Meet Shivika Varshney And Esha Sehgal

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shivika Varshney And Esha Sehgal a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shivika Varshney and Esha Sehgal, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Growing up surrounded by rapidly evolving technology, we shared a fascination with its endless possibilities. By middle school, our curiosity had blossomed into a passion for coding. As we progressed through high school, we decided that we wanted to pursue computer science. However, we couldn’t ignore the sad reality of the underrepresentation of women in tech reflected in our own classrooms where girls were noticeably absent from STEM courses.

This observation ignited a desire to inspire others, particularly girls, to explore the vast and exciting world of computer science. We envisioned creating a safe and supportive environment that encouraged learning, growth, and exploration. Eventually, that vision led to the creation of Code Her World, a fiscally sponsored 501(c)(3) organization. Our journey has been about transforming a personal passion into a mission to empower the next generation of women in tech.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Code Her World is all about closing the gender gap in computer science and encouraging girls and women to explore and pursue opportunities in the field. We provide resources like mentorship, workshops, and events to help them build skills and confidence. So far, we’ve reached about 2,000 students globally, and we’re excited to see that number continue to grow. We cater to girls at any point in their computer science journey, whether they are in middle or high school just learning how to code, or are looking to improve their current knowledge! We focus on meeting and accommodating all students who join us for our workshops!

We also offer tons of volunteer opportunities! High schoolers can apply for our internship program where they can complete the marketing or web development track. Long-term opportunities are also available where people can join our board. We offer a variety of positions including Event Coordinators, Lead Instructors, and Social Media Managers.

We are very excited about our upcoming event, “Hack the Halls,” a holiday-themed hackathon in December. Participants will have the chance to develop their skills, collaborate with new people, and compete for some awesome prizes. It’s a great way to learn and have fun at the same time.

Any readers who are interested in boosting their coding career can follow us on Instagram (@codeherworld) and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on future events and volunteer opportunities. We’d love for more people to join us in making an impact!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The first thing that comes to our mind is perseverance. Since we had a clear vision and goals of what we wanted to achieve, it was easy to be discouraged when our initial results did not match them. But, if we didn’t keep working hard and continue to plan events, our organization wouldn’t be as successful as it is today. For those starting a new journey or chapter in their lives, our biggest advice is to stick to it even if progress is slow and to keep your end goal in mind to continue to motivate you. Consistency and determination will bring you long-term success. Where you start will never determine where you end up; it is up to you to choose where your journey leads you.

Leadership is another big one; it is the reason our organization exists in the first place. Successfully running workshops, managing a team, and collaborating with organizations required strong leadership and the ability to communicate ideas effectively. We believe that if you have a problem in mind, be the leader who stands up and advocates for it because you never know what difference one action can make. Leaders are the key to our society and we believe everyone has leadership potential in them – it’s just a matter of unleashing it.

Running an organization has required us to remain adaptable. Whether it’s changing an event’s date so we can accommodate more participants or changing our marketing strategies, we find ourselves constantly needing to adapt to new adjustments in order to maximize our success. We encourage embracing change and viewing obstacles as opportunities to grow. The ability to adapt doesn’t mean completely changing your original plan but it means finding new and better ways to achieve it!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

We would love to collaborate with tech companies and other professionals in the field to organize and promote our events. Since the birth of our organization, our priority has been to grow our outreach continuously. With support and sponsorships from larger organizations, we hope to raise awareness about our organization and mission. Also, we would love to get in touch with other journals, news websites, and potentially government officials to help Code Her World gain more publicity. Of course, we also want more middle and high schoolers, especially girls, to learn about our organization and take advantage of our opportunities! If you’re interested in working with us, don’t hesitate to email codeherworld@gmail.com!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/codeherworld
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codeherworld/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/code-her-world/