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In 2014, Spotify, MTGx and Google recognised a shared challenge: the tech industry needed more women, more role models and more opportunities to connect.
Rather than tackling it alone, they joined forces and created the first Women in Tech conference.
What started as one event, powered by passionate employees volunteering their time, has grown into one of Sweden’s largest communities for women in tech.
And the belief that started it all? We can achieve more together than we ever could alone.
Where it all began
Conference attendees
Community members
Years of making change together
On March 8, International Women’s Day, 300 people gathered at the Hilton Hotel in Stockholm for the very first Women in Tech conference.
Organised by Spotify and MTGx, the afternoon featured inspiring voices including Cristina Stenbeck, Stina Ehrensvärd, Karin Nilsdotter and Rochelle King.
The idea was simple: bring women in tech together, give them a platform and create opportunities to connect.
The response showed just how much it was needed.
Word spread. More companies wanted to be involved. And with every new partner came more people, ideas, expertise and resources.
What made Women in Tech different was the willingness of companies to work together for something bigger than their individual brands.
Behind the scenes, employees from these companies were doing the work in their spare time. Planning events after office hours, coordinating speakers, managing registrations and making it all happen alongside their day jobs.
As the community grew, so did the conference, moving from Hilton to Musikaliska, then Stockholm City Conference Centre and eventually Stockholm Waterfront.
It was built by companies working together, and people who cared enough to give their time.
By 2019, Women in Tech Sweden had become much bigger than an annual event. It needed a structure that could support its growth and give the community a future beyond the conference.
Åsa Johansen and Elin Eriksson founded the non-profit Women in Tech Sweden Association.
But having an official organisation didn’t mean having an office or a full-time team.
Åsa, Elin and a dedicated group of volunteers continued running Women in Tech alongside their regular jobs. Meetings happened in the evenings, planning took place around kitchen tables and countless hours were spent making things happen.
As Women in Tech continued to grow, it became clear that passion and volunteer hours alone couldn’t sustain everything the community needed.
In 2023, Åsa Johansen became the organisation’s first contracted CEO.
For the first time, Women in Tech had the foundation to build a dedicated team and grow its work beyond what volunteers could manage in their spare time.
Since then, Åsa and Elin have built a team around them, supported by contractors, volunteers, companies and partners who continue to make our work possible.
In 2026, we took another step forward by establishing our first Advisory Board, bringing new expertise and perspectives to help guide our future.
Today, Women in Tech is a year-round community.
From our annual conference and Meet-Ups to research, podcasts, collaborations and conversations with decision-makers, our work has grown far beyond that first afternoon in 2014.
But the model that made it possible remains just as important.
Companies contribute their knowledge, people, resources and platforms. Volunteers bring their time and passion. Our community brings its experiences, ideas and voices.
Together, we create opportunities and drive conversations that none of us could achieve alone.
From two companies with a shared idea to a community of more than 30,000 people, our history is proof of what collaboration can achieve.
We’ve come a long way. But there’s still work to do.
And just like in 2014, we believe the biggest changes happen when people and companies come together.
Let’s keep building what comes next.
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