Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Baton Rouge, LA in 2026

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Women in Tech SELA
• AnitaB.org Regional Virtual Hub
• Girls Who Code Baton Rouge Clubs & Pathways
• LSU AI in Action Symposium & Tech Outreach
• GBRIA Women in Industry Forum
• WorkingWomen's SheConnect Baton Rouge
• American Business Women's Association Baton Rouge Chapter
• The Solutions Summit 2026
• Louisiana Women in Technology
• Innovators Unite & Local Meetups
• Frequently Asked Questions

Women in Tech SELA

The Regional Powerhouse for Professional Growth

As the anchor regional organization, Women in Tech SELA is the essential first connection for any woman building a tech career across Southeast Louisiana. It directly tackles geographic isolation by creating a unified network, making it a key driver for the entire region's ecosystem. Membership is structured for accessibility: annual dues are $40 for professionals, $25 for students, and includes a free "Girls in Tech" tier for young women aged 8-17.

The group’s focus is on actionable, localized support. This includes structured mentorship, professional development workshops, and direct assistance with industry certifications. Unlike sprawling national forums, discussions here are grounded in the realities of the Baton Rouge job market, with advice tailored to local employers like ExxonMobil and CGI, and navigating Louisiana's specific tech policy landscape.

How to Get Involved & The Tangible Value

Prospective members can visit the Women in Tech SELA membership page to join. The value is in its function as a conduit for turning regional contacts into concrete opportunities. As described on the organization's main site, it's a dedicated space for women in tech, engineering, and science to connect. This localized community is where online connections transform into job referrals, collaborative projects, and the career guidance needed to advance within our unique economic landscape.

AnitaB.org Regional Virtual Hub

Your Gateway to the Global Grace Hopper Community

Operating through a regional model rather than a strict city chapter, AnitaB.org provides a critical, structured virtual hub for Baton Rouge professionals. This connection is essential for women seeking access to the massive, influential network anchored by the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC). Members in the area participate in monthly regional virtual meetups - hosted via platforms like Slack - to brainstorm local event ideas and foster peer accountability.

You begin by securing an individual membership through AnitaB.org, which grants access to GHC archives, year-round mentorship matching, and these regional groups. The value is dual: you gain the prestige and resources of a world-class organization while using its framework to build a confidential local peer circle. For women at companies like Entergy or the area's healthcare systems, it's a space to discuss navigating tech roles within traditional industries.

Beyond Technical Skills: Leadership in 2026

This resource aligns with broader 2026 leadership trends where interdisciplinary skills are paramount. Experts note that technology is no longer built by engineers alone. AnitaB.org’s focus on connecting technical skill with broader leadership development helps local professionals prepare for this shift. As highlighted in leadership profiles, figures like Amanda Spolec, Director of Strategic Operations at TransUnion, emphasize leading with a voice that is "distinctly yours" rather than following a template - a principle fostered in these global-to-local networks.

Girls Who Code Baton Rouge Clubs & Pathways

Building the Pipeline from the Ground Up

Girls Who Code tackles the foundational challenge of "you can't be what you can't see" by placing local club programs directly in Baton Rouge schools and libraries. For high schoolers, the organization offers a pivotal, free opportunity: the 7-week virtual Pathways Program running from June 29 to August 14, 2026, covering cutting-edge fields like AI, Data Science, and Cybersecurity.

For professional women, the value is twofold. It's a direct avenue for meaningful community impact, and it strategically strengthens the future local talent pool. Mentoring young coders builds the very interdisciplinary skills - communication, advocacy, leadership - that experts note are essential for 2026. As highlighted in broader trends, leadership now requires blending technical knowledge with ethics and policy, skills honed through mentorship.

How to Get Involved & The Local Impact

Adults can volunteer or partner through resources like the GWC Community Partner Flyer. Students in grades 3-12 can join local "Sisterhood" clubs, detailed in the Clubs overview. This active presence ensures the next generation of women in tech sees a clear, supported path to mastering fulfilling career paths right here in Louisiana, directly feeding into the region's growing tech ecosystem.

