Harvard Women in Computer Science

What Harvard Women in Computer Science does

Harvard Women in Computer Science (WiCS) is a student-led organization at Harvard University that builds community and runs programming for women in computer science. Its core offerings include a mentorship program with more than 200 participants, the annual WeCode conference (~800 attendees, positioned as the largest student-run conference celebrating women engineers), weekly Girls Who Code clubs for younger students, an Advocacy Committee (founded 2015), and roughly 15 career-development events per month spanning company info sessions, career treks, and resume workshops. The organization also operates a merchandise line with items priced between $21 and $47.50.

Harvard WiCS is governed by a 2025–2026 board of approximately 22 student officers spanning mentorship, advocacy, sponsorship, conference, merchandise, communications, and tech. It is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and operates primarily on and around the Harvard campus, with one external collaboration — the Percentage Project — extending programming to 10 college campuses.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid of corporate sponsorships and merchandise sales. Sponsorships are sold in four tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and the disclosed sponsor roster includes Jump Trading (Platinum), Anthropic, Hudson River Trading, Jane Street, Capital One, and Google (Gold and below). Sponsorship amounts are not publicly disclosed. Merchandise is sold direct-to-consumer at modest price points. There is no public financial reporting, no equity, and no fee-for-service revenue stream.

Name

Harvard Women in Computer Science

Legal name

Harvard Undergraduate Women in Computer Science

Website

https://harvardwics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Student-led Harvard University organization building community for women in computer science through mentorship (200+ participants), the annual WeCode conference (~800 attendees), Girls Who Code clubs, and advocacy and career-development programming, funded by tiered corporate sponsorships and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Companies provide financial and organizational support at various tier levels (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Additional) to support WiCS programs and events. Sponsors gain access to student talent through career fairs and recruiting events at the WeCode conference.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an e-commerce shop selling branded merchandise including apparel (pullovers, hoodies, sweatpants, caps) and bags (tote bags). Products range from $21 to $47.50 USD.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Harvard Women in Computer Science (WiCS) is a student-run community organization at Harvard University that builds community, mentorship, and career development opportunities for women in computer science. It operates programs including a mentorship initiative pairing over 200 students annually, the WeCode conference attracting 800 attendees, Girls Who Code clubs for local young women, an advocacy council researching the gender gap in technology, and an online merchandise shop. Funding is derived from tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum through Additional) and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Harvard Women in Computer Science (WiCS) is a student organization offering multiple interconnected programs supporting women in CS: a mentorship program pairing 200+ students with upper-class mentors, the WeCode Conference (the largest student-run technical conference celebrating women engineers), Girls Who Code clubs teaching coding to young women, an Advocacy Council researching gender gaps in technology, WiCS Mindfulness contemplative practices, The Percentage Project social media campaign, career development services with tech talks and panels, community events, and a merchandise shop. The organization functions as a unified community and advocacy platform rather than a single product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WeCode Conference Annual three-day flagship conference for women in engineering featuring keynotes, workshops, and a sponsor career fair. Designed for female college students, particularly those studying computer science, with networking opportunities and career development programming.
• WiCS Mentorships Program One of the largest mentorship programs on the Harvard campus, pairing over 140 mentees with upper-class mentors each semester. Over 200 women in tech participate in the program, receiving guidance on navigating college, career recruiting, and beyond.
• Girls Who Code Club Weekly club meetings teaching coding skills to young women, led by Harvard CS students. Part of a national nonprofit movement to inspire, educate, and equip girls with computing skills to pursue 21st-century opportunities. Sessions include app building, video game design, animation with JavaScript, and robotics with Lego Mindstorms.
• Career Development Services Programming comprising company tech talks, info sessions, panels, recruiting events, technical workshops supplementing CS coursework, and internship opportunity publicity for Harvard WiCS members. Approximately 15 events per month.
• WiCS Shop Online merchandise store selling WiCS-branded apparel including unisex fleece pullovers ($32.00), crop hoodies ($34.95), crop sweatshirts ($47.50), unisex fleece sweatpants ($41.50), vintage cotton twill caps ($22.50), eco tote bags ($21.00), large organic tote bags ($22.50), organic denim tote bags ($35.50), and loose drop shoulder crop tops ($25.00).

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Girls Who CodecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard WiCS operates as a local chapter of the national Girls Who Code nonprofit organization. The program uses Girls Who Code curriculum and branding to teach computing skills to young women. In 2019, the weekly club taught 9 students animation with JavaScript and robotics with Lego Mindstorms.
• Ten College Campuses (Percentage Project)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2020, Harvard WiCS began collaborating with ten other college campuses across the United States on the Percentage Project, a data-driven social media campaign sharing the multifaceted experiences of students in STEM.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AnitaB.org (formerly Anita Borg Institute): Nonprofit advancing women in computing through programs like Top Companies for Tech Women and GHC. Broader incumbent with overlapping mission of women-in-tech advocacy, mentorship, and recruiting pipelines.
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE): National professional society supporting women in engineering and technology through conferences, awards, and career resources. A broader incumbent operating at scale across many universities and industry, with overlapping mission of advancing women in technical fields.
• NCWIT (National Center for Women & Information Technology): National nonprofit coalition working to increase women's participation in computing through research, programs, and advocacy. Overlaps with WiCS's advocacy and outreach mission at a broader scale.

Direct peers

• Stanford Women in Computer Science (SWiCS): Stanford's student-run community for women in CS with mentorship, career events, and outreach programs. Directly comparable as a peer-elite-university student organization with the same mission and program mix.
• MIT Women in Computer Science: MIT's student organization for women in CS offering mentorship, corporate sponsorship, and outreach. Closely comparable given overlapping audience (elite CS undergraduates) and program structure.
• Carnegie Mellon Women in Computer Science: CMU's student organization supporting women in CS through mentorship, outreach, and industry events. Comparable given similar top-tier CS school context and program structure.
• Princeton Women in Computer Science: Princeton's student organization for women in CS with mentorship and recruiting events. Comparable peer-university organization with overlapping programming model.
• Girls Who Code (national organization): National nonprofit running clubs and summer immersion programs to close the gender gap in tech. Harvard WiCS operates as a local chapter and uses GWC curriculum, making it a direct peer for the Girls Who Code program.

Emerging players

• ColorStack: Student-run organization supporting Black and Latinx computer science students across universities. Comparable as a multi-campus student community with mentorship and career programming, but with a different demographic focus.
• Rewriting the Code: Nonprofit supporting women in computing through fellowships, mentorship, and career programming. Comparable in mission but operates as a multi-university program rather than a single-campus student org.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harvard-wics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Harvard Women in Computer Science