers, but women bring a fantastic perspective.”

Cierra Smith-Voytek is the engagement director for GetWITit’s national board and also works as a robotic process automation delivery manager.

Besides networking and workshop events, she said the organization hosts a yearly reunion in all four branches in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Pittsburgh.

“One of our sponsors last year said that because they were present and working with women at the conference, they had eight full-time new hires that came over to the company,” Smith-Voytek said.

The group has grown from 200 to 12,000 members over the past six years, she said, as the need for community and resources continues.

“There is interest growing, I think, mostly because other really large nonprofits that supported women in tech that were more in technical roles have shut down,” Smith-Voytek said.

But, overcoming these obstacles is what it’s all about, Armenio said.

“We kind of help each other out, we get through it,” she said. “And that’s something that I think we’re really proud of in the Cleveland chapter.”

GetWITit will host their annual convention, WITCON, in all four locations this upcoming fall. The event will include keynote speakers, breakout sessions and panelists.