Grace Brewster Hopper

Former U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and Computer Scientist

“The only phrase I’ve ever disliked is, ‘Why, we’ve always done it that way.’ I always tell young people, go ahead and do it. You can always apologize later.”

Annie Jean Easley

Former Computer Scientist, Mathematician, and Rocket Scientist

NASA

“You’re never too old, and if you want to, as my mother said, you can do anything you want to, but you have to work at it.”

Flossie Wong-Staal

Former Virologist and Molecular Biologist

UCSD

“It adds to the joy of discovery to know that your work may make a difference in people’s lives.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

“Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”

Madeleine Albright

Former United States Secretary of State

“I think women want to take care of themselves, and I think having a voice in how that is done is very important.”

Gladys Mae West

Mathematician

Naval Surface Warfare Center

“I carried that load round, thinking that I had to be the best that I could be, always doing things just right, to set an example for other people who were coming behind me, especially women. I strived hard to be tough and hang in there the best I could.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Former First Lady of the United States

U.S. Secretary of State

U.S. Senator, New York

“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.”

Michelle Obama

Former First Lady of the United States

“If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, then we have to open doors to everyone. We can’t afford to leave anyone out. We need all hands on deck. And that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering and math. And so encouraging girls early not to lose heart in those fields, and encouraging them through high school is important. But it also means making sure that these young women can keep pursuing their dreams in college and beyond.”

Kamala Harris

Vice President of the United States

“What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters. You’re going to walk into many rooms in your life and career where you may be the only one who looks like you or who has had the experiences you’ve had. But you remember that when you are in those rooms, you are not alone. We are all in that room with you applauding you on. Cheering your voice. And just so proud of you. So you use that voice and be strong.”

Reshma Saujani

Founder, Girls Who Code

CEO & Founder, Moms First

“If women had been more prominently talked about in computing, both in the history books and schools, we literally would not have the lack of women programmers that we do today. It’s about role models. You can’t be what you cannot see.”

Sheryl Sandberg

Co-Founder & Board Chair

Lean In

“We need more women at every table where decisions are made. We need to push back against gender inequality in every form—now more than ever. A more equal workplace and world would be better in every way.”

Arianna Huffington

Founder, The Huffington Post

Founder & CEO, Thrive Global

“It would be futile to attempt to fit women into a masculine pattern of attitudes, skills and abilities and disastrous to force them to suppress their specifically female characteristics and abilities by keeping up the pretense that there are no differences between the sexes.”

“Learn to ask for things. Be concise, relevant, and brave.”

Angie Chang

CEO & Founder

Girl Geek X

“When you are sharing your thoughts, you are being creative in your own way.”

Laísa Barros

CEO

This Is Laísa, LLC

“Ask a child to draw a scientist, and they’re most likely going to draw a man. Be the one to change this: Ask questions. Share your ideas. Stay involved.”

Angela Hu

Co-Founder

STEM for FEM