Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Reno, NV in 2026

Table of Contents

• Map Your Path in Reno's Tech Scene
• UNR Women in Tech Initiative
• The Discovery's EMPOW[HER] Collective
• Reno Tech and Cybersecurity Social Group
• NCET's Industry Insider Events
• eWomenNetwork Reno Tahoe Chapter
• AnitaB.org Grace Hopper Celebration Scholarships
• Sierra Nevada Journeys Girls in STEM Camp
• Girls Who Code Clubs in Northern Nevada
• Soroptimist International Dreammaker Grants
• Corporate Employee Resource Groups
• Building Your Support Ecosystem
• Frequently Asked Questions

UNR Women in Tech Initiative

The University of Nevada, Reno’s Women in Tech (WiT) initiative is the academic and corporate nexus for advancing women into technology leadership in Northern Nevada. More than a student club, it's a comprehensive program providing educational and co-curricular opportunities designed to broaden participation from the classroom to the C-suite.

Its flagship event is the annual Women in Tech Roundtable, a gathering that exemplifies Reno's connected ecosystem. The April 2025 roundtable featured high-level executives from Panasonic Energy, M1 Finance, and 1UpHealth, offering direct access to decision-makers. You can explore past and upcoming events on the UNR Women in Tech Roundtable page.

Students engage through the WiT program within the College of Business, while all professionals are encouraged to attend the roundtable and related networking events. The value is unparalleled access to the leaders shaping the region's workforce, such as Liz Allison, VP of Quality at Panasonic Energy, and Nancy McCormick, SVP at EDAWN, who actively participate in these discussions.

This initiative is where Reno's academic ambition meets its corporate engine, directly feeding talent into the Gigafactory, data centers, and beyond. It represents a critical "table" for anyone serious about building a tech career with local impact. Discover the full scope of this central hub on the UNR Women in Tech (WiT) program page.

The Discovery's EMPOW[HER] Collective

While inspiration is crucial, sustained engagement is what builds careers. The EMPOW[HER] Collective at The Discovery Museum is a powerful force bridging the critical gap between K-12 inspiration and professional reality for women and girls in STEM. Designed to support the entire journey, it offers year-round programming, mentorship, and flagship events that create continuous touchpoints.

Its inaugural Girls' STEM Career Day in 2026 perfectly illustrates this mission, featuring a keynote by engineer Karen Purcell, PE, and a panel with professionals from Tesla, Ormat, and Ainsworth Associates. You can find details on the Girls' STEM Career Day event page.

Membership is open for annual terms, and the collective actively welcomes professionals as mentors and participants. For members, the value is a tangible pipeline and community that extends far beyond a one-day event. It directly addresses the "leaky pipeline" by connecting girls with local role models from the very companies, like Tesla's Gigafactory, that are driving Reno's economy.

This collective represents a vital "table" for those invested in the long game - fostering the next generation of technologists who will fuel Northern Nevada's innovation sector. Explore their mission and membership on the EMPOW[HER] Collective for Women & Girls in STEM page.

Reno Tech and Cybersecurity Social Group

In the wake of larger national networks dissolving, the "after-work drinks" table of Reno's tech scene has become vitally important. The Reno Tech and Cybersecurity Social Group on Meetup fills this niche perfectly, hosting regular, low-pressure monthly socials at casual venues like Village Well.

These events are deliberately not formal seminars but social mixers, making them an excellent way to build authentic relationships within the local tech and infosec community. It’s the grassroots, accessible networking that keeps professionals connected outside corporate walls.

To get involved, simply join the group on Meetup and RSVP for upcoming events. The value is in the organic community building - this is where you might meet everyone from startup developers to cybersecurity analysts working at the region's many data centers like those operated by Switch.

This group exemplifies the practical, homegrown support system that has risen to prominence, proving that sometimes the most valuable seat is at the most informal table. Find their next gathering on the Reno Tech and Cybersecurity Social Group Meetup page.

NCET's Industry Insider Events

Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET) serves as a cornerstone of the professional tech community, providing structured skill-building and strategic connections. In 2025, NCET rebranded its popular "Tech Wednesday" series to Industry Insider, consistently hosting high-quality educational and networking events that address the region's evolving needs.

