Their stories are inspiring. Meet 9 young and talented entrepreneurs who are committed to solving problems within their communities. They have launched and built businesses from the ground up before 30; these founders are leaving incredible contributions to the tech world. We wanted to highlight stories of a few young African entrepreneurs making a big impact in their communities and across their continent. Jean Bosco Nzeyimana, Rwanda Founder: Habona Jean Bosco Nzeyimana was named one of Forbes 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa in 2017. At the age of
In the fall of 2020, I reached an almost five-year milestone by publishing my app, The Green Book Project, to the Apple App Store. The Green Book Project is a mobile app that helps folks from marginalized communities find inclusive businesses and avoid discrimination. It allows users to utilize a platform of crowdsourced reviews to identify safe locations, as well as places to steer clear from. Getting this app published was one of the proudest moments of my life. However, creating a mobile app is a massive undertaking that involves hours
You’ve likely noticed by now that the world has finally decided to amplify a long, on-going conversation about racism — at least for the moment. In the US, underpinning the headlines about policing and excessive use of force on Black and Brown bodies is the conversation about how systemic power disparities affect the Black community. As a Black, gay man from the South, I live this conversation. As a Black designer, I see my lived experience reflected in the perpetuation and preservation of white supremacy across the design field, both
In the tech industry, less than 5% of the workforce is African-American, and we know the tech sector has a long way to go in fixing diversity issues. The following list is a short intro to just some of the Black product designers who are flourishing in Silicon Valley, the corporate world, and beyond. They are creating incredible experiences, and invaluable products, and are supporting the next generation of designers. Mariam Braimah Mariam is a product designer at Netflix. She is also the founder of Kimoyo Fellowship, a design program teaching the
Greenhouse is hiring! Check out their roles here Wayne Titus has had an unconventional path into his current career. He began his professional journey as a comparative literature student at Yale University, with a burning desire to help people. He now finds himself doing just that, but in the most unexpected field: Tech. Today, Titus works as the Manager of the Enterprise Practice at Greenhouse Software. He has built a team that works to ensure the company’s onboarding clients get the best possible experience. He uses his unique perspective and
As a Black designer working in predominately white spaces, I have to think about how I show up in my professional environment. I make sure my tone is friendly. Non-threatening. I edit my speech so that others won’t doubt my intelligence. I am mindful of my brightly colored locs and try to dress in a way that signals I am a professional. I didn’t realize it for a long time, but I designed a different version of my Blackness: a created version to fit into white society. To some extent,
Adyen is hiring on pocitjobs.com Semra Ezedin is a positive, proactive graduate with a passion to motivate and inspire others. While she studied to become a doctor, an opportunity in Spain propelled her on a path to tech, and eventually landed her a unique role with Adyen. We spoke with Semra about her unconventional tech journey, working with NASA and why she chose freedom and flexibility over an overly structured life at Silicon Valley. This interview was edited for clarity. Tell us about yourself I’m Semra, first-born daughter of Ethiopian immigrants.
Cummins is hiring on pocitjobs.com A Technical Lead at Cummins, Munashe Mugonda’s interest in tech began in Zimbabwe. As a child, she grew up on a farm and always wondered if there was a better way to automate the repetitive tasks that her father did every single day. From a Farm in Zimbabwe to a College Scholar in The US “I’d ask my dad,” Munashe recalls, “Is there no machine that we can instruct to do these things that we are doing over and over again?’ I was always trying
Before it was time for my regular afternoon nap, I scrolled on Twitter to see a statement from Jason Fried, CEO/Co-Founder at Basecamp, about some of the changes that were being made. You can read the article here. As I begin to read through the announcement, I thought internal changes would have meant some changes to their products or team but what I read is something I never saw coming. There are many things I want to point out but let me focus on what sticks out the most. The first
As a Black professional, you need to weigh the job opportunity with the level of racism and discrimination you may encounter in a particular city or country. Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve been offered a great job, but you realize you’d have to move to a city with a largely racist population? Do you decide to go and suck it up as best possible, or do you decline the offer and stay where you are? This type of dilemma is common when you are a Black
