Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Bakersfield, CA in 2026
By Irene Holden
Last Updated: February 21st 2026
Too Long; Didn't Read
The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference and Kern County Women in STEM top the list for 2026, offering essential networking and mentorship to help women in tech thrive locally and combat mid-career attrition. These resources connect professionals with major employers like Chevron and Grimmway Farms, leveraging Bakersfield's lower cost of living compared to Los Angeles or the Bay Area for a sustainable career path in AI and machine learning.
In the heart of California's Central Valley, Bakersfield's tech landscape presents a unique paradox of immense opportunity and quiet friction. The region's booming sectors - energy, agriculture, and logistics - are undergoing a digital transformation, creating demand for AI and machine learning talent at employers like Chevron, Grimmway Farms, and sprawling Amazon fulfillment centers. Yet, building a career here can feel isolating, especially for women navigating a field still grappling with representation.
This isolation has a measurable cost. Recent industry analysis warns that women are most likely to exit tech fields between 6 to 15 years of experience - a critical mid-career "attrition window" where advancement often stalls. Without a robust support system, this is where talent dries up. National networks have shifted, with entities like Women Who Code dissolving, making the role of local, rooted communities more vital than ever for retention and growth.
For women in Bakersfield, these local networks function like the drip irrigation lines sustaining the region's vast orchards: an essential, often unseen infrastructure delivering the precise resources needed to thrive in arid soil. They provide the mentorship, visibility, and peer understanding required to navigate non-traditional tech paths within Kern County's core industries and to leverage the area's lower cost of living compared to coastal hubs. Experts note that fields like cloud computing have become a "career safety net," and local groups are the channel connecting professionals to these evolving opportunities right here in the Central Valley.
Table of Contents
- Why Local Networks Matter for Women in Tech
- Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference
- Kern County Women in STEM
- ROC CTEC Women in Trades and Technology
- Girls Who Code Kern County
- AnitaB.org Communities and Grace Hopper Celebration
- Introduce a Girl to Engineering Conference
- InHerSight Bakersfield Company Reviews
- WomenTech Network Bakersfield Engagement
- Lean In Bakersfield Circles
- Bakersfield Women Leaders and WomenRising
- Frequently Asked Questions
Explore this Bakersfield AI career complete guide for tips on education and job market navigation.
Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference
The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference (BWBC) stands as the premier annual event for professional growth in the region. Its 2026 theme, "Awaken Your Magic," is designed to help women "rediscover the fire within" and take bold career risks, moving beyond technical expertise into visible leadership.
The conference's value for women in tech is multifaceted, offering direct access to decision-makers at major local employers like Chevron, Aera Energy, and the Kern County government. It features targeted workshops on leadership and technology's role in traditional industries, creating mentorship connections that directly combat the isolation of the mid-career attrition window.
Attendees consistently rate the experience highly, with reviews on platforms like Eventeny describing it as "very well organized" and "on par with major tech conferences." This local event punches above its weight, providing a curated experience with high-caliber keynotes and networking with hundreds of local leaders.
Getting involved is a straightforward investment in your career trajectory. Mark your calendar for the annual spring event, purchase tickets through the official site (typically $150-$250), and actively engage with speaker sessions and breakout groups. For tech professionals in Bakersfield, it is the definitive platform to build the strategic network needed for long-term success.
Kern County Women in STEM
While national organizations have shifted, Kern County Women in STEM (KCWIS) exemplifies the power of a deeply rooted, hyper-local network. This grassroots group serves as the connective tissue for women across all STEM fields in the region, from students to seasoned professionals working in agriculture, energy, and logistics tech.
Their signature "Level-Up Luncheons" provide intimate settings for knowledge sharing, while their actively maintained Speakers Bureau is a critical pipeline for recruiting role models to inspire K-12 and college students across the county. The group is actively recruiting speakers for its 2025-2026 season, focusing on local, relatable career paths.
For a woman working in data science at an agricultural giant like Grimmway Farms or in logistics tech at an Amazon fulfillment center, KCWIS offers a community that understands the unique intersection of technology and Bakersfield’s core industries. The value is in its specificity and accessibility - events are local, affordable, and focused on Kern County’s own ecosystem.
You can tap into this network by following their Instagram for event announcements, volunteering for the Speakers Bureau, or attending a luncheon to build your local professional circle. In a niche tech role, this turns potential isolation into a position of networked strength.
ROC CTEC Women in Trades and Technology
The Regional Occupational Center (ROC CTEC) is where Bakersfield's technical talent pipeline begins, offering direct, hands-on pathways into the workforce. Its practical initiatives, like the "Women in Careers" panels and the hands-on "Women In Trades Event," are foundational for students and career-changers seeking a tangible vision of a local tech career.