Its pinnacle is co-hosting the Innovation Summit during Reno Startup Week (September 29 - October 3, 2025), which featured workshops on pressing topics like AI leadership. As highlighted in Nevada Business Magazine, these gatherings are crucial for professional development and staying current with trends relevant to employers from Tesla to IGT.

Professionals can become NCET members for regular event access or attend individual summits. The value is twofold: acquiring in-demand skills through expert-led sessions and networking with the founders, investors, and innovators building Reno's tech future. This table is for those who want to understand not just how to code, but how to lead and innovate within the local market.

From discussions on AI integration to tech hiring fairs, NCET's events provide a direct line to the pulse of Northern Nevada's commercial landscape. Learn more about their role in the ecosystem through their coverage of the Innovation Summit at Reno Startup Week.

eWomenNetwork Reno Tahoe Chapter

For women focused on the intersection of tech entrepreneurship and executive leadership, the eWomenNetwork Reno/Tahoe chapter provides a structured, strategic environment that moves beyond general networking. This table is set for deliberate business growth, offering targeted programs like "Wisdom Circles" for peer mentorship and curated "Strategic Business Introduction" events designed to foster meaningful collaborations.

These gatherings are engineered for high-level connections. Professionals join the local chapter to attend events like the Strategic Business Introduction on April 8, 2026, details for which can be found on the event page. Participants use these sessions to make calculated advances in their business objectives.

The value lies in the curated, intentional environment. Whether running a tech consultancy, a SaaS startup, or leading a tech division within a larger firm like Caesars Entertainment, this is the table for the business-minded technologist. It’s where strategy is discussed, partnerships are forged, and leadership skills are honed with a clear focus on advancement within the Northern Nevada market and beyond.

AnitaB.org Grace Hopper Celebration Scholarships

While the Grace Hopper Celebration is a premier global event, its impact on Reno's tech community is powerfully channeled through AnitaB.org's scholarship programs. These scholarships provide crucial financial support for students and local professionals to attend, granting access to career fairs, technical sessions, and a worldwide network they can bring back to Northern Nevada.

To get involved, individuals apply for scholarships via AnitaB.org ahead of each year's celebration. The process and opportunities are detailed on resources like the AnitaBorg Scholarships page from Women in Tech Network. For a software engineer at Panasonic or a UNR student, this scholarship is a direct career catalyst.

The value is transformative. Attending the world's largest gathering of women in tech accelerates careers, opens doors to remote opportunities with major tech firms, and inspires local initiatives. It expands the reach of Reno's community, connecting local talent to a global stage while reinforcing the importance of representation. This "table" offers a passport to the broader industry, ensuring Reno's women are part of the larger conversation in computing and innovation.

This opportunity underscores that Reno's ecosystem isn't isolated; it's a node in a global network. Engaging with global communities through avenues like the AnitaB.org community planning events ensures local professionals bring world-class insights back to the Gigafactory and beyond.

Sierra Nevada Journeys Girls in STEM Camp

Building the future pipeline starts with sparking passion early. Sierra Nevada Journeys' dedicated Girls in STEM Camp is a hands-on, immersive residential experience for girls aged 11-14, meticulously designed to build confidence and competence in science and technology away from classroom stereotypes. By creating a supportive, all-girls environment, it plants a critical seed for future tech careers.

Parents enroll their daughters in the annual camp, which uses practical engineering and environmental science challenges to foster a foundational "can-do" attitude. This experience is more than just a summer activity; it’s an early intervention in the talent pipeline, creating positive, lasting associations with STEM fields.

The value is profoundly local. With sponsors and partners from the regional tech sector, these camps are a direct investment in the future diversity of Reno's workforce. They connect abstract concepts to real-world applications, potentially inspiring the next generation of engineers for Panasonic Energy or data scientists for the region's expanding data center ecosystem.

This table is set for our youngest aspiring technologists, ensuring they have a seat long before they enter the job market. You can learn more about their camp offerings and community impact through the Sierra Nevada Journeys camps blog and see how local businesses support this mission via their Girls in STEM sponsorship package.

