In pursuit of constant change, Borg has dedicated her life to helping women become active individuals in the field of technology.
Born on January 17, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois, Anita Borg Naffz grew up in Palatine, Illinois. Although She loved math growing up, she wasn't inclined towards computer science. However, she was introduced to programming at a small insurance company she joined in her 20s. She earned her doctorate in Computer Science from New York University in 1981.
Borg believed that the number of women entering the technology field should increase. Her goal was for women to represent 50% of the computing field by 2020.
Anita Borg (January 17, 1949 – April 6, 2003) was an American computer scientist celebrated for advocating for women’s representation and professional advancement in technology. She founded the Institute for Women and Technology and the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.
In 1987, she founded Systers, the first email network for women, with 12 female technologists. She wanted Systers to provide a space for women to discuss the issues they face at work and share their resources with each other. Systers currently offers a closed network and safe community for female technologists.
In 1994, Anita founded Grace Hopper Celebration with Dr. Telle Whitney, former president and CEO of Anitab.org. What pushed them to do this was that they were impressed by Grace Murray Hopper and, of course, they could not find any other women at the conferences she went to. Anita and Telle's aim in establishing GHC was to enable women to increase their technical skills and communicate with each other.
Anita later founded the Institute for Women and Technology, which includes Systers and GHC. She worked with institutions and individuals and launched new programs to close the gender gap. After Anita Borg's death in 2003, the organization's name was changed to Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology.
Anita has received many honors for her important work in technology and advancing women in the field. She won the Augusta Ada Lovelace Award in 1995. She was honored as an ACM Fellow in 1996. In 1999, President Clinton appointed Anita to the Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology. She received the Heinz Technology, Economy, and Employment Award in 2002.
In 1999, Borg was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She continued to manage the Institute for Women and Technology until 2002. She passed away on April 6, 2003, in Sonoma, California.