Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Eugene, OR in 2026

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Eugene Women in Tech Facebook Group
• AnitaB.org Portland Community and Grace Hopper Celebration
• Apprenti Eugene
• Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Women/BIPOC Coffee Club
• Girls Who Code
• University of Oregon Research and Innovation Opportunities
• Local Event Series Profits and Pints and Ladies Night Out
• Women in Tech Global Network
• PeaceHealth Tuition Assistance and Career Development
• Women in Nonprofit Tech Community Calls
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions

Eugene Women in Tech Facebook Group

Consider the Eugene Women in Tech (EWIT) Facebook Group the central gathering space - the digital town square - for the local community. Described by members as a “social space for women and community supporters,” this private group is the undisputed heart of local connection.

It facilitates everything from job leads at major employers like the University of Oregon's Knight Campus to mentorship and monthly socials. The value is its hyper-local relevance, with discussions often centered on navigating the Eugene-Springfield tech scene and building in-person connections where Oregon’s lower cost of living supports sustainable career building.

This resource is vital for navigating the specific realities of a regional job market being reshaped by AI. Getting involved is straightforward: simply request to join the active Eugene Women in Tech Facebook group and introduce yourself. For those seeking broader regional stability, it also serves as a conduit to information about large, growth-oriented employers in the area, with reviews highlighting PeaceHealth as a "Good company to work for" with professional development opportunities.

AnitaB.org Portland Community and Grace Hopper Celebration

While based in Portland, the AnitaB.org Portland community is a critical regional node for Eugene-based professionals. Their monthly virtual and in-person events focused on connecting, growing, and leading in tech provide a vital pipeline to a larger network, with the 2025 community boasting over 13,000 members and 130+ events.

This connection culminates in access to the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC), the world's largest gathering for women in computing. GHC 2025 saw nearly 15,000 attendees and remains a powerhouse for recruitment, learning, and visibility. For women in Eugene, this bridges our community with global opportunities, a strategic advantage noted even as large conferences navigate challenges of scale and focus.

It’s a practical way to connect with recruiters from larger West Coast employers like Intel or Nike - within a couple hours' drive - while maintaining a home base in Oregon’s sales-tax-free environment. This combination of local AnitaB.org engagement and targeted conference attendance allows professionals to forage for opportunity on both a regional and international scale.

Apprenti Eugene

For those seeking a direct, non-traditional pathway into high-demand tech roles, Apprenti Eugene offers a structured and practical route. This program partners with local industry to provide paid, rigorous training and registered apprenticeships, creating reliable pipelines for underrepresented groups into fields like cybersecurity and cloud computing.

In Eugene's growing tech ecosystem - which includes health IT at PeaceHealth and data science roles at the University of Oregon - an apprenticeship provides a debt-free alternative to traditional education. Participants gain industry-recognized certifications, a year of on-the-job experience, and a high likelihood of retention with a partner employer.

This resource is invaluable for career-changers, offering a clear trajectory into Oregon's evolving landscape. It connects directly to the region's growing tech and startup scene, recognized at events like the Oregon Technology Awards. For those ready to build a new career from the ground up, Apprenti Eugene represents a tangible first step into the local network.

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Women/BIPOC Coffee Club

Entrepreneurship forms a significant part of Oregon's tech identity, and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) Women/BIPOC Coffee Club is a cornerstone resource for this path. These regular collaborative sessions offer a dedicated space for women and BIPOC founders to tackle roadblocks, share resources, and build essential peer mentorship, with a specific session noted for February 2026.

For women in Eugene building AI startups or tech consultancies, this group provides a critical bridge. It connects local ventures to the wider Portland and statewide startup ecosystem, including major events like the Oregon Startup Conference. This access is crucial for scaling ideas developed in Eugene's supportive, lower-cost environment.

The coffee club helps foragers tap into a network that includes companies recognized at prominent industry events. It connects local talent to the growing roster of innovators celebrated at the Oregon Technology Awards, helping transform local concepts into competitive statewide enterprises.

Girls Who Code

Building the pipeline starts young, and Girls Who Code clubs continue to be active in Eugene-Springfield area schools and community centers. These free, flexible programs for grades 3-12 are crucial for closing the gender gap early by fostering computer science skills in a supportive, all-girls environment.

For professional women in tech in Eugene, volunteering with a local club is a powerful way to give back and directly inspire the next generation. It’s a tangible investment in the future local talent pool that will feed into the University of Oregon's research initiatives and the technical teams at major employers like PeaceHealth.

As founder Reshma Saujani notes, embracing resilience is key: "Failure doesn't mean the end of the road. It can lay the groundwork for something even greater." Supporting these clubs through their various pathways programs helps ensure Eugene's tech community grows more diverse and robust from the ground up, strengthening the entire regional ecosystem for years to come.

University of Oregon Research and Innovation Opportunities

The University of Oregon serves as a foundational resource in Eugene's tech ecosystem, far beyond being just a major local employer. For women pursuing tech and AI, UO offers unique entry points into cutting-edge work, including undergraduate research fellowships like the Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholars and Presidential Undergraduate Research Scholars programs.

