Kimberly Bryant | Founder, Black Girls Code

Kimberly Bryant

Founder, Black Girls Code

Kimberly Bryant
Biography

Coming from humble beginnings, Kimberly Bryant is no stranger to hard work. As a young girl, she developed an uncommon passion for math and science which eventually lead her to the prestigious Vanderbilt University where she majored in Electrical Engineering and minored in Math. Often being the only minority in her classes, she entered the work force in the same predicament. This disconnect continued into her professional life and eventually broached her personal life. Kimberly's daughter, Kai, inherited the same interest in math and science and the same lack of access to opportunities in the tech space as young girl of color. So in 2011, Kimberly created Black Girls Code, a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the face of technology by introducing girls of color (ages 7-17) to the field of technology and computer science with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts. As Oprah describes it, Black Girls Code is "the first organization of its kind." Black Girls Code is now an international organization with seven chapters (with more on the way in 2015) across the U.S. and in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Prior to Black Girls Code, Kimberly enjoyed a successful 25+ year professional career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries as an Engineering Manager in a series of technical leadership roles for various Fortune 100 companies such as Genentech, Merck, and Pfizer.

Kimberly serves on the National Champions Board for the National Girls Collaborative Project, and the National Board of the NCWIT K-12 Alliance. She has been nationally recognized as a social innovator and for her work to increase opportunities for women and girls in the tech industry. In August 2012 Kimberly was given the prestigious Jefferson Award for Community Service for her work to support communities in the Bay Area. In 2013 she was highlighted by Business Insider on its list of "The 25 Most Influential African- Americans in Technology" and was named to The Root 100 and the Ebony Power 100 lists. A highlight of 2013 for Kimberly was receiving an invitation to the White House as a Champion of Change for her work in tech inclusion and for her focus on bridging the digital divide for girls of color. In 2014 Kimberly received an American Ingenuity Award in Social Progress from the Smithsonian along with the Inaugural Women Who Rule Award in Technology via Politico. She has been identified as a thought leader in the area of tech inclusion and has spoken on the topic at events all over the world. In 2015, Black Girls Code has nearly doubled in size. Additionally, Kimberly became the recipient of the prestigious Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship, a two-year program that identifies innovative leaders in the educational excellence and equity movement, facilitates their growth, and strengthens their collective efforts to improve public schools for low-income children and communities. Kimberly was also asked to join the 2015 APEC Women and the Economy U.S. Delegation by the U.S. Department of State and the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues.

Kimberly Bryant
Featured Videos

Current: Black Girls Code aims to be the 'Girl Scouts of technology'

Time 02:39

More Videos From Kimberly Bryant

Black Girls Code aims to be the 'Girl Scouts of technology'
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Inspirefest | Code: Debugging the Gender Gap - Kimberly Bryant, founder, Black Girls Code
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Black Girls Code - TEDxKC
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Time to Come Out of the Box

Description: Kimberly Bryant the founder of social movement Black Girls CODE will share her journey as what she calls an “accidental social entrepreneur” and the lessons learned along the way in shaping a new paradigm for women and girls of color in the technology industry. She will explore how recognizing our innate power to become change agents in our own lives and the lives of others by pushing through traditional boundaries and perceived limitations can help us drive change in our world.

Reclaiming Our Space
Exploring the contributions of people of color in technology past and future

Have you ever heard of James West? How about Mark Dean? Probably not. Without James your phone wouldn’t have it’s microphone. Mark helped to develop the IBM PC, and holds one third of IBM’s original patents. When we talk about the development of technology, it’s rare that we discuss the past contributions from minorities or explore what it means for organizations such as Black Girls Code and other advocates who seek to create a more inclusive innovation space. In this brand new talk, Kimberly Bryant traces the history of how minorities have shaped our technological culture and the importance of amplifying their innovations of the future.

Kimberly Bryant
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