Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Athens, GA in 2026

Table of Contents

• Curating Your Tech Career Playlist in Athens
• UGA Women in Technology
• Girls Who Code at UGA
• Rewriting the Code
• Grace Hopper Celebration and UGA Travel Grants
• WomenTech Network Athens
• SheCanCode at UGA
• UGA Women in Cybersecurity
• Women in Technology Georgia
• Technology Association of Georgia Athens
• Elpha
• Building Your Career Album in Athens
• Frequently Asked Questions

UGA Women in Technology

Serving as the foundational track for any aspiring technologist in Athens, the student-led UGA Women in Technology (WIT) is the primary bridge between academic theory and professional practice. The organization hosts weekly meetings at the Terry College of Business, featuring industry panels with companies like Protiviti, CGI, and Cox, and offers a calendar packed with networking and technical workshops.

These events provide tangible, real-world experience through job shadowing programs and direct access to a supportive community that builds technical and professional confidence. As one member, Gupta, explained, the environment fosters essential communication skills for the workplace.

"In Women in Tech, you can just speak your mind however you want... so that in the real world, you are used to talking and speaking your own opinions" - Gupta, UGA WIT Member, The Red & Black.

For UGA students, getting involved is straightforward through the group's official event calendar, offering immediate entry into an ecosystem designed to turn learners into leaders. This local resource is a critical first note in the Athens career playlist.

Girls Who Code at UGA

Focusing on the earliest stages of the talent pipeline, the UGA Chapter of Girls Who Code builds essential bridges between the university and the local community. By 2026, this group continues its significant outreach, having hosted nearly 50 workshops for over 60 students in the Athens-Clarke County School District the previous year.

These sessions demystify computer science for middle and high school girls, while providing UGA students with invaluable leadership, mentorship, and project management experience. Participation helps close the gender gap in tech at the grassroots level and actively cultivates the local talent pool that benefits Athens' entire economy.

This initiative is a powerful example of the city's university-town dynamic, where community engagement fosters widespread growth. The skills gained here resonate throughout the ecosystem, from supporting local startups to major employers like Piedmont Athens Regional. Students can learn more about the chapter's impact through the UGA School of Computing and explore the mission of the national Girls Who Code organization.

Rewriting the Code

While Athens provides a strong local foundation, connecting to the national stage is crucial. Rewriting the Code (RTC) serves as this essential virtual lifeline, offering UGA students access to a national community of over 10,000 college women in tech majors. This resource provides exclusive mentorship, internship opportunities with major employers, and a year-round support network that operates beyond Georgia's borders.

For a student based in Athens, RTC complements local clubs by offering a window into broader industry trends and a diverse peer group from across the country. It's particularly valuable for navigating competitive internship applications and understanding the expectations of top tech firms, providing a significant edge in the national job market.

Students can apply directly through the Rewriting the Code website, making it a straightforward tool to amplify their reach. By leveraging RTC's national network while enjoying Athens' lower cost of living, students can build a robust career strategy that spans from their local campus to opportunities nationwide.

Grace Hopper Celebration and UGA Travel Grants

Acting as the ultimate career accelerator, the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) is the world's largest gathering of women in tech. For Athens residents, the University of Georgia provides a direct and financially accessible pipeline to this defining event through dedicated travel grants from the School of Computing.

These grants cover registration and travel costs, removing a significant financial barrier and offering students unparalleled access to networking events, interviews with top tech companies, and inspirational keynotes. In 2026, this resource represents one of the most valuable "bridge tracks" available, moving women directly from the local academic environment onto the national and international stage.

For a student building her career in Athens, this support transforms a global opportunity into a tangible reality. It’s a transformative resource that leverages the strength of the university to provide a massive career boost, all while the student benefits from Athens' sustainable cost of living. You can find details on these opportunities through the UGA School of Computing's resources page and explore the scope of the Women in Tech Global Conference platform.

WomenTech Network Athens

Bringing a global community to the local level, WomenTech Network Athens launched in partnership with firms like Ocado Technology to create targeted networking events focused on fostering local knowledge transfer and professional development. This network provides Athens-based professionals with a crucial hub for building in-person connections within the city's growing tech scene.

The model offers a powerful dual advantage: members engage with peers at local events while also gaining access to the broader Women in Tech Global Conference 2026 platform for virtual job fairs and international networking. This synergy is ideal for mid-career women at local employers or those working remotely for companies in Atlanta and beyond.

"Being a woman in tech is not just a role; it's a revolution... only by breaking stereotypes can we create a more inclusive industry." - Community Success Story, WomenTech Network.

This resource perfectly complements Athens' ecosystem by ensuring professionals can build a strong local network while maintaining visibility on the global stage, all from a city with a significantly lower cost of living. Information on local meetups can be found through their event pages.

SheCanCode at UGA

Providing a dedicated and focused space within the broader ecosystem, SheCanCode at UGA creates an intimate community for skill-building and support, particularly for women from underrepresented groups in tech. Through hands-on coding workshops, hackathons, and dedicated mentorship, this organization addresses the need for both technical confidence and a strong sense of belonging.

