Connect Chicago Innovation Program Featured on Comcast Newsmakers

Currently, women only make up 20% of the cybersecurity workforce. In order to meet the demand for a skilled workforce, we need to increase the number of women in cybersecurity.

Below, City Tech Collaborative's Meera Raja overviews the Connect Chicago Innovation Program and City Tech's collaborative methodology.

Below, Michelle Russell from AnitaB.org shares how the new program aims to increase the representation of women in technology positions and provide pathways for retention and development.

Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand and the need keeps growing. Estimates show that there are 35,000 open cybersecurity positions in the United States, but women only make up 20% of the workforce.

Below, Alisah Wenc from ISACA's SheLeadsTech program joins Comcast Newsmakers to expand on the opportunities.

About City Tech Collaborative: City Tech is an urban solutions accelerator that tackles problems too big for any single sector or organization to solve alone. City Tech’s work uses IoT sensing networks, advanced analytics, and urban design to create scalable, market ready solutions. Current initiatives address advanced mobility, healthy cities, connected construction, and emerging growth opportunities. City Tech was born and raised in Chicago, and every city is a potential partner. Visit www.CityTech.org and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the Connect Chicago Innovation Program: Launched in 2018, the Connect Chicago Innovation Program supports collaborative, community-led ideas to increase technology access, digital skills, and adoption across Chicago. Through the program, past award recipients have created an affordable and accessible cybersecurity workforce development program for women and leveraged data to create a neighborhood-level tool to understand gentrification and the displacement of community resources. Managed by City Tech Collaborative, the fund was supported by Microsoft, Comcast, Sprint, the Lenovo Foundation, Gogo, Clarity Partners, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Learn more at www.CityTech.org/Connect-Chicago-Innovation-Program.