Leanne Pittsford

Not many can say they’ve actually gotten to name a scholarship for a personal hero, but Leanne Pittsford, founder of Lesbians Who Tech + Allies, can. It’s known as “The Edie Windsor Coding Scholarship,” because Edie Windsor was not only a trailblazer in court, she was also a software programmer. “She’s one of the reasons I founded Lesbians Who Tech + Allies,” Pittsford says. “It seemed fitting to honor Edie so that her name and her legacy could inspire other women as she inspired me.” Pittsford’s been taking that inspiration far, from being valedictorian of her high school to founding multiple organizations including: Lesbians Who Tech + Allies, Tech Jobs Tour, include.io, and co-founding Lean Impact. She’s definitely an activist for change in STEM industries, where only one in 15 jobs go to women. LWT has 40 chapters worldwide, working to raise the visibility of LGBTQ people in the field. Through her work with them, Pittsford dedicated herself to uplifting and providing opportunities for queer women in computer science all over the globe. “I want to live in a world with a Black, lesbian President of the United States… and she’d better not earn 80 percent of what male presidents earn.” Today with women like her spearheading the fight for equality in the tech industry, tomorrow, it will be The White House! —JDG