SPEAKING
Reshma Saujani is sought the world over to address a wide range of audiences, from Fortune 500 companies and leading tech companies to universities and educational groups, to international trade associations and beyond. She speaks on a wide variety of topics including Fail First, Fail Hard & Fail Fast, closing the gender gap in tech, women & leadership, democracy, advocacy, gender, youth, and technology.
TED Talks: Teach girls bravery, not perfection
We're raising our girls to be perfect, and we're raising our boys to be brave, says Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code. Saujani has taken up the charge to socialize young girls to take risks and learn to program — two skills they need to move society forward. To truly innovate, we cannot leave behind half of our population, she says. "I need each of you to tell every young woman you know to be comfortable with imperfection."
Imposter Syndrome Is A Scheme: Reshma Saujani’s 2023 Smith College Commencement Address
"This is something I’ve been wanting to say for a long time, and in this speech, I finally found the words," says Reshma Saujani, Smith College's 2023 Commencement keynote speaker.
On May 21, at Smith’s 145th Commencement, the gender equality activist and author said to the graduates, "People ask me all the time: how do I overcome imposter syndrome?"
"And honestly, I’m done answering that question. Because here’s the thing: imposter syndrome isn’t a syndrome at all — it’s a scheme."
Saujani, an attorney and founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First, questioned the notion that to achieve equality, women must adopt “tips and tricks” for individual self-improvement.
“It’s never really been about whether we’re qualified enough, or smart enough, or prepared enough,” said Saujani—the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress. “Instead, it’s always been about the political, the financial, the cultural barriers that are designed to keep us out of those rooms in the first place.”