These 8 Black women in tech are trailblazers – And here’s why

MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful come together to celebrate eight Black women in tech who are trailblazers, and I want to share their special Tech Titans cover story further! Below are each of the women featured in the awesome collaboration and a bit about their impressive careers in technology. These are powerful examples of Black women whose innovations positively impact their communities and a range of industries, celebrating their accomplishments, which are all too often overlooked.

8 influential Black women in tech

Let’s get to the women in the spotlight! In no particular order, they are:

1. Bozoman Saint John, Hall of Fame Inducted Marketing Executive; Author

Bozoman Saint John is an influencer and American businesswoman who has had a stellar career in marketing, most recently as the Global Chief Marketing Officer at Netflix. She began her career at Spike Lee’s advertising agency, then going on to become a senior marketing executive at Pepsi, Apple Music, Uber, and Endeavor.

She has been featured on the cover of Adweek as “one of the most exciting personalities in advertising” and has been inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement, as well as the American Marketing Hall of Fame, among others. Bozoman was named the #1 most influential CMO by Forbes in 2021 and has created a successful online tutorial “The Badass Workshop” which teach others to be their greatest selves.

2. Kimberly Bryant, Founder and CEO of ASCEND Ventures; Founder of Black Girls CODE

Kimberly Bryant is the Founder and Executive Director of Black Girls CODE, a non-profit organization focused on introducing girls of color (ages 7-17) to the technology and computer programming field with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts. Kimberly has enjoyed a very successful professional career as a Biotechnology Engineer in a series of technical leadership roles for various Fortune 100 companies such as Genentech, Merck, and Pfizer.

In August 2012, Kimberly Bryant was also given the honor of receiving the prestigious Jefferson Award for Community Service for her work to support communities in the Bay Area with Black Girls CODE. She was also selected by Business Insider in 2013 on its list of BusinessInsider.com’s list of The 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology.

3. Angel Rich, Founder and CEO of CreditRich; Author; Founder and CEO of The Wealth Factory

Angel Rich is the co-founder and CEO of The Wealth Factory, a fintech company that designs educational technology games to enhance financial literacy and workforce development. She made headlines when she became the first Black American woman to partner with one of the three major credit beaureaus. CreditRich, which she founded and is at the helm as CEO, is designed to provide an affordable, simple way for users to collect spare change to pay bills to boost their credit scores.

Angel also founded Black Tech Matters (BTM), aiming to help youngsters develop financial literacy and to create diversity in STEM. BTM connects students, entrepreneurs, and professionals  with tech companies.

Celebrating Black women in tech:

4. Carrie Bernans, Actress; Stuntwoman; Venture Capitalist; Filmmaker

Carrie is an award-winning actress, stuntwoman, and producer who also dances, does taekwondo martial arts, and is a current professional athlete. She speaks six languages, learning Spanish as a child and picking up Mandarin, Chinese, French, Russian, and Latvian from immersion in these countries in her late teens and early adult years.

Carrie Bernans has been in several plays, musicals, and professional performances on- and off-screen in front of live audiences of over 10,000 people. She is perhaps most known for her character, the Banshee on FOX’s Ultimate Tag, Marvel’s Black Panther, Marvel’s Avengers: End Game, The Wolf Family Treasure, CBS Seal Team, and more.

5. Rachel Spivey, Director, Stay & Thrive Team at Google; angel investor

She has been at Google for over a decade and is a definite change agent in tech. Rachel Spivey is currently the Director of Retention & Progression (Stay & Thrive) at Google. Here she oversees a department that ensures retention and progression rates are at parity across the organization.

Rachel is also an angel investor at Black Angel Group, where she invests in startups around the globe, whether it be intellectual, financial, or social capital that she contributes. These investments help tech startups to grow, spurring many different industries.

6. Michelle James, Director of Culture & Community Marketing, Instagram and Facebook at Meta

Michelle James joined Meta in 2020 to establish the Culture & Community Marketing function at Instagram and expanded her score in 2021 to include Facebook’s Social Marketing team to become the Family of Apps (FoA), leading the Culture & Community Marketing FoA function in company marketing. In this role, she is a cultural curator, storyteller, and champion for underrepresented communities and teens, creating campaigns and moments that build favorability with these audiences and position Facebook and Instagram products in culture to make real connections and build relationships.

Throughout James’ career, she’s challenged boundaries to push culture forward and positively define underrepresented communities within popular culture. She’s held senior roles in entertainment, print, TV and Tech, requiring her to navigate the evolving dynamics between brand and culture, driving marketing and brand activations, from albums to TV and podcasts.

7. Kelsey Davis, Founder and CEO of CLLCTVE

Kelsey Davis is the Founder and CEO of CLLCTVE, the portfolio platform connecting creators to paid opportunities. CLLCTVE is a software technology company fueled by partners like Google and Techstars. The tech solution is a bridge for creators, connecting them with brands, putting skills and experience over education.

CLLCTVE provides an amazing way for underrepresented creators to connect to new opportunities. Championing DEI, CLLCTVE creates a level playing field for those who might not otherwise get one.

8. Mattie Reynolds, Founder of MR Talent Solutions; Lead Technical Talent Acquisition Partner

Mattie Reynolds is a First Gen Technie with more than ten years of experience in People and Culture. She is skilled in Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Career Development, HRIS, and Managing Teams.

As the Founder of MR Talent Solutions, she provides modern talent solutions to give organizations the skills they need to encourage change, instill confidence, and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. She is also a member of the #HIREBLACK initiative, which provides career tips, resources, and events, with the goal to support Black women to get them into corporate roles.

Black women in tech: 8 ladies who are rocking it!

As you’ll notice, their innovations span several industries, showcasing their far-reaching influences. While these women are certainly beautiful on the outside, as the photos show, they have beautiful minds too, and that intellect is what propels them forward in their trailblazing paths Thank you for all you do.

 

Top image: Celebrating Black women in tech. Photo via iOne Digital (modified); all images used with permission.