These events are frequently hosted in partnership with major employers like Aera Energy and Chevron, providing direct exposure to the companies driving Kern County's economy. The value is exceptionally practical: information on certification programs for fields like cloud infrastructure supporting the energy sector or automation in logistics, and success stories from locals. Recent coverage of the Women in Trades event highlights this direct employer-student connection.
Former students, like Baljinder Aulakh, have leveraged ROC CTEC internships into permanent technical roles. For women considering a pivot into tech - especially those attracted by Bakersfield’s lower cost of living compared to Los Angeles or the Bay Area - this is the essential starting line.
Getting involved means exploring their career technical education programs, attending open house events, and connecting with their industry partners to understand the specific skill sets in demand, from renewable energy grid management to agricultural data analytics.
Girls Who Code Kern County
Building the talent pipeline early is essential for changing the face of Bakersfield's tech scene, and Girls Who Code provides the most structured platform for young women in Kern County. With local clubs for grades 3-12, GWC demystifies coding and computer science from an early age, planting seeds for future careers.
In 2025, the organization launched its transformative Pathways Program, a curriculum that combines immersive and self-paced learning. This program offers certificates in high-demand fields like AI, Cybersecurity, and Web Development that are formally recognized by corporate hiring partners, as detailed in their community partner resources.
For a student in Bakersfield, this is a direct bridge from the classroom to a viable, high-growth career that can be pursued locally - whether it's developing AI for precision agriculture at a firm like Grimmway or managing cybersecurity for the energy sector. The value is in providing early, credible, and industry-aligned experience that connects directly to the region's economic engine.
Getting involved strengthens this critical irrigation line for future talent:
- Parents & Educators: Sponsor or start a club at a local school.
- Companies & Professionals: Become community partners to help shape and mentor this future workforce.
- Students: Join a club to build foundational skills in a supportive, all-girls environment.
AnitaB.org Communities and Grace Hopper Celebration
For women in Bakersfield aiming for the highest echelons of tech, the global reach of AnitaB.org is an indispensable counterbalance to geographic isolation. While not based locally, AnitaB.org maintains an active "North America West" virtual community that holds planning and networking sessions, connecting professionals here with peers across California and beyond.
Their crown jewel, the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC), remains the world's largest gathering of women in computing. AnitaB.org offers scholarships for GHC attendance, which can be a career-defining opportunity for local developers, data scientists, and AI engineers. Attending GHC, whether virtually or in-person, can shatter the feeling of being geographically limited, providing direct recruitment access to hundreds of top tech companies.
The value is in scale, prestige, and access to a global job market while remaining rooted in Bakersfield. It allows professionals to stay connected to cutting-edge conversations on diversity and emerging tech, which they can then apply to local challenges in energy, agriculture, and logistics.
Getting involved is virtual and impactful: apply for GHC scholarships, join the AnitaB.org community to collaborate on projects, and leverage virtual events like their "Limitless: Women in Tech Summit" for continuous learning and global perspective.
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Conference
Focused squarely on sparking early interest, the Introduce a Girl to Engineering Conference is a targeted, high-impact event that brings hundreds of young women in Bakersfield together for hands-on STEM activities. Its power lies in authentic local representation, making engineering careers feel immediate and attainable.
Sponsored by regional engineering firms like Ardurra, the conference features keynote addresses from leaders such as Evelyn Cortez-Davis, who provide relatable role models. As seen in coverage of a recent event, these conferences directly showcase engineering careers in a local context - from water projects and energy infrastructure to the logistics systems supporting Amazon's local fulfillment centers.
For a student, seeing a successful engineer who works on visible local projects transforms an abstract career path into a tangible goal. The value is dual: inspiration and specific local career mapping. It demonstrates that a rewarding engineering or tech career is built here, contributing to the community's core industries.
Students and parents can get involved by watching for announcements from local school districts or sponsors to register for the annual event. For professional women in tech, volunteering as a presenter or mentor at this conference is a powerful way to give back and personally strengthen the local talent pipeline.
InHerSight Bakersfield Company Reviews
In a specialized job market like Bakersfield's, making an informed career move is critical. The platform InHerSight for Bakersfield provides this crucial intelligence through anonymous, women-generated reviews and ratings of local companies based on key factors like paid time off, women in leadership, and equal opportunities.
This peer-derived data cuts through corporate marketing, offering transparency about workplace culture. For instance, an organization like March of Dimes in Bakersfield earns a high rating (4.5 stars) specifically for "Women in Leadership." For a woman in tech considering a role at Kern County government, Aera Energy, or a growing logistics firm, these insights are invaluable for assessing growth potential and inclusivity before even applying.
This resource is particularly powerful for navigating the mid-career landscape, where a poor cultural fit can contribute to the industry's troubling attrition window. It empowers professionals to seek out employers that actively support advancement and retention.
To leverage this tool, consult it during job searches, contribute your own anonymous review to help others, and use the data to ask informed questions during interviews about diversity, equity, and inclusion practices specific to the Bakersfield-Delano metro area.
