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Making Tech Opportunities More Accessible to Young Women in Kansas City

By Brittany Fugate, CEO at Cenetric 

Building any sort of business isn’t easy, and starting a tech business as a woman has had its challenges. But I’m encouraged by the efforts of one local Kansas city organization to get young women involved in tech.

The KC Tech Council’s LEGiT KC program empowers and equips female-identifying students entering their junior (class of 2027) and senior (class of 2026) years of high school with tech exposure, career guidance, leadership opportunities and invaluable mentorship.

In 2024, only 27% of technology jobs were held by women nationally, and the Kansas City metro reflected the same percentage locally. This gender gap makes programs like LEGiT KC a powerful way to show young women the ways they can use their skills in the technology field.  

In the program, these high school students attend sessions throughout the summer at the offices of companies like Garmin, Oracle, VML, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and H&R Block.

Each session includes a lunch with women in technology from across the Kansas City region, plus tours, panels and discussions designed to showcase the many ways they can turn their interest in tech into a thriving career. 

Photo Credit: KC Tech Council

At Cenetric, we fully support bringing more women into the technology community. It’s a bit of an uphill battle because:

• Women represent less than a quarter of the graduates in computer and information sciences. 
• 87% of respondents in the ISACA Tech Workplace And Culture Report say women are underrepresented in the field.
• In the same report, researchers found that while 74% of businesses say attracting and retaining talent is a challenge, only 41% of businesses have programs in place to hire more women.

The KC Tech Council’s LEGiT KC program is a step in the right direction, and I’d love to see other Kansas City tech professionals supporting the effort. You can volunteer with the organization, or, if you know of a young woman who’s interested in tech, you can encourage her to apply to next year’s cohort. You can keep an eye on the KC Tech Council LinkedIn page for updates.

Cenetric can help you tackle your IT challenges

Looking for IT help from a managed services provider that supports LEGiT KC and the Kansas City community? Cenetric has the experience and availability you need to keep running smoothly 24/7. Tell us about your organization and we’ll be in touch to get started right away.