Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Amarillo, TX in 2026

Table of Contents

• Welcome to Amarillo's Tech Potluck
• WT Enterprise Center & The EnterPrize Challenge
• Amarillo Women’s Network
• WISE Amarillo
• Amarillo College Innovation Outpost & Coding Academy
• West Texas A&M University Engineering & AI Initiatives
• Girls Who Science at Don Harrington Discovery Center
• Virtual & Global Networks for Tech Women
• Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center Workshops
• Major Employer Diversity Initiatives
• Regional Conferences & Summits
• Conclusion: Building Your Tech Career in Amarillo
• Frequently Asked Questions

WT Enterprise Center & The EnterPrize Challenge

The WT Enterprise Center stands as the premier catalyst for women-led tech entrepreneurship in the Panhandle. Its flagship program, the Amarillo EnterPrize Challenge, is a transformative opportunity, offering up to $100,000 in non-dilutive funding for scalable businesses, acting as a critical launchpad for innovative startups.

Program manager Michelle Howington outlines the essential first step: "Attending one orientation is required before accessing the application... January is the only time orientations are offered." This structured approach ensures founders are prepared. Detailed information on the 2026 challenge and orientation schedule is available through WTEC announcements.

Beyond capital, WTEC provides foundational support through its complimentary Blueprint Program, helping tech-focused entrepreneurs refine their business models. The center also celebrates local success through events like the Entrepreneur Excellence Awards, honoring milestones "at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey."

Furthermore, WTEC actively bridges the technology gap in the region. In late 2025, it launched a free AI Workshop Series for local entrepreneurs, providing practical knowledge to modernize operations. For women building a tech venture, WTEC’s combination of capital, structured mentorship, and community recognition is an unmatched local resource.

Amarillo Women’s Network

For over two decades, the Amarillo Women’s Network has served as the cornerstone of professional networking for women across all sectors, with technology becoming an increasingly prominent focus. This long-standing organization creates the trusted, personal connections that are invaluable in Amarillo's growing but intimate tech community.

AWN hosts consistent, high-level opportunities for connection through its monthly networking luncheons, typically held on the last Friday of each month at the Amarillo Club. These events provide a prestigious forum for leadership development and mentorship. You can find current monthly meeting details on the AWN website.

The organization directly invests in the future local workforce by providing annual scholarships for women advancing their professional education. For a tech professional new to the Panhandle, joining AWN is the fastest way to plug into the city’s professional power grid and build relationships that can open doors at major employers like Pantex or Bell Textron.

In a region where career paths can benefit from strong local networks, AWN offers more than just events; it provides a foundation of lifelong professional relationships. Explore membership and more at the Amarillo Women's Network website.

WISE Amarillo

Building the tech talent pipeline starts early, and WISE Amarillo (Women in Science Enrichment) is dedicated to sparking and sustaining interest in STEM for young girls across the Texas Panhandle. This initiative addresses a core challenge by inspiring the next generation before the gender gap widens, creating a vital feeder system for local programs.

Its signature event is the annual STEM conference for 6th-8th grade girls, held at venues like the AmTech Career Academy. The conference features hands-on workshops, live demonstrations, and direct interaction with female STEM professionals, making fields like AI and engineering tangible and exciting. The 2025 conference is scheduled for November 15, and the organization ensures accessibility by offering registration fee assistance.

For women established in tech careers, WISE provides a powerful and rewarding avenue for giving back. Volunteering, mentoring, or presenting at the conference allows professionals to directly shape the future local workforce and serve as visible role models. This engagement is a key part of the community potluck.

The organization fosters ongoing connection through its active Facebook community, where updates, resources, and stories are shared. By investing in young girls today, WISE Amarillo is directly contributing to a richer, more diverse tech table for tomorrow.

Amarillo College Innovation Outpost & Coding Academy

Amarillo College provides two critical, hands-on pathways for women seeking rapid and cost-effective entry into tech careers. These programs are designed to deliver practical skills that directly align with the needs of both local and remote employers in the Panhandle.

