Introducing Fem.AI: Reshaping the Tech/AI Workforce for a More Equitable Future

The Cadence Giving Foundation was founded in 2022 to support critical needs in communities around the world with a focus on access to STEM education, DEI in STEM, and climate and sustainability. We are excited to unveil an exciting initiative our team and our partners have been working tirelessly on to create opportunities for women in tech and artificial intelligence (AI), driving a future workforce that is inclusive, innovative, and career-ready.

Cadence is launching Fem.AI to change the workforce of tech and AI to propel women and the industry toward a more equitable tech sector. Despite years of effort, the tech industry is lagging on critical measures of gender equity. Initial research by Cadence has identified three "leakage points" in the tech/AI ecosystem where women are losing traction:

• Completing Higher Education: In 2021, approximately 20% of computer science graduates were female, while 45% of women who start college as STEM majors leave to pursue another degree.
• Accessing First Jobs: Women with STEM-related degrees face more unemployment challenges post-graduation, with women holding just over 20% of AI roles in US tech companies.
• Retaining STEM Careers: Over 56% of women in tech are likely to leave the industry before mid-career, further exacerbating the gender gap.

Addressing this imbalance now, in the dawn of a new technological era, is crucial for women's economic well-being and for shaping inclusive and equitable innovations that serve society. By investing in nonprofits, championing women-led ventures, driving product innovation, and leveraging peer influence, Fem.AI advances women to the forefront in education, hiring, leadership, and innovation.

Through Fem.AI, we aim to empower through:

• Partnerships: Build strategic alliances to drive transformative change in STEM education and careers, and elevate opportunities in AI for impactful growth and inclusive success.
• Pathways to Employment: Provide mentorship, returnships, and pathways to thrive in tech and AI, unlocking opportunities and ensuring advancement and impact with every step.
• Scholarships: Provide scholarships that embrace a spectrum of backgrounds, experiences, and ideas for transformative impact.
• Cadence Academic Network: Collaborate with the academic community worldwide to ignite a passion for technology education and foster future innovators.

We've partnered with seven nonprofit organizations focused on increasing the number of women obtaining STEM degrees and their first jobs, as well as increasing representation at the leadership level: Break Through Tech, Last Mile Education Fund, Fast Forward Generation, VC Include, Global Semiconductor Alliance, and Reboot Representation.

We're excited to host the Fem.AI Summit next month, which will bring together leadership across the tech landscape to inform and shape a future where women are fully engaged in the ecosystem of AI innovation. The summit's mission is to enlighten, empower, and mobilize stakeholders across various industries on the issue of gender disparity in high tech, specifically in AI, while also brainstorming actionable solutions to promote gender equality. This conference marks the kickoff of a movement aimed at breaking the cycle of inequity and initiating steps toward a more inclusive future for women in high-tech and AI.

This is just the start, and we must take collective action now. I hope that you will join Cadence to ensure that we clear the path and catalyze the role of women in the AI revolution.