LSU AI in Action Symposium & Tech Outreach

The Academic Epicenter for Cutting-Edge Skills

Louisiana State University is more than a school; it's the beating heart of the region's tech innovation, serving as the primary hub for technical training. For women professionals, LSU's public-facing events are invaluable for cutting-edge skill-building and strategic networking. The premier event is the AI in Action Symposium on March 20, 2026, at the LSU Student Union, designed for professionals to learn practical AI integration strategies directly applicable to local industries.

The value is in accessing world-class research on a neutral ground. Attendees connect with PhD candidates, startup founders from the LSU Innovation Hub, and IT directors from major Baton Rouge employers like ExxonMobil - all focused on applied AI, a skill set critical for commanding competitive local tech salaries. Professionals can register via the LSU events calendar.

This focus on application aligns with 2026 leadership trends where AI is treated as fundamental infrastructure. As experts like Kay Firth-Butterfield note, leadership requires interdisciplinary skills involving ethics, law, and policy. The symposium embodies this by embedding discussions on accountability into the development cycle, preparing local talent to build responsible systems for Baton Rouge's key sectors from the ground up.

GBRIA Women in Industry Forum

Bridging the Gap to Industrial Tech Careers

The Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance (GBRIA) hosts a critical forum designed to solve a key local challenge: connecting women and girls to the high-wage, technical careers in the region's dominant petrochemical, manufacturing, and engineering sectors. This initiative showcases real women thriving in roles at plants along the Mississippi, making abstract career paths tangible and directly addressing the need for visibility in industrial tech.

The forum’s impact is measurable and significant. Post-event surveys show that 100% of student participants reported increased knowledge about industry careers, with 96% more likely to pursue a technical path. Connie Fabre, CEO of GBRIA, notes the forum is “an incredible way to show young women the real career possibilities available to them right here in Louisiana.” This aligns with major employer initiatives, as ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge operations frequently partner with GBRIA for workforce development, offering sponsorship packages that create direct pipelines into these roles.

How to Get Involved & Measurable Outcomes

Students and professionals can learn about forum dates through the GBRIA news page. For career-changers, it’s a direct line to employers sponsoring workforce development and a powerful example of how local industry is actively investing in a diverse technical talent pool, ensuring women have a defined pathway into some of the area's most stable and high-paying tech-adjacent careers.

WorkingWomen's SheConnect Baton Rouge

Dynamic Networking for the "Stuck" Professional

For the career-driven woman in Baton Rouge who feels stalled or isolated in her trajectory, WorkingWomen's SheConnect offers a targeted, energetic solution. This networking series consciously moves beyond transactional job searching to focus on building what participants describe as "meaningful relationships" and finding long-term professional support. It addresses the critical, soft need for a trusted local peer group that can offer candid advice and strategic introductions.

The value is in its action-oriented, intimate format. Events, such as the "Career Catalysts & Virtual Networking" session listed on Eventbrite, create a cross-disciplinary support network. This is where you're likely to meet a marketing manager from a local fintech startup, a project lead from a major employer's Baton Rouge office, or an independent consultant, fostering unexpected collaborations that fuel career momentum.

The Broader Ecosystem of Support

SheConnect exemplifies a growing recognition within Baton Rouge's professional landscape that advancement requires both skill and community. It complements other local leadership forums, such as the WomenRising 2026 conference, which emphasizes "real talk" from leaders who have navigated complex corporate dynamics. Together, these resources provide Baton Rouge professionals with both the high-level strategy and the grounded, peer-level support necessary to weave themselves into the city's evolving tech and business fabric.

American Business Women's Association Baton Rouge Chapter

Leadership Development for Tech-Adjacent Roles

Not every woman in Baton Rouge's tech ecosystem is a pure software engineer. Many lead tech teams, run digital marketing campaigns, manage complex IT projects, or own tech-adjacent businesses. The American Business Women's Association (ABWA) Baton Rouge chapter provides a robust, long-standing network for professional development and leadership training that strategically complements technical skills with essential business acumen.