The AC Innovation Outpost, located at 1220 S. Polk Street, specializes in high-impact IT certification reviews and proctored exams, including CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+. Specialist Argenis Cunha highlights their value: "Investing in your certifications boosts productivity, builds confidence and establishes you as a leader in IT innovation." These credentials are designed to handle real-world challenges. Learn about the current courses and exams offered at the Innovation Outpost.

Meanwhile, the AC Coding Academy offers an intensive, project-based software development program. The experience is notably rigorous and rewarding, as one 2026 graduate shared: "It’s not like your average major... it's a program that is very hands-on... At the end, it’s very rewarding." This immersive approach prepares students for immediate contribution in development roles.

For women in Amarillo looking to pivot or advance without the time and cost of a traditional four-year degree, Amarillo College's focused programs are a powerful and accessible springboard into the tech industry.

West Texas A&M University Engineering & AI Initiatives

West Texas A&M University is actively working to close the gender and diversity gap in STEM through targeted research and accessible community programs. As an academic hub in the Panhandle, WTAMU serves as a critical partner in making the local tech ecosystem more inclusive and cutting-edge.

In 2024, university researchers won a federal grant specifically for an AI-inclusive plan to boost Hispanic students in STEM. Dr. Azi Tabei, assistant professor, explained the mission: "Hispanic students, including many women... often find it especially challenging to succeed in STEM... our project addresses this pressing issue." This initiative directly supports underrepresented groups entering technical fields.

For the broader professional community, WTAMU’s WT Enterprise Center launched a free AI Workshop Series for entrepreneurs in late 2025. These workshops help local business owners and professionals modernize operations with practical AI applications, bridging the technology gap in the region.

Through its College of Business and College of Engineering, WTAMU also provides professional development grants and faculty-led initiatives that integrate tech into traditional business roles. For women at the student, faculty, or professional level, WTAMU is a hub for both advanced research and practical, community-focused technology education.

Girls Who Science at Don Harrington Discovery Center

The "Girls Who Science" series at the Don Harrington Discovery Center brings STEM directly into the community in an accessible, engaging way. This monthly event connects girls and women with local STEM professionals through hands-on activities, making tech careers visible and exciting right here in Amarillo.

Faculty from local institutions like Amarillo College, including Vanessa Miles (Engineering) and Delane McUne (CIS), lead these interactive sessions. Activities range from computer disassembly to sustainability challenges, providing tangible experiences that demystify technology and engineering for participants.

The series serves a powerful dual purpose: inspiring the next generation of girls while providing a visible platform for established local women in tech to share their expertise. In a region where role models in fields like AI and data science can sometimes feel distant, "Girls Who Science" brings them front and center, fostering crucial mentor-mentee connections.

This initiative complements other pipeline programs like WISE Amarillo by offering regular, recurring touchpoints throughout the year. It represents another vital "dish" on the community potluck table - one that nourishes curiosity and builds confidence through direct interaction with professionals from Amarillo College and other Panhandle institutions.

Virtual & Global Networks for Tech Women

While Amarillo's local networks provide essential support, connecting to national and global tech communities is crucial for accessing cutting-edge content, broader mentorship, and a sense of belonging to the wider industry. These virtual resources effectively dissolve the geographic isolation of the Panhandle.

Organizations like the WomenTech Network offer digital "WomenTech Circles" for mentorship and professional development specifically tailored to the tech sector. For those seeking the pinnacle of women-in-computing events, AnitaB.org remains the force behind the Grace Hopper Celebration, the world's largest gathering for women in computing. Amarillo-based professionals often look to the North Texas or Austin chapters for regional connections.

It's important to note the changing landscape; for instance, the national organization Women Who Code officially closed its doors in April 2024. This shift underscores the value of stable, active global communities and local meetups. Tech leader Rashi Raj from Oracle highlighted the utility of such networks, suggesting professionals use "feedback loops and resilience" as roadmaps for leadership.

Engaging with these global platforms allows women in the Texas Panhandle to benchmark their skills, explore trending technologies like AI, and bring fresh ideas and connections back to enrich Amarillo's own tech table. They are the virtual passes that connect a local potluck to an international feast of knowledge.

Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center Workshops

Tech integration extends beyond pure software into the advanced manufacturing and operational heart of the Texas Panhandle. The Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center workshops, held at the WT Enterprise Center, provide critical professional development that bridges technical expertise and operational leadership in these high-stakes environments.

