Girls in Tech Appoints Sophia Mahfooz to COO
San Francisco (PRWEB) August 24, 2017 -- Girls in Tech, a global organization focused on the empowerment, entrepreneurship, engagement, and education of women in technology, is proud to announce female founder Sophia Mahfooz, originally from Afghanistan via the UK, as Chief Operating Officer. In her new role, Sophia will drive growth opportunities, global partnerships, and new programming to expand Girls in Tech’s global reach, paying particular attention to underserved populations and regions in order to create a new generation of women in STEM fields.
Sophia’s promotion to COO marks a major milestone for Girls in Tech, which now has more than 60,000 members across more than 60 global chapters. She has worked directly with some of the biggest names in tech to build custom programming that fosters diverse and inclusive recruitment initiatives.
“Sophia brings incredible dedication and work ethic to Girls in Tech. Her leadership skill and passion for helping women founders have impacted everyone from our members to our partners to our chapter directors,” said Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO of Girls in Tech. “What’s more, her unique and impressive background as an advocate for global women’s rights brings an incredible perspective to Girls in Tech. These are things that we need now more than ever as we continue to grow international impact and reach more women in tech around the world”
For Mahfooz, opportunities for women and girls has been close to her heart since her family was forced to escape Afghanistan, and settle in London in her youth. She excelled at school early on, took part in hackathons and founded multiple startups. She arrived in the U.S. to take part in Draper University, where she was mentored by Tim Draper and later became a startup mentor for a new generation of female founders.
In addition, she works with Parliament to increase initiatives for Afghan women and co-wrote a proposal to create the Ideas College, a school now funded by the British government that gives underprivileged pupils and immigrant and minority children access to training in skills like coding and UX design.
Sophia’s key focus will build regional relationships to ensure Girls in Tech continues to expand globally, and will lead cross chapter projects and initiatives.
“What excites me most about my role at Girls in Tech is our massive potential for global change,” Sophia Mahfooz said. “With international reach and such a large membership base, there is no limit to what we can achieve.”
About Girls in Tech
Girls in Tech (GIT) is a global nonprofit focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology. Adriana Gascoigne founded GIT in 2007 to create a support framework to help women advance their careers in STEM fields. GIT aims to accelerate the growth of innovative women entering into the high-tech industry and building startups. GIT achieves this through the creation of proprietary, innovative programming and strategic global partnerships.
With headquarters in San Francisco and more than 60,000 members located around the globe, GIT relies on volunteer efforts to lead each of the 60 local chapters. Programming and events vary by chapter based on local interests and needs. GIT is not just for professional women. It exists for anyone with an interest in technology, startups and providing women with a platform for growth. But GIT operates with the spirit of the girl within all of us—fearless, lively and determined. For the latest updates, read GIT’s blog or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
For questions or media inquiries, please email Girls In Tech at: ann.murray(at)girlsintech(dot)org
Ann Murray, Girls in Tech, https://girlsintech.org/, +1 (310) 651-0304, [email protected]
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