Create & Cultivate 100: STEM: Kimberly Bryant
THE EXEMPLARY LEADER.
THE EXEMPLARY LEADER.
“I consider myself a fighter and a revolutionary and I’m driven to stand up to injustices and inequities whenever I see them manifest.”
When Kimberly Bryant first met computer programming as a freshman in an Electrical Engineering course at Vanderbilt she was excited.
But she also felt culturally isolated. "Few of my classmates looked like me," she says. Though much has changed in the tech sector since her college days, the issue of representation has not.
In 2011, Kimberly, founded Black Girls Code after her daughter expressed an interest in learning computer programming, but the mom found none of the programs in the Bay Area were crafted to or for young African American girls. The entrepreneur and champion for change has cited lack of access and lack of exposure to STEM topics as likely culprits.
"By launching Black Girls Code," she says, "I hope to provide young and pre-teen girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming at a time when they are naturally thinking about what they want to be when they grow up."
That's the mission of Black Girls Code. Their aim is to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology, and to train 1 million girls by 2040.
It's Kimberly's Code of Honor, if you will.
More from Kimberly below.
Name: Kimberly Bryant
Instagram Handle: @6gems
Mostly male. Mostly white. That's been the narrative. It's been the picture. Many of our readers struggle with owning rooms like that. How were you able to find your voice and your power?
I come from a very strong matrilineal family. Both of my grandmothers were businesswomen and were able to create opportunities for themselves and their families at times in circumstances much more difficult and tenuous for Black women than what I'm faced with today as a professional woman of color in a male-dominated industry. This ancestral heritage has played a significant role in helping me to both find and owns my voice, my unique views, and my personal power. My wish is that my daughter will find the same light within herself by the example I hope to set for her. I want her to know that she is powerful beyond measure and has absolutely everything she needs to find her path and thrive in these spaces.
Do you remember feeling fear in any of your initial career moments and how did you push through?
I still have fear during certain career moments. One way I push through is preparation. I've found it helps to ease my tension when I know I've prepared for the "moment" to ensure I know my stuff and I'm ready for whatever outcome I can imagine. For those outcomes, I can't foresee? Well, I lean on faith to conquer those fears. I honestly believe that every experience is meant to get you closer to where you're supposed to be. So this pushes me through the fear.
Our children have immense power to shift our perspective. We are able to do for them what, at times, we've been unable to do for ourselves. How has being a mom made you a better entrepreneur?
Embarking on this entrepreneurial journey as a single mom has definitely been one of the hardest things I've ever done yet it has also been the most rewarding.
Where do your drive and passion come from?
This is a difficult question to answer because in some ways I feel this is just who I am. I've always been a rather intense and passionate person and I'm not quite sure where that comes from. I do know that I consider myself a fighter and a revolutionary and I'm driven to stand up to injustices and inequities whenever I see them manifest.
So many industries are shifting. You're part of the movement that is doing the shifting. How does it feel to be a part of that seismic activity?
I'm very proud of the work that BGC has done to shift the narrative around who belongs in the field of technology and I'm very glad that this path found me. We still have much work to do and I'm reminded of a phrase from the musical Hamilton; "legacy is planting seeds in a garden you'll never see". I look at the work I'm doing now in this light. I may never see the true fruits of my work in this lifetime but I'm certain that the seeds we are planting now are creating a legacy that permanently transforms this industry for future generations. It better.
2040 you want to reach 1 million girls. What are some other benchmarks for Black Girls Code?
This year marks our seventh year in existence as a non-profit organization and what we are most excited about is seeing girls who have been involved with Black Girls CODE since they were 10 or 12 years old, graduate from high school and head off to college many in STEM and technical fields. We hope to focus a significant amount of our efforts this year on building a strong and active alumni network and connecting our BGC alumni to career and internship opportunities in some of the many companies we've worked with over the past seven years.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t?
What about your career makes you feel the most complete?
The greatest sense of completeness in my work comes from seeing so many of our girls discover their passions and become empowered to follow their dreams. I am continually inspired by the girls who are such brilliant, creative, and strong leaders. When I see them shine I know my work and this path is exactly where I was meant to be.
What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?
