Role models are SO important in Tech. That's why for #BlackHistoryMonth, we are working on building a big list highlighting some inspiring Black women in tech and showcasing more representation.&nbsp;<blockquote>“There are many talented people of color out there — we just need to find them” - <a href="https://app.50intech.com/article/there-are-many-talented-people-of-color-out-there-we-just-need-to-find-them">Ludi Akué</a>, CTO of <a href="https://app.50intech.com/company/lunii">Lunii</a>.</blockquote>Of course this list and article in an ongoing work in progress! There are so many wonderful Black women innovating in tech - if you have anyone to add, contribute to the article &amp; let us know by filling out <a href="https://50intech.typeform.com/to/Fsleo2V4">THIS FORM</a>.<h3>Meet some inspirational &nbsp;Black women in tech who deserve an extra spotlight</h3><h4>Ludi Akué&nbsp;</h4><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986374/publications/nwlrvzrf2bjzmnmhsf1h.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986374/publications/nwlrvzrf2bjzmnmhsf1h.jpg 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986374/publications/nwlrvzrf2bjzmnmhsf1h.jpg 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986374/publications/nwlrvzrf2bjzmnmhsf1h.jpg 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure>From a love of mathematics during her youth, she moved into the field of computer science before working as CTO for several tech companies. As one of the few women of color at her level, Ludi is mentoring and coaching other women in tech to help them advance through their careers.Her advocacy work for #WomenInTech and #Inclusion includes the following:<ul><li>Curating an equitable workplace at <a href="https://app.50intech.com/company/lunii">Lunii</a></li><li>Coaching and mentoring a lot of women through their tech careers</li><li>Editor-in-chief of a CTO network called TechRocks</li></ul><blockquote>“I’m a big believer in equity as opposed to equality. Equality is about treating everybody the same. But in reality, in a company, you have very different jobs and very different types of people. You have the tech developers, HR, the sales people, the content publishing team — in the end, what you want is to foster a culture that takes into account these differences, but still treats them with the same respect. ”</blockquote><h4>Cynthia Chapple, an innovative scientist, founder of Black Girls Do STEM</h4><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986400/publications/ebszvzeilzzvhaadoe6v.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986400/publications/ebszvzeilzzvhaadoe6v.jpg 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986400/publications/ebszvzeilzzvhaadoe6v.jpg 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986400/publications/ebszvzeilzzvhaadoe6v.jpg 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure>As a young student, it took one passionate teacher to inspire her to continue in maths and then her own determination to grow in her career. From being the only Black girl in her local STEM camps and clubs and being a minority in her programs to being used as part of ‘Photoshop’ diversity while working as a researcher, Cynthia has persevered to excel in her career and is now giving back. This is why she founded Black Girls Do STEM, “to change the face of STEM industry” by providing education, mentoring, and opportunity to Black girls. Cynthia’s speaking out and advocacy are inspiring and much needed!&nbsp; Her advocacy work for #WomenInTech and #Inclusion includes the following: - Speaking out about the “intersectional leaky pipeline (…a metaphor for the progressive loss of competent women from senior positions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).” - Founder of Black Girls Do STEM: providing scholarships, mentorship, education, and empowerment for middle schools girls<h4>Daisy Onubogu, Head of Network &amp; Communities at BACKED VC</h4><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986442/publications/iuc8pnigr66zdcaohc6s.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986442/publications/iuc8pnigr66zdcaohc6s.jpg 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986442/publications/iuc8pnigr66zdcaohc6s.jpg 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986442/publications/iuc8pnigr66zdcaohc6s.jpg 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure>Along with growing and managing the people side of BACKED VC, she is also responsible for their Diversity and Inclusion investment initiatives (working on tackling the systemic issues for underrepresented founders in Europe).&nbsp;If that wasn't enough, she was just recently appointed COO at Diversity VC. Her advocacy work for #WomenInTech and #Inclusion includes the following: - Her personal blog on Medium where she discusses the issues surrounding the lack of diversity in the VC space and why it needs to change&nbsp; - Her community-building initiatives both in the professional (Backed VC) and personal space (Twitter - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/Madame_Daisy/">@Madame_Daisy</a>)&nbsp; - Her work with Diversity VC alongside other great women like Francesca (Check) WarnerDr. Safiya Noble, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Gender Studies and African American Studies at University of California, Los Angeles<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986476/publications/e7626lyba0emgo2kmbsq.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986476/publications/e7626lyba0emgo2kmbsq.jpg 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986476/publications/e7626lyba0emgo2kmbsq.jpg 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986476/publications/e7626lyba0emgo2kmbsq.jpg 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure> Author of the Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, Dr. Safiya outlines how data discrimination works in search engines and creates discrimination against people of color (and more specifically women of color). Her advocacy work for #WomenInTech and #Inclusion includes the following: - Co-Founder and Co-Director of the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry which researches topics such as racial and gender bias in algorithms - Founder of Equity Engine, providing black women and women of colour with time, space and resources - Sharing her expertise via talks, podcast episodes, research and interviewsAbadesi Osunsade, Founder &amp; CEO of @hustlecrewlive and VP of Global Community &amp; Belonging @brandwatch<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986498/publications/brddkbkkbyz0lymycyi1.png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986498/publications/brddkbkkbyz0lymycyi1.png 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986498/publications/brddkbkkbyz0lymycyi1.png 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986498/publications/brddkbkkbyz0lymycyi1.png 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure> She dreams "of a future where tech teams are as representative of society as a London tube carriage." Her advocacy work for #WomenInTech and #Inclusion includes the following: - Speaker at our salary negotiation BootCamp last year. - Author of “Dream Big. Hustle Hard: The Millennial Woman’s Guide to Success in Tech” - Transformer of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/inclusivity/">#inclusivity</a> at Brandwatch.