Black Women Are The Future Of Tech

Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in America. We are severely underfunded, underestimated and under resourced yet we still generate $52.6 billion in revenue. That’s why it was so good to be at the Black Women Talk Tech conference, which was filled with smart, creative ambitious tech entrepreneurs, eager to connect with fellow founders and support and uplift one another.

Speakers included Jean Brownhill from Sweeten, Tonya Lewis Lee and Rich Dennis founder of Sundial Brands, who recently acquired Essence Magazine.  Dennis' advice to the audience: "Surround yourself with people who support what you're doing. There are more people for you than against you. Find your people."

I found my people.

Back row: Kobi Wu Passmore, Tanya von Court, Asmau Ahmed, Danielle Kayembe, Viola Lewellyn

Front row: Candice Matthews, Dee Poku, Bea Arthur

7 Things Men Can Do To Combat Sexism In Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley has imploded over the last couple of weeks, after several women came forward to publicly share their stories of being sexually harassed by senior figures in the industry.  I'm awed by the strength and bravery of these women and hope the ensuing outrage and various resignations, signal a sea change in the way the tech industry treats women. Various solutions have been put forward to try and combat the rampant sexism that exists in tech, but the most practical of these and the most likely to produce lasting change can be found in this blog post by Claudia Iannazzo, founder of AlphaPrime Ventures who suggests the following steps: 

1. Hire more women to create a more balanced and realistic workforce

2. Set diversity goals 

3. Amplify women's voices

4. Facilitate the introduction of founders to potential funders 

5. Make the panel pledge and refuse to speak on panels unless women are represented 

6. Make the column pledge which as above, ensures women are represented and quoted in articles concerning the tech industry 

7. Support the professional development of women, through training and sponsorship 

Read and share and lets make this mistreatment of women a thing of the past.