Kimberly Bryant, Founder & CEO of Black Girls CODE

Kimberly Bryant is the founder and CEO of Black Girls CODE – a non-profit organisation dedicated to “changing the face of technology” by introducing girls of colour (ages 7-17) to the field of technology and computer science with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts.

Prior to starting Black Girls CODE, Kimberly enjoyed a successful 20+ year professional career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries as an engineering manager in a series of technical leadership roles for various Fortune 50 companies such as Genentech, Merck, and Pfizer. Since 2011, Kimberly has helped Black Girls CODE grow from a local grassroots initiative serving only the Bay Area, to an international organisation with fourteen chapters across the U.S. and in Johannesburg, South Africa. Black Girls CODE has currently reached over 10,000 students and continues to grow and thrive.

Kimberly has been awarded the prestigious Jefferson Award for Community Service for her work to support communities in the Bay Area, named by Business Insider on its list of ‘The 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology’, and featured on The Root 100 and the Ebony Power 100 lists in 2013. Kimberly has been deemed one of FastCompany’s Most Creative People, and was named a White House as a Champion of Change for her work in tech inclusion, as well as for her focus on bridging the digital divide for girls of colour.

In this exclusive one-to-one interview, Anna Britten – managing editor of EdQuarter – explores Kimberly’s journey from engineering manager to edtech pioneer. They will discuss Kimberly’s experience as a woman of colour in tech, her campaign for increased diversity and her continuing battle for BAME inclusion.