Before Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code and changed the lives of over 500,000 girls, she experienced one of the most public failures of her life. In 2010, she quit her corporate law career to run for Congress in New York—and lost badly, getting just 19% of the vote. But that devastating loss showed her a problem she couldn't ignore: girls were missing from computer science classrooms. In this episode, we zoom in on that Congressional race, the brutal aftermath of public failure, and how losing everything redirected her toward the work she was actually meant to do. If you've ever failed publicly, or you're afraid of taking a risk because you might fail, this story will show you that failure isn't the end—it's redirection.

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Reshma Saujani's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and organizational records, including:

• Reshma Saujani's 2010 Congressional race in New York's 14th District
• Election results and campaign coverage from 2010
• Interviews and profiles about the founding of Girls Who Code
• Girls Who Code organizational data and impact reports
• TED Talks and public speaking appearances by Reshma Saujani
• Articles about her transition from law and finance to nonprofit leadership
• Media coverage of Girls Who Code's growth and national expansion
• Publicly available information about women in tech and the gender gap in computer science

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.