Originally posted at Bizwomen

A new initiative from billionaire Melinda Gates wants to increase the number of women in Chicago tech. And her investment firm is spending $50 million to kickstart the womenBizwomen-in-tech initiative in the Windy City and two other markets.

Gates, through her investment and incubation firm Pivotal Ventures, announced the launch of GET (Gender Equality in Tech) Cities, a $50 million effort over five years to accelerate women’s representation and leadership in the tech industry in Chicago and two yet-to-be-named cities.

The GET Cities initiative chose Chicago for its “growing tech sector, strong academic institutions, and vibrant entrepreneurial and venture ecosystem,” the organization said, and it announced several local partners that it’s working with to create gender equality in Chicago’s tech sector, including the University of Illinois at Chicago’s computer science program and P33, an initiative from Penny Pritzker and CEO Chris Gladwin to make Chicago a “tier 1 tech hub.”

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