These days, most everyone knows that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) are not just the future, they are arguably the most important sectors driving economic growth and academic tracks today. Professionally, STEM and STEAM are natural segues into the tech industry. With concerns around digital divides and achievement gaps, it is understandable that leaders in the Black community are pushing even harder to ensure that youth and adults who are making career pivots have access to opportunity. More importantly, pointing to representation in the tech field gives prospective employees and students choosing academic paths a relatable and attainable goal. Women in tech have played a crucial role from the beginning, as exemplified by figures like Katherine Johnson of “Hidden Figures.” Yet, despite their significant contributions, women’s roles in tech and science-backed fields were soon eclipsed by...

During our shifting economic climate, AnitaB.org, a nonprofit social enterprise, and Founder Gym, an online program training underrepresented founders on how to build successful companies, both saw the need to provide timely information for women founders. In turn, they created TheStartUp! , a six-part webinar series to provide free information for women founders in need of relevant resources and information to help build and scale their businesses amidst this unique time. The idea behind this collaboration is a culmination of business development and learning opportunities for women technologists and aspiring tech founders. Both companies are thrilled about this new partnership as they contribute their level of expertise in community engagement for women in tech. “Through this partnership, we will foster the development of more women-led startups that are equipped to navigate challenging experiences and overcome turbulent times, to scale world-class, high-impact companies,” shared...

Computer science often seems like a field open only to people who are fully dedicated to computing and mathematics. However, this could not be further from the truth. High-profile celebrities around the world have told their fans that they know how to code and that they also value learning to code . It’s not difficult to understand why these celebrities are interested in programming. After all, coding not only unlocks job opportunities—according to the non-profit Code.org , there are nearly 500,000 “[o]pen computing jobs” in the U.S. alone—but knowing how to code can help you solve problems more effectively. Here’s why these Black celebrities — that you may not have known were into coding — are learning the skill. Serena Williams Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Apartment List Serena Williams is a professional tennis player who has won 23 major singles titles throughout her career—the most won by any woman or man. Williams holds more Grand Slam titles than any other active player in...

For many women of color, getting into professional settings is only half of the battle. From wage gaps to lack of opportunities for advancement, many women continue to experience combinations of racism and sexism. Although the tech industry is often thought of as a new haven, those same issues can be found here as well. A report by Reveal found that ten large Silicon Valley companies failed to hire any Black women in the year of 2016. It went on to refer to gender and racial disparities as “grave.” Meanwhile, Google’s 2019 Diversity Annual Report found that Black women “were not experiencing Google as positively as other groups.” Often, the advice given to women navigating professional settings ignores how the intersection of race impacts people’s experiences. With her new book, The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table , Minda Harts sets out to end the one-size-fits-all approach to business books. Minda Harts Book Signing Photo Courtesy: Luminary,...

Amazon is helping fund 24 women in the United Kingdom who are interested in tech. The company launched Amazon Amplify, a series of initiatives aimed at assisting underrepresented groups in entering the tech industry. As part of the initiative, Amazon U.K. is also launching Amazon Women in Innovation Bursary, in celebration of International Women’s Day. The grant will fund 24 women, and each participant will receive £130,000 (about $170,000) a year to fund their startup. “Diversity fosters greater innovation and helps raise the bar for customers, and having a diverse workforce is also just the right thing to do,” Fiona McDonnell, Director of Consumer Retail at Amazon, said in a statement. McDonnell also serves as chair of the cross-industry Women in Innovation Advisory Committee. The U.K.’s tech industry has been on a steady climb. According to a report by Tech Nation , 25 percent of the world’s entrepreneurs say that they have two or more relationships in London. From 2014 to 2017,...

According to a report by SmartAsset, Washington, D.C. is the best city for women in tech. Surrounding cities including Baltimore and Arlington, V.A. also earned places on the list, taking the second and fifth spots. SmartAsset looked at data for cities that have at least 200,000 residents, the percentage of women tech workers in those cities,  the average gender pay gaps,  and the averages in income after housing to determine which cities were the best. Philadelphia and Houston were named the third and fourth best places for female tech workers. Photo: SmartAsset Washington, D.C. holds the top spot because of the number of women who work in the city’s tech scene and their relatively small gender pay gap. According to the report, women make up nearly 39 percent of the tech workforce in D.C. and are paid 95 percent of what men are. Washington, D.C. and its surrounding cities have had steady growth in the tech industry. Amazon’s move to Crystal City in Arlington is expected to create...

Tech nonprofit /dev/color just announced the induction of the largest “Squad” of Black engineers into their community, growing its membership from 225 to 370. They have also unveiled plans to operate cohorts in two new cities this year. /dev/color convenes a visible force of Black software engineers to uplift and empower one another within the overwhelmingly white tech industry. Nearly four years old, the organization began with just 11 members in San Francisco, and now has chapters in Atlanta, Seattle, and New York City. Their flagship A* program offers professional engineers a year-long membership including monthly meetings with peer groups (called “Squads”), access to exclusive events, and tools to design an individualized career roadmap. “It’s rare for folks to take retention into their own hands,” said Lajuanda Asemota, Interim Executive Director of /dev/color. “It’s not just learning and development opportunities that keep people at companies and in the industry. It’s also...

Lora DiCarlo, a women-focused sex-tech company, was supposed to receive an innovation award at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but t he Consumer Technology Association (CTA), stripped the company of its award after determining that the company’s Osé robot did not fit into any of the award’s product categories. Lora DiCarlo’s Osé is a hands-free, micro-robotic technology that mimics all of the sensations of a human mouth, tongue, and fingers. “The product referenced does not fit into any of our existing product categories and should not have been accepted for the Innovation Awards Program,” Samantha Doherty, CTA spokeswoman said. “CES does not have a category for sex toys. CTA had communicated this position to Lora DiCarlo nearly two months ago and we have apologized to them for our mistake.” The CTA also cited its rules stating, “Entries deemed by CTA in their sole discretion to be immoral, obscene, indecent, profane or not in keeping with CTA’s image will be...