PODCAST: The VP of Girls Who Code Leads the Way for Women in Tech

Always be learning.

These three words embody Leah Gilliam, the VP of education, strategy, and innovation at Girls Who Code, to a tee.

Leah has been an avid learner her entire life, thanks to her childhood in Washington, D.C. and her parents (her dad has been an abstract painter and practicing artist for 80 years, and her mom covered the Civil Rights Movement as the first black female journalist at the Washington Post).

These early influences and experiences have shaped her openness to the world, both personally and professionally. From working as an associate professor of electronic arts at Bard College, to directing Mozilla Foundation’s global strategy to advance reading, writing, and participation on the web, Leah has a wealth of experience in multiple industries that shape her knowledge in leadership, collaboration, and empathy.

In this episode, Leah talks about:

• Advice for building relationships that will advance your career
• The key conversations and relationships that have influenced her professional trajectory
• How she encourages human-centered design and empathy in the workplace
• Why she prioritizes learning and writing code for at least an hour every week
• The experience of aligning her personal mission with that of Girls Who Code
• How Girls Who Code is closing the gender gap the right way