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

Table of Contents

• Unlocking Austin's Tech Opportunities for Women
• Austin Women in Technology
• WomenHack Austin
• Society of Women Engineers - WE Local Austin 2026
• AnitaB.org Austin Local Community
• Women in STEM at UT Austin
• Girlstart
• Girls Who Code Austin
• Austin Women in Tech Impactors Network
• Women Future Forward at SXSW 2026
• Tech Life Austin - Women In Tech Meetup
• Your Curated Journey in Austin Tech
• Frequently Asked Questions

Austin Women in Technology

Austin Women in Technology (AWT) acts as the city’s foundational non-profit hub, connecting professional women from interns to VPs. Think of it as the market’s most trusted vendor, recommended for the ripest opportunities and most meaningful connections. It provides more than networking, offering structured strategy and practical support that moves careers forward.

The flagship offering is the 6-month AWT Mentorship Program, which kicks off in April. This cohort-based program meticulously pairs small groups of three mentees with an experienced mentor for focused guidance. For regular, actionable advice, their popular "Tactic Tuesdays" provide a casual setting to build essential people skills. Members describe the value as tangible, with one noting on Instagram: "I attended Who's Austin Hiring last night... it was more than networking; it was meaningful conversations to practical support."

Engagement starts by attending flagship events or Tactic Tuesdays, with deeper investment available through the annual mentorship application. AWT’s power comes from its deep roots and corporate partnerships, making it a premier platform for building the connections that define Austin’s tech success. Explore their full calendar of community events and partnerships to begin.

WomenHack Austin

If Austin Women in Technology is the community hub, WomenHack is the precision tool. This organization specializes in exclusive, diversity-focused hiring events that directly connect women engineers, developers, and data scientists with Austin companies actively committed to building inclusive teams. It effectively solves the "black hole" of online applications by creating a curated, live forum for talent and employers to meet.

The key offerings are the Austin Tech Job Fairs scheduled throughout the year, often hosted at prominent tech venues. These events feature pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings and networking sessions with hiring teams from scaling startups and established giants. Professionals should prepare their pitch and resume, then apply to attend via the WomenHack Austin events page.

The return on investment is remarkably tangible and rapid. This direct-access model is invaluable in a competitive market, with one software engineer reporting, "I attended a WomenHack event in Austin and landed my dream job as a Senior Software Engineer within 2 weeks!" For both candidates and companies, it's a critical node for diversity hiring in Austin's ecosystem. Explore their 2026 career guide and event schedules for targeted opportunities.

Society of Women Engineers - WE Local Austin 2026

Austin's status as a premier engineering hub is underscored by its selection to host the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) WE Local 2026 conference. This two-day professional development event brings the scale and prestige of a national gathering to our doorstep, functioning as the market's annual harvest festival - a concentrated, celebratory showcase of the region's best talent and opportunities for women at all engineering and technology career stages.

The conference itself is the main event, featuring keynote speeches from industry leaders, technical workshops, leadership development sessions, and a massive career fair with recruiters from across Texas and the nation. Having such a high-caliber event locally eliminates travel expenses and time commitments, providing an unparalleled career-accelerating opportunity rooted in the community. It reflects the same concentration of innovation found in other Austin institutions like the SXSW Innovation Conference tracks.

Engagement begins by marking the WE Local 2026 dates on your calendar. Both SWE members and non-members can attend, though members receive significant registration discounts. Joining the local SWE Austin section provides year-round networking and a built-in community leading into the major conference, ensuring you are connected and prepared to leverage every opportunity.

AnitaB.org Austin Local Community

AnitaB.org is a world-renowned organization empowering women and non-binary technologists, and its Austin local community brings that global mission home. This group connects members to a larger movement for systemic change while fostering a strong local sisterhood. It’s like sourcing rare, global ingredients while deeply understanding the local palate, adding a layer of intentional advocacy and global perspective to Austin's ecosystem.