Shortly after I graduated from high school one of the directors at a firm I was interning for during the summer took me to lunch and shared a crucial piece of advice with me---never go to lunch alone. His advice was to use the lunch hour as a time to network internally and build strong business relationships with my fellow co-workers and associates. Today in the age of self care I'm sure there are many folks who would disagree with this advice and I would certainly also encourage the art of disconnecting and resetting as a good practice, but his fundamental advice was really meant to emphasize the value of networking both within and outside of your work environment. Learning how to build a network very early in my career has yielded immense benefits for me both in my past corporate career and in my current entrepreneurial pursuits.
When you first when to raise, you were met with resistance, in part because of the name. But as you've said, words matter. How we chose to frame issues matters. You've shown that you can say no to dollars to don't feel right (multiple times). How would you encourage other young women to walk away from money that's not in their best interest? (It's scary!)
As I've built BGC over the last seven years it's been extremely important for me to lead with authenticity and to be willing to take a loss if it means we hold true to our values. I understand that making the hard decisions can be di cult and at times the seemingly impractical choice but I believe strongly that "values-driven leadership" is extremely important in mission driven organizations. The decisions we make at the top lter down and infect the work we do---it's the fertilizer for the soil that we build in.
“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance. — Vernā Myers, VP, Inclusion Strategy, Netflix”
When you hit a big bump in the road, like a NO, how do you find a new road?
I'm a person that doesn't take 'NO' for an answer. Perhaps it's my training as an engineer but I always think there could be a better or different way to get around a no so I'll actively look at the situation and try to figure out a way to reach my desired outcome. When I can't figure out the answer on my own I ask for help. This is probably one of the most important skills (asking for help) I've had to embrace as a leader.
What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?
My current obsession is the Broadway musical Hamilton. I'm a late-comer to the Hamilton train but was completely blown away by the show and every single song in it. So I find myself humming the various melodies in the shower, during the day, and just about anytime I need a little extra boost of motivation and inspiration.
Photo Credit: @davisfactor
Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai
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5 Women of Color You Need to Follow on IG Right Now
You're missing out.
Fact: Women of color are dominating the business world. They represent the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S.
According to Fortune “black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S.” A 2015 report found “women own 30% of businesses in the U.S.” Of that, women of color own 14% of these companies. Hello! The facts are all here. From clothing lines to nonprofits to tech startups, let’s just say these 5 women of color are KILLING the entrepreneurial game. You are going to want to follow them ASAP. Here’s why.
1. Morgan Debaun
Company: CEO and Founder of Blavity
About: @MorganDebaun, the founder of @blavity, is a forward-thinking black millennial who is pushing the boundaries of culture and the status quo. As @blavity’s Founder + CEO, Morgan is disrupting traditional media by creating a (much needed) world class community of diverse creators + influencers.
2. Gabrielle Deculus
Company: Founder of Business Rules for Women
About: @BusinessRulesforWomen is a mega media platform making life easier for the emerging entrepreneur. @Gabrielle.Deculus has created an online business community for women that is guaranteed to help you succeed. Looking to grow and expand your business? Business Rules for Women will give you all the tactics, tools, and connections you need to be successful.
3. Grace Mahary
Company: Project Tsehigh- Clean Energy For All
About: Not only can @GraceMahary rock the runway, but she’s the founder and executive director of @ProjectTsehigh. This nonprofit organization has one goal: to decrease global energy and improve the quality of life for impoverished families. Using her entrepreneurial skills, she has worked passionately over the last four years to help get closer to accomplishing her goal. This powerhouse is a force to be reckoned with.
4. Carly Cushnie
Company: Co-Founder and Designer for Cushnie et Ochs
About: @CarlyCushnie is changing the game of fashion. The co-founder and designer for @CushnieetOchs has been featured on Forbes’ “30 Under 30 List,” and she is not stopping there. According to Complex, Carly is showing us how to “let a woman’s most feminine side shine.” She is bringing her beautiful, most alluring seductive side to the runway making Cushnie et Ochs a forefront in the fashion world.
5. Kitty Cash
Company: Founder of “The I Am Woman Project”
About: A successful fashion publicist and DJ? What more could she do? Well, @kittycash is at it again. The successful DJ Kitty has created a multi-media platform for women looking for some motivation and celebration. The @iamwomanproject is an online community to empower women. DJ Kitty Cash is doing it all, and we can’t wait to watch the @iamwomanproject grow.
These 5 #powerhouse women of color are not only rocking the world of business, but are working to make the world a better place. Now it’s your turn to contribute. Add some daily inspiration into your life and follow the journey’s of these amazing women. We can’t wait to watch their growing success, can you?
