Our Mission
Women’s Audio Mission addresses two critical issues:
- Fewer than 5% of the people creating the sounds, music, and media in the daily soundtrack of our lives are women or gender-expansive individuals
- There has been an alarming 70% decline in women/gender-expansive students enrolling in college STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) programs since the year 2000.
Women’s Audio Mission is a recording studio and nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women and gender-expansive people in music/audio production and creative technology, fields in which they are critically underrepresented. With locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles, WAM uses music and media arts training, mentorship, and conferences to serve over 3,000 women, girls, and gender-expansive people annually in order to inspire them to amplify their voices and become the innovators of tomorrow.
WAM’s award-winning curriculum weaves art and music with science, technology, and computer programming and works to close the critical gender gap in creative technology careers. Additionally, our studios are the only professional recording studios in the world specifically built and run entirely by women and gender-expansive staff.
Over 20 years of accomplishments:
- WAM has provide training and mentoring to 30,000+ women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals
- Historically provided programs across three cities (San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose), five school districts, 50+ school partners
- Named “Best Hope for the Future of Music” by San Francisco Weekly
- 1,200+ women/gender-expansive students placed in creative tech/STEM jobs (Dolby Labs, Sony, Pixar, Disney, Pandora, Google, Facebook, ESPN, etc.)
- Produced/recorded award-winning projects/performances for 400+ artists including Sheila E., Beyonce’s Band, Kronos Quartet, Neko Case, Angélique Kidjo (2014 GRAMMY), tUnE-yArDs, Toro Y Moi, etc., providing paid freelance work and critical professional credits for 450+ women/gender-expansive engineers.
- Advisor to both the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) & Academy of Country Music’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Forces
- White House Office of Social Innovation studied WAM’s revolutionary methods of using music/media to attract at-risk girls and gender-diverse youth to STEM studies as part of President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” program.
- Winners of 2 Google Rise awards and a Silicon Valley STEM Innovation Award
- Been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and Billboard
Support Women’s Audio Mission
Help us build a more inclusive audio industry!
Your donation helps Women’s Audio Mission provide free and low-cost training, mentorship, career opportunities, and access to professional recording studios for women and gender-expansive people. Every gift helps create a more equitable future in music, media, and technology. Donate today and be part of the change.
Have questions about supporting Women’s Audio Mission or making a donation? Email our Development team at development@womensaudiomission.org to learn more about the many ways you can support WAM’s mission.
See the Difference Your Support Makes
Discover how Women’s Audio Mission is creating opportunities, advancing equity in the audio industry, and empowering the next generation of women and gender-expansive creators. Explore our Annual Report to see the impact we’ve made together – and what’s ahead!