New Platform Launched Just In Time For Black History Month To Help Tech Professionals From The Community

This week, a new networking platform was launched to help Black tech workers make connections and grow their careers.

Launched by Lekan Olawoye, founder and CEO of Black Professionals In Tech (BPTN),  the Obsidi platform will serve as a conduit to opportunities for black professionals.

The site allows users to upload resumes, build professional relationships, network, and leverage career development resources. 

His platform is a multi-sided marketplace focused on reducing the “network gap” in tech. Users can be invited to join the platform or may join themselves directly through the site. 

The launch of the platform came after research conducted by a BPTN task force found that Black tech workers had been hit by financial and emotional impact during the pandemic with almost 65 percent reporting their employment or work life had been impacted by the coronavirus.

While approximately 48 percent of them said they also experienced a financial impact.

The findings are from a pandemic and anti-racism task force created in May by BPTN to gather data on how Black workers are faring and to produce a plan for companies to support them, reported The Logic.

Co-chaired by executives from Salesforce, Tableau, and TD Bank, the task force includes 25 professionals from firms including CIBC, Accenture, LinkedIn, and Shopify.

“For years, there has been a hunger within the black community for a formula to crack the tech career code,” Olawoye said during an event on Monday.

“We’re about to disrupt the black tech space so that more black talent can build community and get opportunities to take their career to the next level. Obsidi is the next big thing; we’re unapologetically black, and we’re proud to drop this gem during Black History Month, ” he added, according to Zdnet.

There is an annual subscription fee for corporations looking to use the platform, but it is free for users. 

Olawoye added that companies like Microsoft and LinkedIn are working with Obsidi because they are helping them “solve a critical business problem.”