Popular media is constantly reminding us how few Black people work in tech and how achieving diversity and inclusion remains a huge challenges. True.
But focusing on the numbers is only part of story.
What is often missing are the personal stories of the Black role models who have defied the odds and overcome adversity to become technologists and people who use technology to create, commercialize, manage and regulate technology.
This month (February 2021), PreparationTech is devoting our video interview platform to celebrating the stories of Black achievers who are using their tech knowledge, skills and inventions to make a difference for Black communities and society at large. Lifting as they climb.
We'll be sharing the stories and personal journeys of people like:
- Arlan Hamilton, who while homeless founded a venture capital firm which finances tech companies run by Black people, people of colour, women and members of the LGBQT community (United States)
- Ackeem Ngwenya, who founded an eyewear company which uses parametric algorithms, 3D programming and virtual reality to create customized eyewear for Black people based on their nose shapes and other physical attributes (Germany, South Africa)
- Tiffany Kelly, who is using her background as a student athlete and data analytics guru to help Black athlete influencers and others avoid being financially exploited by big sports brands (United States)
- DJ Mo Laudi, who helped pioneer the Afro-Electronic music genre in the early 2000s and who uses tech to fuse Black music from around the world and create unique art/sound experiences (France, South Africa)
- Sunchi Chen, who overcame childhood poverty to become one of the few Black nuclear technology development engineers in the world (United Kingdom)
Tia Hopkins, a top cybersecurity guru who is teaching the next generation of industry experts and recruiting more women of color into cybersecurity
- Horace Matthews, who is using his Christian faith as the context for leading IT initiatives at a faith-based charity fighting world poverty and mentoring Black youth (Canada, Jamaica)
Our call to action: CHANGE THE NARRATIVE. Let's balance the reality of under-representation in tech with the celebration of Black tech achievement.
If you believe in our mission, please follow us and share our interviews with the youth in your life and your professional network: PreparationTech is on LinkedIn, Instagram: @preparationtech and YouTube.