These sessions focus on practical skills in leadership, operational technology, and - importantly - communication. Trainers emphasize that clear communication is a "vital skill" to address and prevent "communication breakdowns" in fast-paced technical and manufacturing fields. This focus on soft skills complements hard technical knowledge, enhancing professional value and visibility.

For women working at or with major industrial anchors like the Pantex Plant or Bell Textron, these workshops are directly relevant. They offer actionable strategies for thriving in tech-adjacent roles, from project management in engineering teams to optimizing production line software. Engaging with TMAC through WTEC's platforms provides access to this specialized training.

This resource underscores that a successful tech career in Amarillo isn't limited to coding alone. By mastering the intersection of technology, process, and people, professionals can secure stable, well-compensated positions in the region's cornerstone industries. It's another essential offering on the community table, prepared by the WT Enterprise Center.

Major Employer Diversity Initiatives

Some of the most significant resources for women in tech are embedded within Amarillo's largest and most stable employers. Organizations like the Pantex Plant, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Amarillo, and Bell Textron are not just places of employment but active participants in building the local tech talent pool through formal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) frameworks and targeted STEM outreach programs.

These employers frequently engage in STEM outreach and diversity hiring for technical and engineering roles. For a woman building a tech career, proactively engaging with these initiatives - through intern programs, guest lectures, or community partnership events - provides direct insight into high-value career paths and the specific technical skills in demand.

TTUHSC Amarillo, for instance, fosters a technical research environment through its Office of Research and Innovation, which hosts community-engaged events. Similarly, the manufacturing and engineering giants in the region have ongoing needs for talent in software, data analysis, systems engineering, and cybersecurity.

Aligning with these employers' DEI goals can open doors to stable, well-compensated careers right here in Amarillo. This is where the Panhandle's practical advantages truly shine: the lower cost of living and absence of state income tax allow a competitive salary to stretch further, enabling a high quality of life while contributing to vital local industries.

Regional Conferences & Summits

While local networks provide essential daily support, looking beyond city limits to statewide and regional events is crucial for professional growth and perspective. Attending major conferences offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, learning about emerging technologies like AI, and exploring broader career markets.

Key events include the Women in Tech Texas conference, held annually in Austin, and the Texas Women & Girls in STEM Summit, which held its 8th annual gathering in December 2024. These events connect participants with leaders and recruiters from across the state. Additionally, the virtual Southwest Regional Accelerate Conference in February 2025 specifically targeted women engineers and leaders in the Southwest region.

For women in Amarillo, participation is often facilitated by local employer professional development funds. Attending allows professionals to benchmark their skills against a wider market, discover new tools and methodologies, and build a robust network of contacts across Texas.

Ultimately, the knowledge and connections gained at these summits don't just benefit the individual - they are brought back to enrich the entire Panhandle tech ecosystem. This cyclical process strengthens Amarillo's own "potluck table," ensuring the local community remains dynamic, informed, and connected to the larger tech landscape.

Conclusion: Building Your Tech Career in Amarillo

The potluck table is full, but it's a living feast. From the foundational networking of AWN to the cutting-edge AI workshops at WTEC, and from inspiring young girls with WISE to connecting globally through AnitaB.org, Amarillo offers a complete community structure for women to build thriving tech careers. The empty spot remains, always ready for your unique contribution - your startup idea, your mentorship, your next career step.

For those ready to bring their own dish to the table through new skills, affordable and flexible education options exist. Bootcamps like those from Nucamp offer accessible pathways, with AI and coding programs starting at $2,124 and featuring payment plans. These programs, which boast a ~78% employment rate and a 4.5/5 star rating from hundreds of reviews, are designed for career changers and can be a practical first step.

In Amarillo, the advantage is clear: the lower cost of living, no state income tax, and proximity to major employers create fertile ground where a tech salary stretches further. The challenge of a smaller market becomes its strength - here, your presence is noted, your voice can be heard, and your contribution to the community table truly matters. So, find your recipe, claim your seat, and help build the future of Panhandle tech.

Frequently Asked Questions