A worldwide nonprofit aimed at boosting women in technology has moved its headquarters from its San Francisco origins to Nashville — and that's not the only thing founder and CEO Adriana Gascoigne is bringing with her.
Girls in Tech Inc. announced the headquarters move on Wednesday and also touted that the city will host its annual conference and 15th anniversary celebration next month. High-ranking female executives from companies such as McKesson, Gap Inc., TIAA, IBM, Accenture and Verizon Business will speak in person at the conference.
Girls in Tech has a membership of 130,000 "women and allies" across 50 cities and 38 countries, according to press releases. The organization is focused on closing the gender gap in technology, an industry that cities are fiercely competing for as they attempt to "future-proof" their economies.
Among other initiatives, Girls in Tech invests in entrepreneurs through its pitch competition, conducts hackathons and bootcamps, and advocates for better diversity, equity and inclusion in the tech workforce.
"When I started Girls in Tech, I never would have imagined we'd mark our 15th anniversary by moving to the South, but much has changed in tech and society," Gascoigne said in a press release. "We’ve received such a warm welcome from the mayor and the Nashville business community, and it feels like the perfect place for us as tech evolves away from the ivory towers of San Francisco and into a more diverse world."
A spokesman said the headquarters designation means Nashville now will host members from various chapters for training, meetings and other events. A "brick-and-mortar" office is "TBD," the spokesman said, describing the headquarters move as "virtual for now," with no required moves for employees.
Public records show that the organization registered to operate in Tennessee earlier this month. Gascoigne bought a house in Nashville earlier this year, according to public records.
Girls in Tech billed the move as being "in step with tech industry's rapid shift from Bay Area and New York offices to a work-from-anywhere model." Nashville is seen as an up-and-coming tech market: The region ranked 41st last year and this year in analyses from global commercial real estate company CBRE Group Inc. (NYSE: CBRE) — though Nashville grew its tech workforce faster than all but two U.S. cities during the past five years.