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Comedy Central's First Black Female Host Talks Getting Internet Trolled
The no apologies intersectional feminist gets real.
Outspoken comedian Franchesca Ramsey is returning to Comedy Central, but this time on her own terms. Yesterday, the network announced that an untitled late night comedy pilot will be executive produced and hosted by Ramsey as part of its 2017-2018 line-up of development shows.
Well-known to the online community, Ramsey had been making her own hilarious YouTube videos, a mixture of song parodies, impersonations, and socially conscious comedy sketches, since 2006, but it wasn’t until she made “Shit White Girls Say…To Black Girls” and went viral, racking up 1.5 million views in just 24 hours, that Ramsey was really put on the map. The video has 11 million views to date, and it gave Ramsey the confidence to pursue entertainment full time. “Quitting my day job took a huge leap of faith, but I knew I wouldn't be able to pursue the opportunities I was most interested in with a 9-5.” We’re all better off for it. Since then the actress, video blogger, and writer has quickly become of the most exciting voices, in both comedy and social activism, of our time.
Ramsey spent time as a writer and contributor to "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," where her recurring segment #HashItOut was a stand out part of the Comedy Central show. In 2015 landed her a gig as the host of "Decoded," an MTV News web series that speaks to issues of race and culture. She also still creates original content on YouTube, both for her comedy channel @Chescaleigh and her lifestyle channel Chescalocs, which focuses more on beauty, natural hair care, and styling (the two channels have over 250k subscribers and 29 million views combined), and does speaking engagements at colleges, inspiring and educating (and cracking up) students around the country with her incisive wit and cutting intellect. In short, she’s killing it. But ‘twas not always so. In fact, just a few short years ago, Ramsey was considering giving up on entertainment altogether. “In 2014 my videos weren't doing very well and I had a hard time booking auditions, so I seriously considered abandoning entertainment and leaving NY,” she recalls. “Instead, I got a remote job writing for Upworthy and used that to supplement the few acting jobs I was able to pick up until things started to take off.”
Even now, as accomplished as she is, Ramsey still encounters more than her fair share of challenging moments. “Being a woman of color on the Internet is challenging, let alone being one that openly talks about racism and feminism. I deal with an intense amount of harassment, which at times can be discouraging, but is also a reminder of why these conversations are so important,” she says of the trolls who follow her every move. Ramsey credits her husband, her parents, and her audience for keeping her going when things get rocky. “I'm really fortunate to have people around the world that enjoy my content and continuously reach out to let me know that it's making an impact on their lives,” she says of her devoted fans. A self-described “gym rat,” Ramsey also works out five days a week at 7 am. “It’s when I really let go of everything and just focus on accomplishing whatever my trainer puts in front of me,” she says of her routine.
"BEING A WOMAN OF COLOR ON THE INTERNET IS CHALLENGING."
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Aside from her family and fans, Ramsey raves about her friend and mentor, Tracee Ellis Ross, as an ongoing source of influence and inspiration. “I'm incredibly inspired by her talent, work ethic and humility. She's given me tons of great advice over the years and most recently I got the chance to write for her when she hosted Black Girls Rock for BET,” Ramsey says of Ross, whom she met a few years ago through her YouTube channel. “She's incredibly gracious and a firm believer in supporting and uplifting other women which, is something I think is incredibly important.”
Another thing Ramsey (and we) think is incredibly important? Activism, and specifically, a commitment to intersectional feminism. “It's important to acknowledge our privilege and remember that there are all types of women from a variety of walks of life that face challenges that we do not,” Ramsey says. “If you're truly committed to advocating for women you have to be willing to stand up for all women regardless of race, sexuality, physical ability, religion, class or gender identity, not just ladies that look like you.” For her part, Ramsey is already making a big difference in the steering the current cultural conversation. As for her personal goals? “One day I'd like to be in a position to break and foster new talent,” she says. We have zero doubt that will happen, and probably much sooner than she thinks.
The original version of this article appeared on our site as part of Create & Cultivate 100.
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7 Women Holding It Down in Unconventional Jobs
Cause jobs are genderless.
Today, women make up 57% of the labor workforce according to the United States Department of Labor. That number continues to grow every year as more and more women take on jobs that are considered "out of the ordinary."
However, jobs are not meant to be gendered (shoutout to those 11 additional Google career emojis). More people today have dismissed the notion that certain jobs should be assigned based on gender and more women than ever are shattering the gender binary work system.