The local chapter hosts regular Austin Meet and Greets and monthly sessions designed for intimate community growth and leadership development. These gatherings often focus on navigating technical leadership, advocacy, and preparing for the iconic Grace Hopper Celebration. This aligns with the understanding that, as noted by industry voice Data Sentinels, "Strong ecosystems build strong technology outcomes... only work when leaders are connected and aligned."

To engage, join the AnitaB.org membership for full access, then connect with the Austin cohort through their local event page for meetups and sessions. For women in Austin’s corporate and startup scenes, this group is a vital link to broader trends and a supportive network focused on long-term career sovereignty, empowering members to be architects of change.

Women in STEM at UT Austin

For students and early-career professionals, UT Austin’s Women in STEM (WiSTEM) program is an indispensable resource, acting as the educational greenhouse where future growers learn their craft. WiSTEM builds the foundation for Austin’s tech future by supporting women from undergraduate through alumnae stages, ensuring top-tier talent is nurtured and retained within the local ecosystem.

The standout offering is the award-winning STEM Girl Day at UT Austin, scheduled for February 28. This massive outreach event brings thousands of K-8 students to campus, and volunteering provides a powerful way for university students and professionals to inspire the next generation. Beyond this, WiSTEM offers ongoing mentorship and role-model webinars, providing crucial support within UT’s demanding computer science and engineering programs.

Engagement is multi-faceted. UT students can join directly, while professionals and alumnae can volunteer at STEM Girl Day, serve as mentors, or speak at events. This direct investment shapes the diversity of Austin's future tech community. As highlighted in a Role Model Monday Webinar, these efforts are vital for visibility and support, making WiSTEM a critical pipeline feeding Austin’s growing demand for skilled technologists.

Girlstart

Based right here in Austin, Girlstart is a nationally recognized non-profit dedicated to empowering girls in STEM through innovative, hands-on educational programs. For women already in tech, supporting Girlstart is a deeply rewarding way to reconnect with the spark of curiosity and actively shape an inclusive future. It’s the market’s educational stall where kids learn to love vegetables by planting the seeds themselves.

The organization provides consistent engagement through year-round STEM Saturdays and after-school programs. Their large-scale annual fundraisers are major networking events, heavily supported by Austin’s tech corporate community, including partners like Dell Technologies. This corporate backing highlights how integral building the talent pipeline is to the local ecosystem's health.

Tech professionals can volunteer as STEM role models, participate in career panels, or support corporate fundraising efforts. By getting involved, women in tech combat imposter syndrome by becoming the visible role models they may have lacked. It fosters a profound sense of purpose, reminding professionals that their success is part of a larger story. As one industry voice noted, "Strong ecosystems build strong technology outcomes." Girlstart is a foundational builder of that essential ecosystem in Austin.

Girls Who Code Austin

Girls Who Code is a household name in tech equity, and its Austin chapters are actively building the future workforce. The organization offers free, intensive Pathways Programs for high school students (grades 10-12), teaching the computer science skills needed for Austin's AI and software-driven economy. For professionals, this is a strategic way to mentor raw talent and scout the innovators of the next decade.

The key offering is the annual Pathways Programs, with the 2026 application cycle typically opening in mid-January. These are serious courses where students build fluency in programming languages and computational thinking, far beyond casual club activities. Professionals can apply to be a Club Facilitator or a Summer Immersion Program Teaching Assistant through the Girls Who Code Pathways portal.

Companies can also engage by hosting clubs, providing volunteer speakers, or sponsoring local programs. This proactive community building has tangible, long-term impact. Austin's tech growth depends on a sustainable, diverse talent pipeline, and by volunteering here, you directly influence that pipeline at a critical stage, helping ensure the future founders and engineers of Austin startups reflect the city's diversity.

