U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Prioritizes Empowering Women in Tech at 2023 Select USA Summit

May 8, 2023 : U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo emphasized the importance of getting more women involved in the tech sector during the 2023 SelectUSA Summit held earlier this week. Raimondo’s top priority at the Commerce Department is uplifting women in the workforce, ensuring equal pay, and providing resources to help them compete and be successful.

During the summit, Raimondo hosted a one-on-one discussion with Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar, a strong advocate for empowering women in the tech sector. They discussed the challenges faced by women in this critical industry, ways to overcome these hurdles, and ways the public and private sectors can work together to empower women.

Raimondo and Friar shared advice from their careers as women in business. They emphasized attracting and retaining girls and women in science and technology. They also addressed the need for more women in leadership roles and the importance of providing resources to help women entrepreneurs get started, fund their ideas, and expand their network of mentors and advisors.

Friar encouraged women and young girls to be curious about technology and continue to establish a culture of innovation. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” she said. “We must see more women in the tech industry.”

The summit was attended by international business investors, economic developers, service providers, and government representatives worldwide. The SelectUSA Summit is a U.S. government initiative dedicated to facilitating job-creating business investment by foreign investors in the American market.