SheTO is a private network and community exclusively for women and non-binary engineering leaders whose mission is to connect, elevate and inspire them toward executive engineering roles. Pulse 2.0 interviewed SheTO CEO Nidhi Gupta to gain a deeper understanding of the organization.
Nidhi Gupta’s Background
Could you tell me more about your professional background and why you created SheTO? Gupta said:
“Before founding SheTO, I spent years as an engineering and product executive, helping build, scale, and transform companies.”
“As I advanced in my career, I couldn’t ignore the obvious lack of women in leadership around me. I was almost always the only woman at the table. There was a pivotal moment in my career where I was invited to an intimate dinner – and, as usual, I expected to be the only woman in the room. Instead, the opposite happened. I found myself surrounded by over a dozen other senior women engineers. It was the first time I truly felt I wasn’t alone. That experience made me want to find and connect with more women like me.”
“Not long after, I came across a study that showed less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women. I assumed there had to be some organization out there actively working to change that – but there wasn’t. And that realization made it impossible for me to look away. So, I started SheTO to change that – to build a community that supports, empowers, and advances women’s careers, and to help rewrite the narrative of who gets to lead in tech.”
What SheTO Does
What does SheTO do? Gupta explained:
“SheTO is the largest global network of women and non-binary engineering leaders, and we exist to close the immense gender gap in engineering executive roles. Our goal is to help today’s leaders to grow and thrive in their careers, and in turn, inspire the next generation of women to enter the industry, stay in the industry, and aim for leadership roles. Whether someone’s looking for mentorship, wanting to expand their network, connect with other inspiring tech leaders, navigate shared challenges, or just give back to the community – we’re here for that.”
“But we’re so much more than just an online community. We host an annual summit and regular events that bring thousands of members together under one roof. These events include everything from panel discussions and speaker series to roundtable conversations – giving these leaders the rare opportunity to have honest conversations, share ideas, build relationships, and take their careers to the next level. Right now, we have 12 local hubs across the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, New York, Boston, Austin, and London. And for those who can’t join in-person, we offer virtual leadership accelerators and workshops so they can stay engaged and feel supported – no matter where they are.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Gupta cited:
“One milestone I’m especially proud of is reaching over 5,000 members across 65 countries within 3 years since our launch. What makes this even more meaningful is that our growth has been entirely organic, driven by referrals and the strong connections within our community. Every member goes through a vetting process and is accepted based on specific criteria. That helps to ensure the community stays high-quality, and that everyone who joins is both contributing and gaining real value from membership. I think that kind of intentional growth is really special.”
State Of Women In Engineering Leadership Report
Could you discuss how the State of Women in Engineering Leadership report came together? Gupta shared:
“This was actually our very first report, and it came about because we wanted to find out where exactly women engineers’ careers begin to stall. We wanted to pinpoint the barriers that are holding women back from reaching senior leadership roles. To bring the report to life, we teamed up with two of our partners – Allstacks and Mayfield, to gather the data, highlight where organizations are falling short, and, more importantly, what they can start doing differently. We created this report as a foundational resource for engineering leaders who are serious about building inclusive, scalable teams. Because real change doesn’t happen without clarity and you can’t fix what you don’t fully understand.”
Key Takeaways
What are some of the key takeaways from the report that you would like people to know about? Gupta cited:
“The data in our report backs up what a lot of us have seen or felt in our careers. The report helped us uncover exactly where progress stalls and why it’s so hard for women to climb the leadership ladder. Here are a few takeaways that really stand out:
- The Director Ceiling: One of the most concerning drop-offs happens at the director level. While 14% of engineering managers are women, only 9% make it to director roles. The data makes it clear: once women enter management, the path upward becomes significantly steeper.
- The Scaling Gap: We also found that representation declines sharply as companies grow. At companies with fewer than 1,000 employees, women hold 17.4% of the top engineering leadership role. But at companies with over 10,000 employees, that number drops to just 6.9%. As organizations scale, women are getting left behind.
- DEI Works: One of the most encouraging findings is that DEI practices are making a real difference. Companies that implement deliberate and strategic DEI hiring practices see significantly higher representation of women in engineering leadership. At a time when DEI is being questioned, this shows measurable and real impact.
- The VP and CTO Void: The numbers at the top are especially alarming. Two-thirds of organizations surveyed have no women in VP-level engineering roles. And only 7% of CTO roles are held by women. The higher you go, the fewer women you see.
These insights aren’t just a wake-up call for organizations, they’re also a roadmap, showing us exactly where the gaps are and where we need to take action to build more inclusive leadership in tech.”
What Should Be Changed
Based on these key takeaways, what do you believe should be changed for women in engineering? Gupta concluded:
“I firmly believe the biggest changes need to come through more structured promotion processes, visible sponsorship, and early leadership investment. Women need to feel seen, heard, and empowered to keep pushing forward – not pushed out or stuck wondering if they truly belong. The reality is, women aren’t left behind from a lack of talent or ambition. It stems from bias and limited advancement opportunities that put a brick wall in their path. But when organizations put intentional support systems in place, women can, and will, thrive at every level.”
