Supporting Women in STEM

Fueling the Pipeline of Talented Women in Tech-related Fields

To remain competitive, it is imperative that the media, entertainment and technology industries continue to attract and retain more women in the highly sought-after science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. At The WICT Network we are committed to supporting women in STEM through various initiatives.

  • Tech It Out: The WICT Network’s Tech It Out Initiative premiered more than a decade ago with the goal of creating strong women leaders in technology, while also raising awareness of the vast opportunities for women in STEM careers within our industry. We achieve this by partnering with our local chapters as well as SCTE and NAMIC to bring rich educational content and networking activities to build stronger, well connected tech leaders. View photos and read a wrap up of past programs here. The 2022 program took place in November with The WICT Network: Northern California Chapter as our partner.
  • Nomi M. Bergman Fellowship: Named in honor of one of the industry’s most dedicated supporters of The WICT Network and women in STEM, the Fellowship enables a high-potential woman employed by a technology company to experience the strength of The WICT Network’s educational programs and robust professional network. The Fellowship recipient embarks on a one-year journey designed to build crucial leadership development skills through The WICT Network’s resources and programs. Learn about the Fellowship and the 2022 recipient, Swetha Srivastava, Network Engineer, Charter Communications, on our website.
  • PAR Initiative: The WICT Network’s biennial survey collects data on women in technology fields in cable, and compares the findings against other industries. Visit the PAR section of our website to read the 2022 Executive Report.
  • Women’s TechConnect: The Women’s TechConnect Initiative is designed in partnership with Women in Technology honorees, The WICT Network and SCTE to provide a mentoring relationship between senior ranking and high-potential cable tech executives to help educate and retain women in the technology fields of the cable industry. The goal of the program is to provide a crucial support system to better equip mentees to overcome workplace challenges, while helping them rise through the cable ranks until they themselves become the leaders and innovators. This year’s program began with a kick-off meeting during The WICT Network 2022 Leadership Conference and will conclude with graduation in fall 2023 at the SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo. Read more about the program online.
  • Women in Technology Award: Created in 1995 to recognize and honor top women executives in cable technology, The WICT Network presents the annual Women in Technology Award in partnership with the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), its global arm — the International Society of Broadband Experts (ISBE), and Cablefax. The award acknowledges the achievements of an individual who has demonstrated outstanding professional growth while contributing to the advancement of the cable industry. In 2022, Cox Communications’ Toni Stubbs received the award.
  • Woman to Watch – Technology: The WICT Network’s Woman to Watch distinction recognizes leaders who show tremendous growth and progression through their professional accomplishments with a strong commitment to their companies and the industry at large. Beginning in 2017, The WICT Network added a category to honor Woman to Watch from a technology company. The 2022 honoree is Urvi Shah from CommScope, and she received her award during The WICT Network 2022 Touchstones Luncheon in New York. Learn more about Urvi and all of the 2022 award winners by visiting our Women of the Year & Women to Watch page.
  • Girls Who Code: The WICT Network has cultivated an alliance with Girls Who Code, a nationwide organization with a single mission: to close the gender gap in technology. We are proud to support the laudable efforts of Girls Who Code by making an annual financial contribution on behalf of all of our members.
  • Doug Semon Scholarship: Technology pioneer Doug Semon, beloved husband of 2010 WIT honoree Leslie Ellis, unexpectedly passed away in 2020. Doug had a wonderfully long and successful career in the cable industry. He was also an avid supporter of the FIRST Robotics program in the Denver area, and served as mentor to George Washington High School’s FRC Team 1410 “The Kraken.” The SCTE Foundation, in partnership with past honorees of the SCTE•ISBE / The WICT Network Women in Technology Award, has started a campaign to permanently memorialize Doug Semon, creating a scholarship fund to continue his work, inspiring young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators. Click here to learn more.

In addition to these activities led or coordinated by The WICT Network Global, many of The WICT Network’s chapters also conduct numerous programs, including in-person events and webinars, geared toward promoting gender diversity in STEM fields.

The WICT Network gratefully acknowledges the Women in STEM sponsor.