codeHER

OUR TEAM

A passionate group of high school and college students dedicated to breaking the barriers holding women and minorities back

OUR FOUNDER

Saniya Vashist

Senior, River Hill High School

When she was 13, Saniya founded codeHER with the vision of empowering minority populations around the world to tackle the issues they are passionate about. She first started running after school girls coding programs at local middle schools and expanded the organization around the Mid-Atlantic. After realizing the impact codeHER could have on an international scale, Saniya worked with the team to facilitate the Baramij Laha program in Morocco.

Saniya hopes to use codeHER as a platform to spark and propel a dialogue about gender inequality around the world, bridge cultural divides through technology, and inspire youth to use their talents and perspectives to better their communities.

A LETTER FROM SANIYA

When I first started codeHER in 2016 I had no idea where this journey would lead me. I was 13 years old, about to enter high school, and all I really knew is that I wanted to help those around me. I didn't know how exactly I was going to accomplish this, but I decided to start by combining my passion for teaching and technology to help girls in my area learn computer science. After a few months of running local programs, I realized the potential for codeHER to expand beyond just the United States. With our incredible team, we were able to run our Baramij Laha pilot program during the summer of 2018 in Morocco, and gain the support from the U.S. Embassy the year after.

We are proud to be an entirely female-youth run nonprofit, dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders and technologists. We know that our generation is the future. And it is our job to support, educate, and inspire those in need.

I am incredibly grateful to experience this wonderful journey and am excited for what the future has to hold. With continuous hard work and support from both the public and private sector, I know we will be able to make a sustainable difference in the world around us.

Thank you for your support in making our dreams a reality. Together, we can change the world: one girl at a time.

Gratefully,

Saniya

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Saniya Vashist, Chairwoman

JORDON MALCOLM

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

Jordon is currently majoring in Computer Science. A Software Engineering Intern at eBay, she aspires to enhance the voices of women in tech through codeHER by eliminating the pipeline issue found within STEM education for young females.

LALITHA MADDURI

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Lalitha, a Computer Science major and Applied Math minor, is interested in fine-tuning our programs to expand our reach into minorities that are usually overlooked in the movement to train youths in tech. One day, she hopes to develop accessible software and devices for individuals with disabilities.