California State University, Northridge’s Delmar T. Oviatt Library and the Bonita J. Campbell Women in Science and Engineering Endowment — an organization that encourages women to build careers in the fields of science and engineering — invites the public to a one-time screening documentary about female technology entrepreneurs.

California State University, Northridge’s Delmar T. Oviatt Library and the Bonita J. Campbell Women in Science and Engineering Endowment will be hosting a screening of the film “She Started It,” in the library’s Ferman Presentation Room. Photo by Ruth Saravia.

The screening of the film “She Started It” will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4, in the library’s Ferman Presentation Room, located at the center of campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. The film is free to students and the public.

Less than 18 percent of women are in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce. Even though more than half of college-educated women receive their bachelor’s degrees in the biological sciences, less than 20 percent receive their degree in computer science and engineering.

“Women bring a different set of skills to the business and industry environment,” said Carolyn Casavan, an entrepreneur engineer. “The problem is there is no metric to measure and value the qualities that they bring.”

The documentary follows five young women over the course of two years as they travel from San Francisco to Mississippi and France to Vietnam to pitch to venture capital entrepreneurs, build teams, bring products to market, fail and start over. The film also features perspectives from the first female engineer at Facebook, Ruchi Sanghvi; White House Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith; GoldieBlox CEO Debbie Sterling; and investor Joanne Wilson.

“Women are very good at systems thinking — the architecture of systems,” said Casavan. “They collaborate well, which leads to better product design.”

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Casavan, CSUN biochemistry professors Karin Crowhurst and Paula Fischhaber and University of Southern California media arts and practice professor Tania Mulry.

To RSVP for the event please visit the library’s events and exhibitions website.

The Oviatt Library serves as the main research facility in the San Fernando Valley. For more information on the Oviatt Library please visit the library website or call (818) 677-2285.

Delmar T. Oviatt Library, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)