6 Black British Women Product Leaders You Should Know
BUILT DIFFERENT is taking place in London on October 2. Spaces are free but limited. RSVP to attend.
Black women in tech are shaping the future of product development, strategy, and innovation across industries—from AI to fintech, media, and retail. They’re not just leading teams; they’re building ecosystems, redefining inclusion, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in tech.
Several of these trailblazers will be taking the stage at BUILT DIFFERENT, our upcoming panel + mixer in London for product and cybersecurity professionals, hosted by POCIT in partnership with GitLab. Ahead of the event, here are the women to watch.
1. Silika Shellie — Director of Grocery Innovation, Sainsbury’s
Silika Shellie is disrupting the UK grocery industry through innovation and equity. She spearheaded the £1 million ($1.3 million) Thrive with Sainsbury’s incubator, a 16-week program supporting Black founder-led food and drink startups with funding, mentorship, and access to retail. Her leadership is driving systemic change in supplier diversity and has earned her spots on The Grocer Power List and as a Black British Business Awards finalist.
2. Yetunde Dada — Senior Director of Product Management, Astronomer
Yetunde Dada brings over a decade of experience to her role at tech unicorn Astronomer, where she leads product for Apache Airflow, the world’s most widely used open-source tool for scheduling and managing data pipelines. A former product leader at QuantumBlack (McKinsey’s AI arm), she helped launch Kedro, their first open-source product. Her academic accolades include an MBA from Oxford as a Chevening Scholar, and in 2023, Women Who Code named her one of its 100 Technologists To Watch.
3. Abi Pearl — Product Director, giffgaff
Abi Pearl brings over 20 years of marketing and creative leadership to her current role as Product Director at giffgaff. Initially recruited from ad agency Fallon, she joined the mobile network provider to build its in-house creative team—quickly delivering a major TV sponsorship and brand campaign. Over the past decade, she’s risen from Head of Advertising to Product Director. Her product leadership is shaped by deep experience in storytelling, brand strategy, and inclusive design practices, making her one of the most multidimensional product voices in UK tech today.
4. Seun Afolayan — Senior Product Manager & Co-Founder of Dara London
Formerly a software engineer, Seun Afolayan transitioned into product management during the Covid-19 pandemic and quickly found her calling. She now leads product strategy focused on AI integration and simplifying the developer experience. Known for translating vague ideas into focused strategies and tangible outcomes, Seun also co-founded Dara London, a wellness club for Black women, underscoring her commitment to community and inclusion.
5. Issra Omer — Principal Product Manager, Spotify
Stanford alum Issra Omer leads on product for the widely loved Spotify Lyrics feature, delivering on one of the platform’s most requested functionalities. Her product journey began at Meta, evolving from operations to management. At Spotify, she’s driven global user growth across freemium and subscription verticals, showcasing her ability to ship impactful, user-first experiences at scale.
6. Becky George-David — Executive Director of Product, JP Morgan Chase
Becky George-David is a product leader with an enviable mix of technical expertise and commercial savvy, gained over nearly a decade in financial services. At JP Morgan Chase, Becky George-David leads product development for Chase UK, JP Morgan’s first digital banking proposition outside of the US. A finalist for the 2022 Black British Business Awards, Becky also co-leads Career and Talent for JP Morgan’s Black Employee Network across the EMEA region and champions women in STEM.
BUILT DIFFERENT is taking place in London on October 2. Spaces are free but limited. RSVP to attend.
Feature image credit: Seun Afolayan