In the Athens tech scene, where cultivating close-knit professional relationships is invaluable, SheCanCode offers a vital environment for women who may be navigating tech spaces as first-generation students or from non-traditional backgrounds. This peer support is crucial for persistence and leadership development, ensuring all voices are amplified.

Resources and connections for SheCanCode, along with other student groups, are centralized through the UGA School of Computing's clubs page. This focused community exemplifies how Athens' interconnected resources create multiple pathways for growth, reinforcing the city's strength as a supportive and affordable launchpad for diverse tech talent.

UGA Women in Cybersecurity

For those targeting a high-demand specialization, the UGA Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) chapter serves as an essential accelerator. This group provides direct access to a niche professional network through events like virtual meetings with industry giants such as Google to discuss career paths and technical challenges.

In a field with immense growth potential, participation offers Athens-based students and early-career professionals critical insights and connections. Given the universal need for security expertise, especially in sectors like healthcare where Piedmont Athens Regional is a major employer, skills honed here translate directly into high-value local opportunities.

This focused resource underscores how Athens' ecosystem supports specialized career tracks. Engaging with WiCyS allows members to build expertise in a critical area while leveraging the city's affordable living, positioning them competitively for roles both within the local market and in the greater Atlanta tech corridor. You can learn more about their activities through the UGA School of Computing's event page.

Women in Technology Georgia

Extending the local network into one of the Southeast's most powerful professional circles, Women in Technology (WIT) Georgia is an essential resource for Athens-based professionals. While headquartered in Atlanta, this chapter partners with major employers like Cox Enterprises to offer formal mentoring, leadership programs, and large-scale networking events like the annual WIT Connect fundraiser.

For someone living in Athens, it represents a manageable commute to access influential connections and career advancement tools that complement the local scene. This strategic link allows women to build relationships with Atlanta's tech leaders and explore opportunities in the larger market while continuing to benefit from Athens' significantly lower cost of living.

"Cox supports WIT because we believe in intentionally creating access and opportunity... This partnership has real impact." - Carolyn Pleiss, SVP and CIO at Cox Enterprises, Women in Technology.

Engaging with this organization is a strategic career move, effectively blending the community advantages of Athens with the expansive professional landscape of Atlanta. More information on their programs and events can be found on the WIT Georgia website.

Technology Association of Georgia Athens

Serving as the vital connective tissue between local innovation and the statewide industry, the Athens chapter of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) bridges UGA’s research, local startups, and established companies. This chapter regularly hosts events that feature women on its advisory boards and facilitate conversations about investment and policy shaping the local job market.

For women in tech, participation in TAG Athens events offers crucial visibility and business networking opportunities beyond traditional women-focused groups. It integrates professionals into the broader commercial fabric of Georgia's tech scene, ensuring they contribute to key discussions on innovation.

This engagement is particularly valuable in a university town like Athens, where research meets real-world application. By connecting with local startups such as Azalea Robotics and regional leaders, members can directly influence and benefit from the growth of the local ecosystem, all while operating from a city with a favorable cost of living. This resource underscores how professional integration is a key track in the complete career playlist.

Elpha

For the asynchronous, always-on support that perfectly complements Athens' in-person meetings, Elpha stands out as the premier online community. This digital platform provides a collaborative environment where women in tech share candid career advice, job referrals, and mentorship, filling a crucial gap in a smaller market.

In a city like Athens, where the local tech community is strong but intimate, Elpha offers a 24/7 sounding board and a window into challenges and solutions from women worldwide. It's an invaluable resource for asking specific questions, discovering remote work opportunities, and building confidence through shared global experiences.

This resource is highlighted as one of the best women in tech communities to join, praised for its supportive and candid nature. As the digital supplement to physical networks, Elpha ensures that Athens-based professionals are never isolated, seamlessly integrating the city's affordable, high-quality lifestyle with the boundless connectivity of the global tech industry.

Building Your Career Album in Athens

The true advantage of building a tech career in Athens is revealed not in isolated resources, but in how seamlessly they connect to form a complete journey. This curated playlist allows a student to begin with Girls Who Code workshops, develop leadership in UGA WIT, leverage a Grace Hopper travel grant for a national breakout, and then grow professionally through WomenTech Network Athens or WIT Georgia. This fluid progression happens within a sustainable, low-stress environment powered by a world-class university.

For those building foundational skills, this supportive ecosystem extends to accessible education providers. Bootcamps like Nucamp's Back End, SQL and DevOps with Python offer affordable, flexible paths to gain in-demand skills, with programs like their AI Essentials for Work focusing on practical, workplace-ready applications. With an employment rate around 78% and active local workshops, such programs integrate well with Athens' community-focused model.

The challenge of a smaller market is met with an ecosystem engineered for connection and transition. Your career is the album; these interconnected tracks, from local clubs to global networks and skill-building platforms, are what make it a cohesive and successful hit. The journey begins by actively engaging with the unique bridges Athens provides.

Frequently Asked Questions