At C10 Labs in Cambridge, we’re making strides to close the gender gap in artificial intelligence and tech. With AI becoming a bigger part of our everyday lives, it’s crucial to tackle gender bias in technology. That’s why initiatives like ours are so important—they focus on getting more women involved in tech innovation.
“Half of the planet is women, and women bring a unique perspective to ventures and what we build,” says Patricia Geli, co-founder of C10 Labs. She believes that including women in tech isn’t just fair—it’s vital for business success.
We recently held an “AI Hackathon,” a hands-on event aimed at making AI tools more accessible to women and encouraging their participation in tech development. As Beth Porter, our head of studio operations, puts it, “If you understand the problem you want to solve and why AI is the solution, these tools are within reach for almost anyone.”
During the hackathon, participants teamed up to create innovative AI solutions. The winning team focused on healthcare, developing a tool to improve IVF success predictions while keeping privacy intact. “With AI, it’s easy to learn and just about getting hands-on with these tools,” shares Gigi Aocaraz, one of the hackathon winners. The winners received AWS credits and a cash prize to help advance their project.
We partnered with Springboard Enterprises, a nonprofit supporting women-led tech and science startups. “Women do well when they’re properly supported in the market and can compete for investments,” says Kay Koplovitz, co-founder and chairman of Springboard Enterprises.
Research from the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Venture Research shows a promising trend: in 2004, only 5% of angel investors were women, but by 2023, this number shot up to 46.7%. Nearly half of the businesses seeking angel capital are now women-owned.
“Women have capital, whether they inherited it or earned it, and more women have made it now than ever before,” Koplovitz notes. This financial empowerment is evident in C10 Labs alumni like Cecilia Hermawan, who founded Preloved Guru. Her company uses AI to connect secondhand fashion with consumers, illustrating how AI can empower retailers with tools they wouldn’t otherwise have.