Austin Women in Tech Impactors Network

Convened in partnership with the Austin Chamber of Commerce and often meeting at innovation hubs, the Austin Women in Tech Impactors Network is a collective of leaders focused on moving beyond discussion to actionable solutions for gender equity. This is the group of master growers and market managers who meet to improve the market’s infrastructure for everyone, working on the meta-level of Austin’s ecosystem.

The network holds quarterly or bi-monthly meetings dedicated to dissecting specific barriers - such as access to venture capital for women founders or retention strategies in tech roles - and collaboratively developing pilot programs or policy recommendations to address them. This approach tackles systemic challenges head-on, aiming to create structural change rather than just individual advancement.

Participation is typically by referral or application, targeting women in leadership, DEI roles, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. Professionals with a strategic interest in shaping the underlying architecture of Austin’s tech landscape should monitor the Austin Chamber of Commerce events page for meeting announcements. If you want to understand the challenges of scaling a women-led startup or improving equity at a major employer, this is the room where those consequential conversations happen. It’s for those who want to be architects of the market, not just shoppers in it.

Women Future Forward at SXSW 2026

SXSW is an Austin institution and a global innovation platform. Its Innovation Conference tracks and programming under banners like Women Future Forward provide an unparalleled concentration of ideas and networking. For women in Austin tech, it's a definitive home-field advantage to access world-class thought leadership and connection without leaving the city.

The conference, kicking off March 12, features extensive programming on tracks like Design, Health, and AI, with significant participation from women founders, investors, and tech leaders. These sessions, meetups, and pitch events are fertile ground for career-defining connections. As highlighted in social coverage, "SXSW 2026 kicks off March 12 at Google Austin - and Women...", underscoring the deep integration of local tech campuses with the event's global stage.

To engage, secure a SXSW Interactive badge for full conference access and target sessions featuring women leaders. For those without a badge, many affiliated unofficial events around the city offer valuable networking. This access allows Austin-based professionals to sample global trends and connect with international talent, reinforcing the city’s status as a destination for tech thought leadership.

Tech Life Austin - Women In Tech Meetup

Not every connection needs the structure of a mentorship program or career fair. The Women In Tech Meetup under the Tech Life Austin umbrella focuses on building community through casual, social gatherings at local breweries and coffee shops. This is the equivalent of running into a friendly fellow shopper at the market who knows all the best spots - relationships that start without agenda often become the most enduring.

The group’s key offering is a calendar of regular happy hours and coffee meetups designed purely for connection and mutual support. These low-pressure events are perfect for new arrivals, those between jobs, or anyone looking to expand their circle authentically. You can find and RSVP for upcoming events on mainstream platforms like Eventbrite, where it's listed as a premier networking event connecting professionals from major companies.

This social-first approach embodies the collaborative, approachable culture that makes Austin’s tech scene thrive. It builds the informal "connector" network that powers the ecosystem. The value is proven: one customer success leader leveraged these very networks to meet several key peers within hours of arriving in Austin. In a city where people skills are paramount, this group is where you practice and hone them authentically.

Your Curated Journey in Austin Tech

Your basket is no longer empty, and the vast market of Austin tech no longer feels overwhelming. You have your guides: the cornerstone community builders, the hiring matchmakers, the educators, the advocates, and the friendly faces at the coffee stand. Each group provides a unique pathway through the city’s thriving landscape, transforming the beautiful problem of abundance into a series of intentional, connected choices.

The path through Austin’s "Silicon Hills" - with its major corporate campuses, vibrant startup ecosystem, and significant financial benefits like no state income tax - is not a solo hike. It is a curated journey built through the trusted connections and structured support these resources provide. They are the essential infrastructure that turns Austin's raw potential into personal and professional growth.

The message is clear: "Progress isn't only about talent or preparation. It's about recognizing the moment, and stepping into it before hesitation does." Your moment in one of the nation's most dynamic tech hubs is here, and your community - from AWT to casual meetups - is ready to welcome you. The curated journey from overwhelm to opportunity begins with taking that first step into your chosen guide’s circle.

Frequently Asked Questions