If you’re still getting your holiday shopping list together, look no further! We’re here to help you get gifts for anybody in your life who is a techie or wants to support black business.
Unapologetically Dope
Give the gift of knowledge with Unapologetically Dope, a book focused on the challenges Black women face in the tech industry. Written by career technologist Dr. Nicki Washington, Unapologetically Dope highlights some of the struggles Black women founders know all too well. The book can be purchased here for $14.95.
Bevel Shaving Products
A morning routine would not be complete without quality products. Bevel, the black-owned grooming products geared toward men of color, is the perfect stocking stuffer for the bearded tech workers in your life. Bevel’s owners, Walker and Company Brands, also makes FORM, a haircare line for women of color, so be sure to check those out too.
Lip Bar Cosmetics
The easiest gift to send for the holidays is an awesome lip color. There’s nothing like a popping lipstick to complete an outfit and Lip Bar has all of your tech boss’ needs with shades that match with any skin tone.
A Reign Subscription
Reign is a streaming service that offers all of the most popular black movies and shows that you can’t find anywhere else. For $4.99 per month or $47.99 per year, this subscription is a great gift for any Black movie lover.
Ara the Star Engineer
Toys are cool, but getting kids interested in tech can go a long way. Ara the Star Engineer inspires little girls to dive into the fields of STEM. Written by Komal Singh, a program manager in engineering at Google, Ara the Star Engineer is available for purchase at various bookstores and retailers. All proceeds from the book will be donated to Room to Read, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing girls’ education and child literacy in Africa and Asia.
Red Bay Coffee Gift Card
No one can build a tech empire in their dreams, so make sure your favorite startup founder is energized and ready to go with Red Bay Coffee. Red Bay’s headquarters is located in Oakland, CA, but its coffee and gift cards can be purchased online.
Issue #1 of IronHeart
The first issue of Eve Ewing’s contribution to Marvel’s IronMan series is good for any techie/comic book geek this holiday season. IronHeart features RiRi Williams, a computer genius from Chicago who is an engineering student at MIT. She’s the latest hero to don the Iron armor — which she made herself — and this is the first time we get to see her in action.
The story is great and it’ll also be an awesome collector’s item for years to come.
Ellis Island Tropical Tea
Better than anything that the Shaderoom could serve up, Ellis Island Tropical Tea is black-owned and brewed in Detroit. A 12-pack can be purchased online for $60 or bottles can be purchased individually at Whole Foods, Meijer and Sam’s Club.
Bundles from Mayvenn
There’s nothing like a fresh set of bundles to ring in the New Year with. Help your favorite tech queen start off 2019 right by ordering from Mayven, the beauty start-up making waves in the multi-billion dollar hair extension business.
FitBit
Finding time to workout isn’t always easy, but Fitbits are a convenient way to track your physical activity throughout your day. You can set fitness goals for yourself with its accompanying smartphone app. The Fitbit Alta HR is $99.95 and the newest Fitbit, the Charge 3, is $129.95.
Tickets to AfroTech
This is a shameless plug, but we couldn’t finish this list without mentioning tickets to the best tech conference on planet earth.
Any black techie will scream at the chance to attend AfroTech’s annual conference. If they missed this year’s conference, there’s still hope for the future. AfroTech 2019 is going to be in Oakland, C.A. and is set to be bigger than the last. Early bird tickets are on sale for $250.