WomenTech Network Bakersfield Engagement
The WomenTech Network is a global digital community whose virtual nature makes it uniquely accessible from Bakersfield, serving as a vital channel for knowledge exchange and broader industry perspective. For local AI specialists or software developers, it provides a window into global conversations on diversity and emerging tech that can be applied to regional challenges in energy, agriculture, and logistics.
Local experts can actively contribute to these discussions by writing Opinion Pieces on tech trends and participating in global roundtables. This not only elevates the profile of Bakersfield’s tech talent but also ensures local innovations and perspectives inform wider industry dialogue.
The value lies in maintaining connection to global standards and thought leadership without requiring relocation. It helps professionals stay current with trends that major local employers are adopting, from AI-driven logistics at Amazon fulfillment centers to data analytics in renewable energy projects.
Getting involved is flexible and virtual: join the network for free, attend online conferences and workshops, and consider submitting content or speaking at events. This turns a Bakersfield-based career into a node in a global network, enriching both the individual and the local tech ecosystem.
Lean In Bakersfield Circles
Sometimes the most impactful support is the most personal. Lean In Circles are small, peer-led groups that meet regularly to provide shared learning, accountability, and confidential support for navigating workplace challenges. In a market like Bakersfield, where women in tech may be scattered across different companies and industries, these circles create an essential, trusted space.
This format is particularly valuable for building the "soft skills" critical for advancement, such as negotiation and leadership resilience - key tools for surviving the mid-career "attrition window" where, as data shows, women are most vulnerable to leaving the field. For a data scientist at an agricultural firm or an engineer at a logistics center, it offers a sounding board with peers who understand the unique contours of a tech career in Kern County.
The value is in personalized, ongoing support that larger conferences or networks cannot provide. It turns the potential isolation of being the only woman on a tech team into a position of collective strength and strategic insight.
Women in tech can get involved by searching for an existing Bakersfield-based Circle through the Lean In website or, if one doesn’t exist, taking the initiative to start one. Circles can be themed around specific interests, such as "Women in Tech Leadership" or "Navigating Non-Tech Companies as a Tech Expert," directly addressing the local career landscape.
Bakersfield Women Leaders and WomenRising
For women in tech who have progressed into management, director, or executive roles - or who aspire to - Bakersfield Women Leaders provides essential high-level development. Their events, like the "WomenRising 2026" half-day leadership conference, focus on the advanced strategy and corporate governance insights often lacking in technically focused groups.
These conferences feature powerhouse speakers from national corporations like Amazon, Southwest Airlines, and Ernst & Young, providing a C-suite perspective that is invaluable for tech leaders in Bakersfield. The value is in learning to translate deep technical expertise into broader business strategy and investment cases, a critical skill for championing tech initiatives at major local employers like Chevron or Kern County government.
This resource directly addresses the leadership gap that can contribute to the mid-career attrition window, offering a pathway to the most senior levels within the regional economy. It connects Bakersfield's tech talent with executive networks and thinking that drive the very companies shaping the local job market.
Professionals can get involved by registering for the WomenRising conference and participating in the organization’s other high-level networking forums. This represents the final, crucial irrigation channel in the local support system, designed to cultivate and retain top-tier tech leadership right here in the Central Valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
What criteria were used to select the top 10 women in tech groups in Bakersfield?
We ranked groups based on their local impact, accessibility, and support for key career stages, especially the attrition window at 6-15 years experience. Factors included networking with major employers like Chevron and Aera Energy, and alignment with Bakersfield's growing tech sectors in renewable energy and logistics.
Which group is best for networking with local employers in the Bakersfield area?
The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference is ideal for networking, offering direct access to decision-makers at companies like Kern County government and Amazon. With tickets typically $150-$250, it provides high-caliber events that connect tech professionals to opportunities in energy and agricultural tech.
Are there resources for women interested in AI and machine learning careers in Bakersfield?
Yes, Girls Who Code Kern County's Pathways Program offers AI certificates, perfect for roles in precision agriculture at employers like Grimmway Farms. Kern County Women in STEM also supports data science professionals, linking them to local AI applications in logistics and energy sectors.
How do these groups help women take advantage of Bakersfield's lower cost of living?
Groups like ROC CTEC provide affordable training pathways, enabling women to build tech careers locally without the high expenses of the Bay Area or Los Angeles. This makes it easier to pursue roles in logistics tech or renewable energy while enjoying Bakersfield's affordable lifestyle.
What support do these groups offer for women facing mid-career attrition in tech?
Lean In Bakersfield Circles offer peer-led support to navigate workplace challenges during the critical attrition window. The Bakersfield Women Leaders conference also provides leadership development, helping women advance into roles that combat isolation and promote retention in local tech jobs.
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Irene Holden
Operations Manager
Former Microsoft Education and Learning Futures Group team member, Irene now oversees instructors at Nucamp while writing about everything tech - from careers to coding bootcamps.