<blockquote>💰 <a href="https://app.50intech.com/masterclass/ace-your-next-negotiation-with-abadesi-osunsade">Learn how to ace your next negotiation with Abadesi here!&nbsp;</a></blockquote>Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO and Co-Founder <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stemettes/">@stemettes</a>.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986553/publications/eottroxl3jeo4rq07r1b.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986553/publications/eottroxl3jeo4rq07r1b.jpg 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986553/publications/eottroxl3jeo4rq07r1b.jpg 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986553/publications/eottroxl3jeo4rq07r1b.jpg 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure> She was awarded a MBE in 2017 thanks to her tireless work to push forward women in STEM. Her advocacy work for #WomenInTech and #Inclusion includes the following: - Helping young women STEM realize and achieve their potential with Stemettes ⁃Host of Women Tech Charge Podcast - Key speaker at various conferences for <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/womenintech/">#womenintech</a>Sophina Kio-Lawson, Developer Platform Investigator and founder of SheSecures<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986586/publications/arodhxnwbrlrtznagaq7.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986586/publications/arodhxnwbrlrtznagaq7.jpg 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986586/publications/arodhxnwbrlrtznagaq7.jpg 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986586/publications/arodhxnwbrlrtznagaq7.jpg 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure>Currently a Developer Platform Investigator at Facebook, now Meta. Sophina Kio-Lawson’s background stems from years of experience in testing web applications for security vulnerabilities, conducting security audits and training for Fortune 500 companies, and NGOs across West Africa &amp; Europe. The former Morgan Stanley UK analyst, has an MSc in Information Security from the Royal Holloway University of London and a BEng. in Computer Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. She is the co-founder of <a href="https://shesecures.org/">SheSecures</a> where she thrives in building communities to empower young African women in cybersecurity. And recently, the Co-Founder for NFTSec, an NFT security insight platform helping creators, investors and companies understand, improve and communicate their security risks.<blockquote>🌟 <a href="https://app.50intech.com/masterclass/demystifying-myths-in-cybersecurity">Watch Sophina debunk common myths in Cyber here!&nbsp;</a></blockquote><h4>Bozoma Saint John, ex-CMO of Netflix</h4><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986646/publications/flwtdtu9m2cngursedvt.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986646/publications/flwtdtu9m2cngursedvt.jpg 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986646/publications/flwtdtu9m2cngursedvt.jpg 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986646/publications/flwtdtu9m2cngursedvt.jpg 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure>Recently listed by Forbes as the world’s most influential CMO in 2021, she is a fervent advocate of promoting black women in tech, sharing her experiences working in Silicon Valley.&nbsp; Her advocacy work for #WomenInTech and #Inclusion includes the following: - On the board of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/girlswhocode/">@girlswhocode</a>. - Speaker at Women of Power Tech virtual summit (by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blackenterprise.official/">@blackenterprise.official</a>) on career transitions, salary negotiation and the keys to her success. - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/sharethemicnow/">#ShareTheMicNow</a> campaign on Instagram.&nbsp;<h4>Timnit Gebru, PhD</h4><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986670/publications/m6dm50gf5h79gzttiyqa.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_160%2Cc_scale/v1664986670/publications/m6dm50gf5h79gzttiyqa.jpg 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/w_250%2Cc_scale/v1664986670/publications/m6dm50gf5h79gzttiyqa.jpg 250w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dkatmtbbc/image/upload/v1664986670/publications/m6dm50gf5h79gzttiyqa.jpg 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure>An expert and advocate for ethics in artificial intelligence. Her research explores ways that biases such as sexism or racism creeps into AI.After completing her PhD at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory she went on to lead Google’s Ethical A.I. team where she produced work that was critical of current AI practices. She is currently on the advisory board for Black in AI and continues to discuss important issues and topics in AI via her Twitter account: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/timnitGebru/">@timnitGebru</a>.<h4>Rose Robinson&nbsp;</h4>With over 25 years in Tech space, Rose Robinson, has dedicated a large part of her career to advocating&nbsp;for a true representation in tech. Currently Executive Director of Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT (CMD-IT), she is dedicated to facilitating the inclusion of minorities and people with disabilities in the IT and Tech space.&nbsp;<blockquote>"What is key here is our community is filled with amazing Computer Scientist and Technology professionals but we often don’t hear about the contributions we are making in the innovation of technology."</blockquote>🌟 This article is constantly growing! If you have anyone to add, contribute to the article &amp; let us know by filling out <a href="https://50intech.typeform.com/to/Fsleo2V4">THIS FORM</a>.

Black History Month: Get inspired by these amazing Black women in tech

Tara Johnson