Break Through Tech is an educational organization that operates programs aimed at increasing the number of women and non-binary students pursuing degrees in technology-related disciplines such as computer science. The organization was founded by Judith Spitz, the former chief information officer of Verizon who founded the organization’s first programs in 2016 through partnerships with Cornell Tech and the City University of New York (CUNY). The organization operates computing and artificial intelligence (AI) programs at various college campuses throughout the United States. The organization is an initiative of Cornell Tech, the technology education and professional development department within Cornell University. ^{1 2}

Funders of the initiatives include Pivotal Ventures, an organization funded by Melinda Gates, the Cognizant Foundation, and Verizon among dozens of other private sector companies. ^{3 4}

Background and History

Break Through Tech was founded in 2016 by Judith Spitz, the former chief information officer of Verizon, who partnered with Cornell Tech to form collaboration between industry and academia with the goal of “bring[ing] together the supply and demand sides of a city’s tech pipeline and create opportunities for college women and non-binary students from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue degrees and careers in tech.” ⁵

Break Through Tech was first launched in 2016 as Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York (WiTNY) with initial funding from Verizon and Accenture. The first academic partnership of the organization was with the City University of New York (CUNY) with the goal of increasing the number of women and non-binary students graduating with degrees from CUNY in computer science and other related disciplines. The organization’s partnership with CUNY remains among its largest programs as of 2023, and the organization touts a doubling of women majoring in computer science at CUNY from 2016 to 2019. The initial partnership between Break Through Tech and CUNY was funded by Melinda French Gates’s Pivotal Ventures, the Cognizant Foundation, and Verizon. ⁶

Activities

Break Through Tech’s partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY) remains among the organization’s primary programs. The organization also operates what it calls “sprinternships” which it calls “a micro-internship experience designed to break down the barriers that so often keep diverse college women and non-binary students from landing the coveted tech internships that are essential to securing entry-level jobs in tech.” ⁷

Since 2020, the organization has opened computing programs in Chicago in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities; in the Washington, D.C. metro area through the University of Maryland and George Mason University; and in the Miami area through Florida International University. ^{8 9}

The organization reports that its fastest growing programs are its AI programming programs which focus on data science and machine learning and is operated in New York City at Cornell Tech, in Boston at the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, in Los Angeles at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, and through online programs. ¹⁰

Funding

Funders of Break Through Tech programs include Pivotal Ventures, an organization funded by Melinda Gates; the Cognizant Foundation; Verizon; Accenture; American Express, BlackRock; Google; UNICC; and UNHCR. ¹¹  

1. “History and Origin.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/about-us/history-origin/
2. “About Us.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/about-us/
3. “History and Origin.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/about-us/history-origin/
4. “Industry Partners.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/industry-partners/
5. “History and Origin.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/about-us/history-origin/
6. “History and Origin.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/about-us/history-origin/
7. “History and Origin.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/about-us/history-origin/
8. ^[1] “History and Origin.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/about-us/history-origin/
9. “Computing Program.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/what-we-do/the-computing-program/
10. “AI Program.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/what-we-do/the-ai-program/
11. “History and Origin.” Break Through Tech. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.breakthroughtech.org/about-us/history-origin/