Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Fort Wayne, IN in 2026

Table of Contents

• Powering Up: Fort Wayne's Women in Tech Ecosystem
• Fort Wayne Tech
• GFW Inc. Women's Network
• Girls Who Code Clubs
• Technology First's NEXT LEVEL Mentoring
• The N.E.W. Workshop
• Indiana Tech
• WEOC Women’s Business Center
• BAE Systems Women in Technology
• WomenTech Network
• Allen County Public Library
• Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Wayne Tech

As the central hub synchronizing the entire regional network, Fort Wayne Tech creates the visibility necessary for sustainable growth. Its flagship initiative is orchestrating the annual Indiana Women IN Tech Week Northeast Indiana programming each September, which in 2025 featured a Kickoff Brunch, Moms of Tech Roundtable, and a packed Networking Mixer.

The organization's founder, Lindsay Lott, emphasizes the core mission: "Visibility matters. By creating space for women to connect, share experiences, and access opportunities, we are building a stronger and more diverse tech community in Indiana." This focus on connection delivers tangible value, as echoed by a participant at a recent panel: "My fellow panelists are so inspiring... everyone in attendance was dynamic, incredible, and so insightful."

To get involved, you can attend their events, volunteer, or follow announcements for the statewide week, which builds on themes of "Innovation, Inspiration, Impact." The value is direct access to the region's most concentrated gathering of female tech professionals, from students to C-suite leaders at sponsor companies like PingWind Inc., a notable "Great Place to Work for Women."

GFW Inc. Women's Network

Greater Fort Wayne Inc., the region’s primary economic development organization, powers a critical circuit through its dedicated Women's Network. This premier space helps women build professional relationships and leadership skills through regular luncheons and a signature annual conference, creating essential bridges between technical expertise and business leadership.

In the context of Fort Wayne's tech scene, this network connects women in technical roles at major employers like the General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly complex or in health-tech at Parkview Health with female entrepreneurs, investors, and executives across all industries. This cross-pollination is key for career advancement into management and for tech founders seeking commercial partnerships and capital.

Membership provides not just networking but also advocacy, as GFW Inc. actively supports initiatives that reshape the local financial landscape. The organization helps underwrite groundbreaking efforts like the Glass Floor Network, which helps women-led tech startups secure the financial and social capital needed to grow within the Fort Wayne ecosystem rather than relocating.

Girls Who Code Clubs

Building the next generation of the grid starts with sparking early interest. The Girls Who Code Club IN 6377, hosted at Purdue University Fort Wayne's Helmke Library IDEASpace, is a vital, free resource for 3rd-12th grade girls in the region.

This weekly club provides a fun, project-based introduction to computer science concepts, demystifying code and building confidence in a collaborative, all-girls environment. For a parent or educator in Fort Wayne, it represents an accessible on-ramp to STEM, leveraging the facilities and credibility of a major local university.

The value extends beyond coding skills to building a peer community that normalizes girls in tech. This is crucial in a Midwestern market where traditional manufacturing roles can dominate career conversations. By providing this early foundation, the club actively cultivates the future talent pipeline for local tech employers, ensuring young women see a viable and exciting career path right here in Northeast Indiana.

Technology First's NEXT LEVEL Mentoring

Mentorship is the steady current that sustains talent within the industry. Formal programs like the NEXT LEVEL Mentoring initiative from Technology First, Ohio and Northern Indiana's IT association, directly address the isolation that can lead to attrition. Research indicates that women in tech with mentors are 77% more likely to remain in the industry after three years.

This structured, six-month program pairs women at all career stages - from new graduates at Purdue Fort Wayne to seasoned professionals at Sweetwater - with experienced mentors to strengthen leadership skills and navigate pivotal career shifts. For women in Fort Wayne, it provides goal-oriented relationships that offer actionable guidance for advancement in a tech landscape rapidly evolving with AI and machine learning integrations across all sectors.

"Beth [Bergeron] continuously seeks to connect and elevate women in tech throughout Fort Wayne... she is always ready to introduce you to 'someone you should meet.'"

You can apply to be a mentor or mentee through the Technology First website. This formalized support is a direct investment in retaining the diverse talent that Fort Wayne's growing tech and AI sector critically needs.

The N.E.W. Workshop

Tackling the confidence gap through hands-on experience is the mission of the annual N.E.W. Workshop (Nontraditional Employment for Women), hosted at Indiana Tech. This free event introduces female high school students to high-demand, high-wage careers in STEM - including software development, cybersecurity, and engineering - through interactive simulations and panels with local female leaders.

In a practical city like Fort Wayne, seeing is believing. The workshop allows young women to literally get their hands on technology and interact with role models from major employers like BAE Systems, which runs its own Women in Technology outreach program in the region. This direct exposure makes abstract tech pathways tangible and exciting.