From engineering in NASA to woodworking, to being a cannabis business lawyer, here are some of the women that crafting their career by breaking away from the norm and shattering stereotypes.
Denisse Arranda
NASA Engineer
Denisse Arranda is one of NASA’s top engineers, and one of the lead engineers its RaD-X balloon project. However, she isn’t working this project alone - the chief engineer and thermal engineer are both female, making it one of the only NASA projects that's led by a team of women.
Arranda has not only broken past the barrier of being a female engineer in one of the most prominent aeronautic programs in the nation, but she has also paved the way for Latinas in tech as Colombian immigrant.
Last year, Broadly’s followed Arranda for a day to see what a day in the life of a NASA engineer is like. See it here.
Ariele Alasko
Woodworker, artist
One look at Ariele Alasko’s Instagram, and you will be mesmerized by the wood grain patterns and amazing intricate woodwork that she has mastered over the years. What started as hobby furniture building and a love of carving spoons after graduating from the Pratt institute in BK and has a BFA in sculpture is now full-scale business.
Woodworking is stereotypically thought of as a man’s job, Alasko has created an impressive and profitable business from her work.
Who said woodwork was a man’s job?
Amanda Conner
Legal Cannabis Business Lawyer
Sure, there’s a lot of women who are lawyers. However, not too many are brave enough to take on the role of a legal marijuana business lawyer.
Amanda Conner is not afraid of taking on that role. Amanda Connor co-founded the Nevada law firm Connor & Connor with her husband, and specializes in personal injury, business law, and started one of the first law practices that are specialized to the newly legal marijuana business. In an interview with Newsweek, she said that the weed industry is a “legal minefield,” because anyone who gets into the field automatically faces scrutiny from the feds and is labeled a criminal. She’s okay with that - she knows that she has to be willing to live with the taboo being associated with her, even though she’s a lawyer. That also means more business for her - her firm might be the only one in the country that takes marijuana providers as clients and helps them through the process of becoming a business.
Ashley Overholt
Barber
When you think of barber shops, you prob picture an entirely male staff. However, Ashley Overholt, like many other women, is stepping into barber shops and offering her services.
For 10 years now, Overholt has been able to gain the trust of her clients as a barber. Still, the job definitely comes with its sexist moments. In an interview with Refinery 29, she noted a few customers have asked her “how do you know how to straight-razor shave if you’re a girl.” Being in an overly masculine environment has helped her develop a thick skin and has brushed off the comments by saying “girls can do anything these days. We can vote. We can be police officers and lawyers and presidents. We can do a lot these days.”
Yes, we sure can.
Brina Lee
Engineer, Instagram
As Instagram's first female engineer, it's Brina Lee's job to scroll the social platform. Coding wasn't always her thing and she actually says she hated it at first, but now she understands the major impact that just one or two lines of code can have.
In 2014 Lee told Elle "It's hard as an entry-level engineer to even build your reputation in a company, so I'm not sure if it's being a woman, but I'm pretty sure it does hinder me a little bit compared to an entry-level male. You have to be more aware as a woman. You have to understand that you may not be listened to, you may not be respected as much as the male engineers."
Jacqueline Sharp
Founder of FORT Goods, Furniture maker
FORT is Jacqueline Sharp's response to not being able to afford furnishing all the rooms in her Mt. Washington home. She found a table saw on Craigslist and began her journey as craftswoman.
Today, all FORT products are handmade of repurposed, reclaimed materials in the downtown Los Angeles workshop/showroom.
In 2014 she told the LA Times, "I'm not the greatest craftsman or the best educated business person. My greatest skill is seeing potential."
Apparently in both furniture and herself.
Kimberly Bryant
Founder and Executive Director of Black Girls Code
After working in biotech for over twenty years, Bryant founded Black Girls CODE in 2011. It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to teach girls of color to become programmers. More than 5,000 girls have participated in the programs.
As one of the first women of color in tech, she broke through that ceiling herself and has shown no signs of slowing down. Bryant has said, "When we generally think of a computer scientist now, it does not look like a woman of color, it does not look of someone that is of Hispanic background. It's very much white male dominant. And that's important for us to show that black girls can code and they can do many other things in terms of a leadership standpoint in this field."
She says this the first step in bridging the digital divide and Black Girls CODE's ultimate goal is to provide African-American youth with the skills to occupy some of the 1.4 million computing job openings expected to be available in the U.S. by 2020, and to train 1 million girls by 2040. She's on an unstoppable mission to change the face of technology.