The value here lies in breadth and seasoned perspective. The network includes experienced professionals from across the Baton Rouge business landscape who possess a deep understanding of the city’s economic rhythms. It’s an excellent resource for women aiming for leadership positions where strategic planning, finance, and management are as critical as coding knowledge.

How to Get Involved & Complementary Value

Women can connect directly through the ABWA Baton Rouge website. In an era where experts stress interdisciplinary leadership, ABWA fills a vital niche. While technical groups focus on the "how," ABWA strengthens the "why" and "for whom," preparing members to advocate for tech initiatives, manage budgets, and lead teams effectively within the context of Louisiana's business environment, making it a powerful partner in a comprehensive career strategy.

The Solutions Summit 2026

Influencing Tech at the Policy Level

For women who want to engage with technology at the intersection of policy, innovation, and workforce development, The Solutions Summit 2026 is a pivotal event. Co-hosted by the Louisiana Technology Council and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, this summit moves beyond individual skill-building to focus on the macro forces shaping the regional digital transformation and job market.

Scheduled for March 3, 2026, at the Hilton Baton Rouge, the summit features dedicated tracks on technology and innovation. Attendance information is shared through channels like the official Solutions Summit 2026 Facebook event. This high-level convening reflects the Louisiana Technology Council's broader focus on workforce development, providing a platform where local tech advocacy meets state-level strategy.

The value is in strategic, high-impact networking. This is where you connect with the decision-makers, policy advocates, and corporate leaders actively driving Baton Rouge's tech future. It’s designed for the professional who understands that to shape her career landscape, she must also understand and influence the policies and partnerships that define it, ensuring the local ecosystem grows inclusively and strategically.

Louisiana Women in Technology

The Grassroots Facebook Community

Operating as an active, informal conduit, the Louisiana Women in Technology (LaWIT) Facebook group serves as the daily watercooler for the Southern Louisiana tech community. This grassroots platform creates a low-barrier entry point where students and professionals seamlessly mix, sharing everything from last-minute event alerts to specific questions about Baton Rouge-area employers.

You can tap into this immediate knowledge base by requesting to join the LaWIT Facebook group. As described by its leaders, the group functions as a dedicated "conduit between students and professionals," with the core aim of raising awareness so young women "feel empowered to master fulfilling career paths." This mission directly supports the local talent pipeline by making the ecosystem's collective wisdom accessible in real-time.

The Value of Immediacy and Reach

The value lies in its spontaneity and broad reach across the region. It’s where you can ask a quick question about a company culture at a major plant, find a companion for a last-minute tech talk at LSU, or discover an unadvertised internship opportunity. This constant, organic exchange strengthens the fabric of the local network, ensuring no one operates in a vacuum and everyone can access the support needed to reach their next professional level in the Baton Rouge market.

Innovators Unite & Local Meetups

The Face-to-Face Fabric of the Community

Ultimately, the enduring strength of Baton Rouge's tech community is woven through its regular, informal gatherings. Events like Innovators Unite on February 25, 2026, at Southern University serve as primary channels for the serendipitous, face-to-face connections that transform online contacts into real collaborators and project partners.

These meetups, frequently listed on platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup, offer pure, unmediated networking. In a city of Baton Rouge's size and collaborative spirit, showing up consistently is how you become a recognized and integrated part of the ecosystem. It’s where you’ll naturally meet the founders incubating ideas at the LSU Innovation Hub, data scientists from local healthcare systems, and the developers building the city's next startup.

This tangible interaction completes the network map. While virtual hubs and formal organizations provide structure and resources, these in-person gatherings are where the community's texture is felt - where handshakes solidify partnerships and casual conversations spark the collaborative projects that drive Baton Rouge's tech scene forward from the ground up.

Frequently Asked Questions