With all the Nerdy Chicks out there, it’s surprising that only 12% of computer science graduates are women. Reshma Saujani is determined to close that gender gap. The former Deputy Public Advocate of New York City, Reshma founded Girls Who Code, an organization whose mission is to “educate, inspire and equip underserved girls ages 13-18 with the skills and resources necessary to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).” She is the author of a book on female leadership entitled Women Who Don’t Wait in Line: Break the Mold. Lead the Way. In 2010, Reshma became the first Indian-American woman to run for Congress.

Reshma Saujani Quotes:

• We don’t even know what the world would look like if we gave girls the leverage and power of technology. The ideas they come up with are so different than if I was teaching a group of 20 boys. Their ideas are centered around changing the world. They’ll do it. I have no doubt.

• Technology can either enhance poverty or diminish it.

• If you teach one girl how to code, she will teach three.

• We have to be okay when we don’t have nets. You have to fail fast and fail hard. You have to embrace failure and risk.

• Bring me more grief because you learn so much more from the journey.

• If you haven’t failed yet, you haven’t tried anything.

I took comfort in that last quote when a recent project failed—it’s better that I had tried and learned. If you want to listen to Reshma, she’s one of the interviewees at Makers.com