It’s no secret that the digital space could use much more diversity. In fact, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology Study, white women made up 11% of the computing and mathematical workforce in 2019, while Black women comprised 3%.
Despite the global conversation about Black inclusion in the tech and digital space, women are still underrepresented, underpaid, and somewhat invisible.
“One of the things that made running my own indie beauty brand so challenging was the loneliness and isolation that came from being…a team of one. Everything falls on your shoulders — and when your dream is breaking into the beauty industry, there is so much info out there about exactly what you need to do to make it. You can literally feel like you’re DROWNING! I did, and my mission is to make sure that no other beauty boss has to feel like that,” said Aleah Rae, Facebook Ads Coach and the founder of Rae of Light Digital.
Regardless of the stats, there are Black women who have over the years shattered the glass ceiling and proven that there’s enough room for Black women at the digital table through digital community building.
Sheen has gathered some of the most influential Black female movers and shakers from across the globe who are dominating the digital space.
Dedicated to bringing women together and being the digital BFF she needed while growing her own beauty business, Rae’s digital enclave provides beauty and marketing strategies for growing indie brands to scale their businesses. After launching her business, she garnered a unique experience that she has developed into a thriving and engaged digital community of women business owners online. Through her private Facebook Group The E-Commerce Beauty Boss Community, she helps women along every stage of their beauty business. From marketing strategies to self-development, Rae has created a community where beauty bosses can feel welcome.
Bozoma is an American businesswoman and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Netflix. Prior to her appointment at Netflix, she was the marketing executive at Apple Music. Over the years, Bozoma has worked with brands like PepsiCo, Apple and Uber.
“When I got to Uber, I was honest in my desire to go and change essentially what I thought was a challenging environment especially for women and for people of colour…” she said in an interview after leaving Uber. She’s the first Black C-level executive at Netflix.
A Youtuber, Speaker and Community builder. A woman in tech constantly breaking stereotypes and building a reputation, Lenora has one mission – to inspire women and minorities to take a fearless leap into the world of tech.
“I always get a lot of feedback on how to be more inclusive and how to bridge the gaps in our own black community,” Lenora said during an interview in 2020. (A community of black women in design: An interview with Lenora Porter, 2020)
For someone with no background in tech, she has carved a name in the technical space and has redefined what it means to be a “multi-passionate creative in the world of technology.”
Kiki Oniwinde is the founder of BYP Network – a London-based membership app and professional networking platform connecting thousands of Black young black professionals and corporate companies. With more than 50,000 members, BYP’s goal is to improve the narrative of Black professionals while serving as a platform that harnesses Black talent and creativity. Oniwinde’s efforts have galvanized widespread support and action online with a cult-like following that continues to expand. To date, her community has so far trained over 6,000 members through mentorship, thought-leadership and industry-specific insight.
Nigerian-American beauty Youtuber, Jackie is a social influencer currently advocating for the visibility of black people in the cosmetic industry.
She’s a professional makeup artist turned Youtuber who’s passionate about teaching, inspiring and giving confidence to black women. Whether it’s her superb content, insider tips or bold voice in the beauty and fashion industry, she’s used her digital space to challenge the standard of beauty and give women of colour a voice in the industry.
Esosa Ighodaro and Regina Gwynn
Esosa Ighodaro and Regina Gwynn are the founders of Black Women Tech Talk. When Ighodaro and Gwynn couldn’t find a platform that celebrated and centered around the needs and interests of Black women in tech, they created one. In 2017, Black Talk Tech was founded to help supply and grow each other’s companies to the next billion-dollar business.
Their platform is a commun – “a community of black women tech founders who have a unique understanding of the challenges we face and the advantages we bring in the industry.”
They are building a community of Black women tech founders – a space for them to be seen, heard and have their ideas invested in. To date, Black Women in tech is the largest gathering of Black women tech entrepreneurs and technologists.
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