How two nonprofit founders are supporting women in tech and local businesses

The magic of nonprofit work happens when people connect for the greater good. 

But for founders and executive directors, the everyday reality involves far more planning and logistics. A constant tether to your phone or laptop means less time being present with communities, building bridges and making a difference. 

Nailing down meeting times doesn’t have to mean a 3-day-long text thread with a volunteer or playing email tag with your web designer. For people who just want to focus on their service, scheduling software relieves the constant stress of time management by setting up self-serve meetings. 

Learn how these two nonprofit founders set up Calendly to allow them to bring their work further into the communities they support. 

WiTech (Women in Technology)

Founder: Audrey Pe
Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
Website: wi-tech.org

Mission: To educate, inspire, and empower the youth to break gender stereotypes and make a difference using technology.

Vision: To achieve gender equality in the tech industry through increased networking opportunities and mentors for young women interested in entering the tech industry.

As is clear in her TEDx Talk, Audrey Pe is determined to do her part to break gender barriers in tech, starting in the Philippines and spreading around the globe. 

A self-taught coder who was once told by teachers, “You’re not a good fit for tech,” Pe made it her mission to give female technology professionals a platform to share their stories. The goal? Spark early interest in tech education for young people by showing them successful women in tech. 

At just 15 years old, Pe founded WiTech (pronounced wee-tek). 

Role models share on the WiTech blog the kind of work they’re doing, how they jump-started their career, the struggles they’ve faced, and how they stay motivated. 

Some of the featured women leaders include a CEO/President of a motion capture animation company that’s contributed to wide release video games, and a researcher whose psychology, machine learning, and fashion studies are contributing to the future of retail technology.  

Powering the scheduling of those interviews? Calendly. 

“When I first reached out to Audrey Pe, I was directed to her Calendly link to set a time for us to call. For most people, that would be baffling. What high school senior would need an appointment scheduling tool?” - Nicole Datlangin, Medium

“I wouldn’t be able to schedule international calls without Calendly because it helps convert times based on time zones to prevent miscommunication,” says Pe. 

WiTech has since branched off into several other chapters and programs (like WiTCon) around the globe. Calendly takes the work out of connecting so the WiTech team can put all their energy into amplifying women’s voices and organizing educational opportunities to promote equality in tech. 

Follow Audrey on Twitter
Follow WiTech on Twitter

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Hundred for Hospitality

Co-Founder: Jane Ko, A Taste of Koko
Headquarters: Austin, Texas
Website: hundredforhospitality.com

Why? The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for Austin’s beloved hospitality industry, forcing many local establishments to close their doors and lay off thousands of hard-working employees. Hundred for Hospitality is stepping up to feed the hospitality industry. 

Mission: To serve 100 meals per day to hospitality workers who are temporarily jobless or in need of a meal. 100% of proceeds go toward small local restaurants to cover food & staffing costs to provide meals to our service industry professionals.

When the COVID-19 pandemic made its way to the U.S. and people retreated to shelter in place, the food and hospitality industry was hit hard. 

Jane Ko was fast to act. An author and evangelist of the Austin food and travel scene, “Koko” of A Taste of Koko created a program to support both small business owners and the service industry. 

Along with Mylk Collective, A Taste of Koko launched a fundraising campaign to feed hospitality employees in Austin—left out of work by quarantine—with food from local restaurants. 

After a crowd-sourced fundraiser that exceeded its initial goal by 203%, Koko and team spent the next month organizing the creation and pickup of over 100 meals a day to feed temporarily jobless hospitality workers. 

A longtime user of Calendly, Koko turned to Calendly to help organize and distribute the over 4,000 meals. 

“Coordinating 800 laid off service industry workers and 20 restaurants over 40 days with 100 meals a day, would have been a nightmare. But I figured out how to do it with Calendly!” says Koko. 

Over $15,000 was raised in the end. 

The program was so successful in Austin, it’s since been replicated in Houston. As cities continue to follow precautions and the service industry still isn’t serving the same volume as 2019, we might expect to see this model expand to other places in the world. 

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Follow Jane Ko on Instagram

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