Reshma Saujani

Current Company

Girls Who Code & Moms First — Founder

From Failed Campaign to National Movement

Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code in 2012 after an unlikely catalyst: a failed run for U.S. Congress. While campaigning in New York City, Reshma Saujani visited local schools and was struck by how few girls were in computer science classes. That observation led Reshma Saujani to launch Girls Who Code as a summer program, which she grew into one of the largest initiatives in the United States to close the gender gap in technology, reaching hundreds of thousands of students.

Reshma Saujani built Girls Who Code into a nationally recognized brand through a combination of advocacy, corporate partnerships, and media savvy. She became a prominent public voice on the intersection of gender, technology, and education, giving a widely viewed TED Talk and publishing books on bravery and the challenges facing working mothers. Reshma Saujani's ability to turn a personal observation into a movement is a testament to her skills as both an entrepreneur and a communicator.

Moms First and the Next Chapter

After building Girls Who Code, Reshma Saujani founded Moms First, an advocacy organization focused on policy changes for mothers in the workforce. Reshma Saujani's pivot to maternal advocacy was driven by her own experience as a working mother and the disproportionate impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on women's employment. Moms First campaigns for paid leave, affordable childcare, and workplace flexibility — issues that Reshma Saujani argues are economic imperatives, not just social causes.

Reshma Saujani's career arc — from political candidate to nonprofit founder to policy advocate — reflects a consistent throughline: using technology, media, and institutional partnerships to create systemic change. As a founder who has built two organizations from scratch, Reshma Saujani brings an entrepreneurial approach to advocacy that distinguishes her work from traditional nonprofit models.