Sophia Viklund: The rise of women coders

Full Frame

Sophia ViklundSophia Viklund discusses the rise of women coders and how coding became her passion.

Even though women make up nearly 50% of the workforce in the United States, they hold less than a quarter of STEM jobs – jobs in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Sophia Viklund has made it her mission to change that statistic. She is a tech entrepreneur who began coding in her college dorm room.

“I think [the boys] were surprised that I had interest,” said Sophia Viklund. “I think it’s all about being interested in showing a curiosity about the subject and then you can learn anything.”

Sophia Viklund: The Rise of Women Coders

Sophia Viklund discuses the rise of women coders and how coding became her passion.

Since college, Sophia has co-founded New Sun Technologies, a Silicon Valley-based tech innovation company. Her work has not only paid off, it’s also garnered some serious attention. In 2012, she was named a “Female Founder to Watch” by Forbes Magazine and in 2013 she made their list of “12 Gaming Women to Watch.”

“I’ve been in the business since [the] late 90s,” said Viklund. “I’ve seen a tremendous growth of women in the industry so there are high numbers in enrollments right now in computer science programs,” explained Viklund.

Sophia Viklund joined May Lee in Los Angeles to discuss the impact of women in STEM jobs and her hope for aspiring female tech leaders.