Melinda Gates’ nonprofit launches $50M initiative to increase representation of women in tech hubs

Melinda Gates is launching another initiative to turn the tide for women in tech. Pivotal Ventures, a Seattle-based philanthropic group founded by Gates, announced a $50 million project Tuesday designed to transform tech hubs into more inclusive places for women. The Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities initiative will focus on increasing the number of women working in tech in three cities over the next five years. Pivotal Ventures revealed Chicago as the pioneer city and plans to announce the remaining two regions over the next few years. When Microsoft recruited Gates in 1987, she was the only woman hired among her male-dominated class of MBAs. But despite being in the minority, it was, in some ways, the heyday for women in tech. In 1985, women comprised 37 percent of computer science graduates.