C-Suite Coach was one of 8 companies selected to present at the launch event for Black Female Founders at Google DC. Black Female Founders (#BFF) was launched recently to address the disparity of Black women in tech and create an environment to share stories and offer support.
#BFF is a membership organization co-founded by Sibyl Edwards, the Executive Director of DC Innovates and the President of DC Web Women, and Erin Horne Mckinney, the Tech and Innovation Sector Manager for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development. They were moved by recent research that validated their personal experiences of a lack of support for Black women in tech.
On the event page, they shared insights by the recent #ProjectDiane study that "examines the state of Black female entrepreneurship" and note "only 88 tech startups are led by Black women. As for raising funding for Black female founded startups, the statistics are even more bleak. Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S." They raise the question of potential members, "Why are these companies not receiving investments in their startups at the same rate as their male and white counterparts?"
C-Suite Coach was thrilled to join the conversation on Thursday, April 21 at the Google Washington DC office. During the demo, users explored the iOS prototype, learned about the state of corporate environments for Black women, and how coaching helps. They also joined in the conversation, sharing their professional goals and challenges anonymously and C-Suite Coach tweeted their real career concerns all throughout the event.
Over 200 women, and some men, interested in changing the landscape for Black Women attended the very lively event. Following the 8 product demos, a powerful panel discussed being a #BFF in the tech space, finding funding, and mentorship opportunities. To follow the conversation, check out #BFFFormation on Twitter and Instagram.
It was a powerful evening and the first of many upcoming #BFF events.The next #BFF event will take place on Wednesday, May 25 and focus on pitching.