When you think about Girls Who Code, the first face that pops into your head is likely Reshma Saujani. She’s the powerhouse who started the whole thing after seeing the gender gap firsthand during a run for Congress. But behind the scenes of any massive nonprofit, there's always a team of people digging into the data, trying to figure out if the programs actually work. That’s where Ryan Clarke comes in.
Honestly, if you go looking for him online, you might get a bit confused. There’s a famous NFL analyst named Ryan Clark who gets into Twitter feuds. There’s a guy who makes indie games like Crypt of the NecroDancer. But the Ryan Clarke who matters to the future of women in tech is the one currently serving as the Vice President of Research and Strategy at Girls Who Code.
He’s not the guy on the stage with the microphone. He’s the guy making sure the numbers add up.
The Strategy Behind Ryan Clarke and Girls Who Code
Most people think of Girls Who Code as just a bunch of after-school clubs. It’s way bigger than that. They have a massive "Five by Five" strategic plan. The goal? To close the gender gap in new entry-level tech jobs by 2030. It used to be 2027, but the world changed, and the tech industry is a moving target.
Ryan Clarke’s job is basically to act as the organization's internal compass. As the head of Research and Analytics, he looks at the "drop-off" points. We know that girls' interest in computer science usually tanks between the ages of 13 and 17. Why? Is it the curriculum? Is it the lack of community?
Clarke’s research team tracks students from the moment they join a club in 6th grade through their first internship. They look at things like:
- Retention rates in college CS programs.
- Hiring data from corporate partners like Raytheon and Accenture.
- The impact of "culture-shifting" campaigns.
It’s about proof. Donors don't just give millions of dollars because a mission sounds nice. They give because Ryan Clarke can point to a spreadsheet and say, "Our alumni are majoring in computer science at a rate seven times higher than the national average."
Why Data Actually Matters in Social Change
You’ve probably heard people say that "diversity is just a buzzword."
In the tech world, that’s a dangerous assumption. Without hard data, programs are just guessing. Clarke has spent years in the fields of psychology and analytics, which is a weirdly perfect background for this. You have to understand how people think—specifically how young women think—to change a system that has been "bro-coded" for forty years.
Back in 1995, about 37% of computer scientists were women. Today? It’s closer to 24%. It’s actually getting worse in some ways.
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This is the "leaky pipeline" problem. Ryan Clarke’s role involves figuring out where the leaks are. Is it the transition from high school to college? Is it the first year of a job where a woman feels isolated? By focusing on Strategy, Clarke helps the organization pivot. They aren't just teaching Python anymore; they’re building networks. They’re focusing on the "career" side of the equation because coding skills alone aren't enough to keep a woman in a toxic office environment.
What People Get Wrong
There is a common misconception that Ryan Clarke is a "coding instructor."
He’s not. He's an executive leader. According to public filings and ProPublica's nonprofit tracker, Clarke is one of the key officers at Girls Who Code, often listed alongside the CEO, Tarika Barrett. He manages a significant portion of the internal operations that deal with impact.
Another mistake? Thinking this is just a "girls" thing.
The strategy Clarke oversees includes non-binary students and those who identify as gender non-conforming. The tech industry's gender gap is wide, and the research shows that if you only solve it for one specific demographic, you aren't really solving it at all.
The Real Impact Figures
If you look at the 2024-2025 impact reports that Clarke’s department produces, the numbers are pretty staggering.
- 500,000+ students reached since 2012.
- 115,000+ college-aged alumni.
- 50% of the girls served come from historically underrepresented groups.
These aren't just "vanity metrics." They represent a fundamental shift in who gets to build the future. When Ryan Clarke looks at these numbers, he’s looking for the stories behind them. He’s looking for the girl from a rural town who now works as a Senior Software Engineer at a Fortune 500 company because she found a Girls Who Code club in a library.
What’s Next for the Tech Gap?
The world is moving into AI, and the stakes are higher than ever. If the people building AI models are all from the same background, the models will be biased. It's that simple.
Ryan Clarke and the leadership at Girls Who Code are currently pushing into "emerging technologies." They are making sure that girls aren't just learning how to build a website, but how to audit an algorithm for bias. It’s a shift from "learning to code" to "learning to lead."
If you’re interested in how the gender gap is actually being closed, don’t just look at the social media posts. Look at the research. Look at the strategy. That’s where the real work happens.
Actionable Insights for the Tech Community:
- Support Local Chapters: If you’re a developer, don’t just complain about diversity. Volunteer. Organizations like Girls Who Code always need technical mentors who can talk about real-world jobs.
- Audit Your Own Company: Look at your entry-level hiring. Are you reaching out to the alumni networks Clarke’s team is building?
- Focus on Retention: It’s one thing to hire a woman in tech; it’s another to keep her there. Focus on mentorship and community, which the data proves are the biggest factors in long-term success.
The work of people like Ryan Clarke isn't always flashy, but it's the foundation. Without the strategy, the movement is just a moment. With the data, it's a revolution.