These initiatives provide crucial funding and mentorship for students. Furthermore, research hubs like the Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact and the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance are actively recruiting for technical roles such as Research Engineers and Data Scientists, offering professional pathways into applied science.

Exploring the current UO opportunities can lead to project work at the intersection of AI, data, and human performance. An additional layer of support comes from UO's Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS), which offers research funding for women academics in tech-adjacent fields. This makes the university a multifaceted hub for students, researchers, and professionals foraging for a solid foundation in the region's innovation landscape.

Local Event Series Profits and Pints and Ladies Night Out

Eugene's community thrives on low-pressure, in-person gatherings that form the social mycelium of the professional network. Two series exemplify this connective tissue: the Profits & Pints Anniversary Panel and the Ladies Night Out (Eugene/Springfield Meetup).

The Profits & Pints series, hosted at venues like the 6th Street Restaurant & Sports Bar, features local leaders discussing practical tech applications. A panel on "AI That Supports People, Not Replaces Them" featured AI educator Kiki Kuchin, offering actionable insights directly relevant to Eugene's growing tech-for-good sector.

Separately, the Ladies Night Out meetup provides, as an organizer notes, a "way for local ladies to connect and unwind with no pressure." These events are where friendships form over a pint or coffee, often leading to collaborations, referrals to jobs at anchors like PeaceHealth, or simply the solidarity to combat the isolation that can accompany a tech career in a smaller metro. They represent the essential, informal layer of the ecosystem where the most valuable professional connections often take root.

Women in Tech Global Network

For a global perspective without leaving Eugene, the Women in Tech Global Network (often referenced as WomenTech Network) serves as an essential digital resource. This network provides Eugene professionals with access to international job fairs, virtual learning sessions, and a vibrant online community, combating the imposter syndrome that can arise in specialized fields.

CEO Anna Radulovski emphasizes the mindset needed to engage with such a resource: "Success isn't just about achieving your goals, it's also about having the courage to pursue them in the first place." This network is particularly valuable for women in specialized AI/ML roles in Eugene who benefit from a worldwide peer group and the "meaningful interactions" praised in event testimonials.

It represents the far-reaching mycelium of the professional network, allowing local foragers to tap into international trends, mentorship, and a sense of belonging that extends far beyond the Willamette Valley, all while maintaining a home base in Oregon's favorable economic environment.

PeaceHealth Tuition Assistance and Career Development

As one of the Eugene-Springfield metro area's largest employers, PeaceHealth represents more than just a healthcare institution - it's a significant engine for stable tech career growth. Within its extensive health IT and data analytics divisions, the organization offers substantial internal resources, including mentorship programs and tuition assistance for employees seeking to advance into specialized fields like data science and healthcare informatics.

This creates a tangible, funded career ladder within the local community. For instance, a professional in an entry-level IT role at Sacred Heart Medical Center could receive financial support to upskill, directly linking educational advancement to practical application in Oregon's evolving healthcare technology sector. This investment in internal talent is a key differentiator for those seeking long-term stability.

This approach to professional development makes PeaceHealth a cornerstone for growth-oriented tech careers in the region. Employee feedback underscores this, with reviews highlighting the organization as a "Good company to work for" with clear opportunities for professional growth. For foragers in Eugene's tech landscape, it represents a reliable, nourishing node in the network where education and career progression are actively supported.

Women in Nonprofit Tech Community Calls

The tech-for-good sector holds particular strength in Oregon's mission-driven culture, and the Women in Nonprofit Tech (NTEN) Community Calls serve as a specialized, vital resource within this niche. These calls offer a confidential space for women and nonbinary professionals to collaboratively build systems for "diversity, equity, and liberation" within their organizations, addressing challenges unique to mission-focused work.

For women in Eugene working at or with local nonprofits, educational institutions like the University of Oregon, or government entities like Lane County, this network provides essential peer support. It directly tackles the reality of managing advanced technology with often limited resources - a common scenario in Eugene's civic and academic tech environments where maximizing impact is paramount.

These sessions, such as one specifically scheduled for June 2026, help foragers in the social sector connect their technical skills to broader community needs. They strengthen the network that supports the region's educational initiatives, including those fostering future talent through programs like the Young Women in Leadership Award, ensuring the ecosystem remains robust and purpose-driven.

Conclusion

The landscape for women in tech in Eugene is not a single towering tree but a living, interconnected ecosystem. Its true strength lies in the mycelial connections between the grassroots warmth of the EWIT Facebook group, the career-launching power of an Apprenti apprenticeship, the global reach of AnitaB.org, and the stable growth opportunities at anchors like UO and PeaceHealth.

The challenge - and the opportunity - is to move from feeling like a passive consumer to becoming an intentional forager and cultivator within this network. This might mean leveraging Oregon's lack of sales tax to invest in a conference ticket, mentoring through Girls Who Code, or building the technical foundation to contribute. For those seeking that foundation, accessible, local upskilling paths are key.

Programs like the affordable, community-based bootcamps from Nucamp, available in the Eugene-Springfield metro, offer a structured way to gain the AI and coding skills needed to engage deeply with this ecosystem. Your next step is to reach out, connect the dots, and invest in your place within Eugene's thriving and supportive professional network.

Frequently Asked Questions