Girls Who Code Clubs in Northern Nevada

The Girls Who Code mission continues powerfully at the local level with clubs across Northern Nevada for grades 3-12, offering a consistent, school-year-long entry point into the tech world. For the 2025-2026 academic year, these free clubs focus on contemporary, critical skills like AI literacy and web development, adapting a national framework to local needs.

Girls can join a local club, while professionals are encouraged to volunteer as facilitators, creating a vital link between the classroom and industry. The value is in providing a proven, structured curriculum and a sisterhood of peers at a formative age, which you can explore in their 2025-26 Clubs Flyer.

In a state actively working to diversify its tech talent pool, these clubs are essential community pipelines. They ensure young women gain foundational skills and peer support to confidently pursue computer science degrees and careers locally, directly feeding into Reno's growing employer base. The model's success relies on local partnerships, detailed in resources like the Girls Who Code Community Partner Flyer.

Soroptimist International Dreammaker Grants

Financial barriers remain a significant obstacle in career advancement, and the Soroptimist International of Sierra Reno addresses this directly with its Dreammaker grants. These financial awards provide tangible, unrestricted support to women seeking to improve their education, skills, and employment prospects in Northern Nevada.

Women can apply for grants to fund specific goals, while the broader community supports the cause by attending fundraising events like the annual Dreammaker Luncheon. The upcoming luncheon on April 22, 2026, at the National Automobile Museum celebrates recipients and fuels this vital fund, with details available on the Eventbrite page.

For a woman in Reno looking to fund a coding bootcamp, a professional certification in data analytics for the local data center industry, or cover exam fees for an advanced license, these grants can remove a major obstacle. This "table" provides the foundational support that enables access to all others, turning aspiration into actionable plan.

This resource underscores that building a tech career isn't just about networks and skills - it's also about practical access. By alleviating financial pressure, these grants empower women to fully engage with Reno's ecosystem, from UNR programs to specialized training for roles at Tesla or Renown Health. It’s a critical piece of the support puzzle, highlighted among the essential career resources for women in tech.

Corporate Employee Resource Groups

One of the most direct and impactful "tables" is often found within the walls of Reno's major tech employers themselves. Companies like Tesla at the Gigafactory, Panasonic Energy, and Renown Health host active internal Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for women, creating built-in communities for mentorship, professional development, and advocacy.

Access to these powerful forums typically comes with employment at these anchor institutions. The value is immense, offering insider networking, direct lines to leadership, and tailored support for navigating your specific corporate environment within the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center's ecosystem.

As leaders like Nicole Beaulieu, VP of Software Engineering at Figure, actively participate in regional roundtables, they highlight the growing density of women in leadership who champion these internal groups. For women working at the region's tech giants, the ERG is both a daily support system and a powerful lever for career growth, connecting them to opportunities within some of Nevada's most significant economic drivers.

This table represents the culmination of entering Reno's tech ecosystem - turning a job at a major employer into a supported, growth-oriented career path. The professional development and connections forged here are frequently highlighted at broader community events, like the tech hiring fairs and networking summits hosted by NCET, where companies actively seek diverse talent.

Building Your Support Ecosystem

The journey through Reno's women-in-tech ecosystem transforms when you stop looking for the single "best" table and start mapping your personal cafeteria. Your ideal support system isn't a ranked directory but a customized toolkit, assembled from academic hubs, grassroots mixers, youth pipelines, and corporate circles.

This is the unique advantage of building a career here: the density of distinct communities. You might take strategy from the UNR Women in Tech Roundtable, find your peer group at a Village Well social, mentor through the EMPOW[HER] Collective, and leverage internal advocacy at your Gigafactory ERG. Each table offers unique sustenance for different stages of your journey.

The collective strength of these local resources, anchored by Reno-Sparks' major employers and favorable economic climate, creates a robust scaffold for growth. Whether you're a student, a new bootcamp graduate, or a seasoned leader, your people are here.

So scan the room not with anxiety, but with the confidence of someone who knows the menu. Your seat awaits at the intersection of opportunity and community, ready for you to contribute, grow, and build a thriving tech career in Northern Nevada.

Frequently Asked Questions