Walk into any technology centered meeting of the minds and it’s not hard to notice the great female to male disparity that exists throughout.
Few women have reached the tech promised land; but today, large and small companies alike are making direct efforts to bring women to the table.
Companies like Social Driver— a full service digital agency start-up in DC– is making a point of tipping the gender imbalance scale.
Housed in the ultra sleek WeWork Wonder Bread Factory co-working space in the Shaw-Howard University neighborhood, the still growing company has ballooned to a staff of 25. So why are women (and millennials) flocking to Social Driver? The staff swears by their the culture.
Social Driver has accomplished what many companies are striving to do today– create a crave-worthy culture. They hire for fit, promote a flexible work environment, and allow employees to decide on their own what their future with the company looks like.
Last week, we sat down with the women of Social Driver and talked innovation, women in tech, and what makes Social Driver such a great place to work.
CS: What sets Social Driver apart from the rest?
“We want our clients to be the first in their industry to do something. We work with an automaker and they’re the first to have their government relations team on social media. It’s not about creating a new message, its about engaging in a meaningful way.” – Emily, 23, Managing Strategist
CS: Why are millennials flocking to companies like Social Driver?
“I was in a big structured organization and there wasn’t really room to explore. Here I’m encouraged to be a troublemaker.” – Melissa, 32, VP of Client Strategy
“Our values are ingrained throughout everything we do. We put people before everything else.” -Paige, 23, Strategist
CS: What is Social Driver doing to ensure the next generation of women can enter the technology space?
“We recognize there is an opportunity for us to be mentors. For a few years now we have supported Rails Girls– an organization teaching young girls how to write code. We do everything we can to teach girls they can do whatever they want.” -Allie, 25, Marketing Strategist
CS: Why hire millennials?
“The millennial generation asks why more than any other generation. If you don’t ask why then things wont change. We are pushing change to the next level.” -Julie, 27, Director of Client Strategy
“I’m starting my masters of fine arts in the fall, which means I’ll be taking night classes. My office is being super flexible and talking to me about how we are going to do this together. I don’t have to choose between continuing my education or my job.- Paige, 23, Strategist
“What does tech mean anyway? You can tell anything to do whatever you want. It means everything.” -Leah, 29, Director of Client Strategy
