#604 In-person and Online: A Systems Approach to Gender Equity: World Business Chicago

Currently, it will take 100 years in tech and society to close the gender parity gap. In 2020, GET Cities began as a five-year, three city initiative (Chicago, Miami and Washington, D.C.) to close that gap with a variety of interventions leveraging stakeholders across the system including non-profits, private companies, government and educational institutions. The Chicago office opened under the leadership of Elle Ramel. GET Cities Chicago helped to found the entrepreneurship council, the Tech Equity Working Group, a collection of entrepreneurship support organizations, incubators and venture capital firms that piloted and spun out initiatives such as the Chicago Venture Fellows and the Investor-in-Residence Program at 1871, MATTER and MHub. In terms of diversity in the tech workforce, GET Cities collaborated on defining the non-tech and tech roles across the industry with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Tech Effect Report and founding a community tech coalition, the Tech Equity Network.

The momentum transitioned to World Business Chicago (WBC) in 2024 as the new Gender Equity Office. This transition reflected a larger movement nationally to embed the various GET Cities into local organizations to continue the work. Much of the work will remain, but expand in several specific ways. First, the new office will leverage the data and research capacities of WBC to understand macroeconomic trends and how they relate to the Chicago workforce. Second, the work will expand past tech into tech-adjacent industries, first of all industries such as finance and healthcare within Chicago that have high levels of tech employment and startup founders. Finally, the office will expand its exploration and amplification of best practices in regards to access to capital and employment for women and non-binary individuals.

This event will be in person, but you can also tune in via Zoom. Doors open at 6pm. The livestream and announcements will start around 6:30pm CDT.

In-person: TeamWorking, 20 N Upper Wacker Drive, 12th Floor, Chicago IL. Enter the Civic Opera Building using the entrance in the middle of the block between Washington and Madison streets. Take the elevators to the 12th floor.

For more information on our in-person events, please see our COVID Policy.

RSVP In-person attendees should RSVP beforehand. As occupancy limits permit, walk-ins will be allowed to enter.

There will be food! We will be serving Costa Rican empanadas, chicken casado and rice from Irazu!