Getting involved is straightforward: high school educators, counselors, or parents can register students for the annual workshop. The value is a low-pressure, concrete introduction to the well-paid tech careers available right here in Northeast Indiana, often without the need for a costly coastal relocation, directly linking classroom learning to local opportunity.

Indiana Tech

Serving as a dual-purpose node in the network, Indiana Tech functions as both an educator of talent and a model employer. In 2025, it was named a Women in the Workplace Silver Partner for its equitable practices, with 44% of top leadership and 59% of middle management being women.

This creates a powerful feedback loop. As an academic institution, it hosts pipeline events like the N.E.W. Workshop and provides a supportive learning environment emphasized by alumni like Cassandra: "I truly felt I could go to any of my professors and ask them real-life questions about what we were learning and why we had to learn it." As a major employer, it models the leadership diversity it teaches.

For women pursuing tech in Fort Wayne, Indiana Tech represents a local ecosystem where education and employment align with supportive values. You can engage by exploring its STEM programs or attending its Engineering and Computer Sciences Career Fair, which directly connects students with regional tech employers seeking diverse talent.

WEOC Women’s Business Center

Access to capital acts as the ultimate surge protector for women-led tech ventures. The WEOC Women’s Business Center, housed at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, powers the groundbreaking Glass Floor Network. This initiative flips the traditional funding script by empowering women to become angel investors themselves, creating a dedicated funding stream for local women-owned startups.

"Any woman or nonbinary business owner can invest... to support a local women-owned venture's growth," explains Leslee Hill, Program Director of the WEOC Women’s Business Center.

For a woman tech founder in Fort Wayne, this is a transformative alternative to traditional, often homogenous, venture capital channels. It builds financial agency for women investors while ensuring innovations born in the local ecosystem receive the support needed to scale without relocating.

You can get involved by connecting with the WEOC to explore investment opportunities or to seek guidance for your own startup. This model of community-funded growth is a key reason great ideas can now take root and thrive within Fort Wayne's cost-effective and collaborative business landscape.

BAE Systems Women in Technology

Corporate-led pipeline programs serve as essential connectors between industry and education, with BAE Systems' Women in Technology (WiT) program standing out as a prime example. This initiative offers a collaborative mentorship and hands-on curriculum specifically designed for local high school girls interested in software, mechanical, and electrical engineering.

This isn't a superficial one-day event; it's an immersive experience that deepens technical interest and provides a clear line of sight to a major defense and aerospace tech employer in the region's backyard. For students in Fort Wayne, it makes a career at a globally significant company feel attainable without leaving the supportive, affordable Midwest ecosystem.

Students can get involved through their high school STEM programs or by directly exploring opportunities. The program's value is in providing direct exposure to real-world engineering challenges and sustained mentorship from female professionals, directly addressing the "leaky pipeline" by maintaining interest through the critical transition from high school to college or career.

WomenTech Network

While not Fort Wayne-specific, the WomenTech Network is a vital hybrid resource that brings global best practices and virtual community to local professionals. It provides critical access to large-scale events like the Women in Tech Global Conference 2026, which features sessions on cutting-edge topics like responsible AI and digital safety.

For a woman specializing in a niche field like machine learning at a Fort Wayne company, this global connection is a powerful antidote to the potential professional isolation of being the only local expert in her domain. The network’s testimonials "provide a real-life glimpse into how powerful it can be to follow your dreams and pursue a career in STEM," offering inspiration and broader context.

"Testimonials from women who have found success... provide a real-life glimpse into how powerful it can be to follow your dreams and pursue a career in STEM."

You can join for free as a member on their platform. In Fort Wayne's cost-effective living environment, the significant savings on housing and expenses compared to coastal cities can be strategically redirected toward attending their global conferences or premium virtual events, dramatically amplifying your professional development reach far beyond the city limits while building your career here.

Allen County Public Library

Never underestimate the power of a public, neutral, and free gathering space. The Allen County Public Library system, particularly its Helmke Library IDEASpace, is a critical but often overlooked partner in the tech ecosystem, providing the essential physical infrastructure for collaboration.

It hosts foundational programs like the Girls Who Code club, offers maker spaces with tools and technology, and serves as a key venue for career development workshops during events like Women in Tech Week. This transforms the library from a quiet repository into an active community workshop.

For anyone - whether a student, a career-changer, or an established professional - the library is a zero-barrier entry point. You can get involved simply by attending one of their many free tech-focused events and workshops. The value is universal access to technology, space, and community without any membership fee, perfectly aligning with Fort Wayne's practical, accessible ethos and ensuring the first step into the tech community is as easy as walking through a public door.

Frequently Asked Questions