Pioneering BIPOC Tech Change-Maker Advocates for Girls, Women and All: Meet Inclusive Leader Award Winner Kimberly Bryant, Founder and CEO, Black Innovation Lab by Ascend Ventures and Black Girls CODE
You can meet Kimberly at the Inclusive Leader Awards Dinner June 7, on the Foundations/Funders panel Philanthropy Moving Equity Mountains; Models of ROI, Impact and Measurable Outcomes at Scale June 8th, and the Technology panel Addressing Bias and Microaggressions in Tech; Creating an Inclusive Culture, June 9th.
From Black Girls CODE to Ascend Ventures: Kimberly Bryant is Building the Future
Meet Kimberly Bryant, a visionary leader and disrupter in the technology industry who has dedicated her career to empowering underrepresented communities and fostering diversity in tech. From founding the groundbreaking organization Black Girls CODE to her recent launch of the transformative business accelerator the Black Innovation Lab, Kimberly’s is a tale of determination, resilience, and the pursuit of meaningful change.
Breaking Barriers and Empowering Girls
Kimberly built and honed her skills with over two decades in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. As she transitioned into consulting work, she noticed the lack of women, especially women of color, at various networking events. During this same time, her daughter was developing a passion for gaming and technology on her middle school's robotics team. Witnessing her daughter's experiences in similarly homogeneous spaces, Kimberly became determined to tackle the problem of diversity in the tech industry and create a different future for her daughter.
Such were the grassroots of Black Girls CODE, the social change organization Kimberly founded in 2012 aimed at introducing girls of color aged 6-18 to technology and computer science with a focus on entrepreneurial concepts. Her newest venture; the Black Innovation Lab, takes her vision of economic and community development to the next stage.
Navigating Challenges and Embracing Growth
While Kimberly’s efforts with Black Girls CODE were met with resounding success, her path has not been without challenges. As a leader in a predominantly male-dominated industry, she has faced adversity and setbacks. With determination and belief in herself, Kimberly has embraced hard-won lessons and is using them as stepping stones toward a new chapter of growth and personal development on her life’s mission to change the face of technology and create opportunities for women, girls, and all.
Unleashing Innovation and Empowering Entrepreneurs: The Black Innovation Lab Launch
In the quest to increase the diversity and inclusion in the venture capital ecosystem, Bryant is spearheading a groundbreaking initiative with Ascend Ventures. The launch of the Black Innovation Lab marks a pivotal moment in her mission to foster the next wave of tech innovators. This visionary endeavor aims to cultivate a robust pipeline of leaders who will revolutionize the landscape by forging pathways to equity and generational wealth through entrepreneurship and ownership.
At the heart of the Black Innovation Lab is a commitment to investing in and nurturing sustainable, inclusive businesses and communities. Bryant envisions a future where diverse perspectives flourish and innovative ideas thrive. Beyond financial investments, the Lab offers invaluable mentorship, expert advice, and tangible resources to help founders bring their dreams to fruition and to help communities flourish.
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Rest is revolutionary. Find solace and quiet moments to simply listen. Embracing rest makes us better leaders for our teams and the communities we serve.
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Invest in building a strong community. "If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.” There are many dreams that fall by the wayside due to lack of support. Investing in building a community with shared values allows a leader to amplify their impact and extend their reach.
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Trust your gut and lean into your intuition. Great women leaders balance both action and intuition. But trusting your gut is how the best leaders lean into decision-making. Embrace that internal voice as one of your superpowers.
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Take leaps of faith even if you don't know all the answers. Change is scary. But a leap of faith might land you somewhere that surpasses your wildest expectations.
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Embrace vulnerability. Sharing your truth with honesty and authenticity frees others to do the same. Learning how to be more vulnerable in our walks as leaders is one of the best things we can ever do for each other, as well as for ourselves.
As Black Girls CODE thrives and Kimberly Bryant turns her talents toward Ascend Ventures, she reminds us of her core mission, "The significance of technology inclusion cannot be overstated, considering the rapid transformations in the world. We must ensure a wide range of voices and perspectives are represented at the forefront, enabling us to cater to the needs of a broader population rather than just a select few."
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Join over 300 Diverse National/Global Speakers for 90 Sessions June 7-9, See Complete Program Below
In it’s 9th year, the GlobalMindED conference has become the hallmark of inclusive leadership for established leaders and emerging leaders who will chart the direction across disciplines, governments, industries and foundations in the future.
What makes GlobalMindED unique:
- Student voice and student participation
- Diversity of speakers - 300+ speakers, 70%+ are diverse
- Our community is dedicated to solving the greatest equity issues of our times, not just identifying them
- Every voice from every background is celebrated, appreciated and generously connected to those who can help. Leaders of all ages across sectors make themselves available to teachers, faculty and students
- Builds the bridge for students of all ages from education to employment and promotion pathways.
- Sessions reflect the new framework of learning and earning without traditional boundaries and hierarchies
- If you are an educational leader or faculty, you can attend and bring one or more students with you
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Scroll down to see the Complete Program below, by track
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Thursday, June 8 Plenary Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Plenary Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Early Childhood Education Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Early Childhood Education Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 K-12 Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 K-12 Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Higher Education Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Higher Education Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 STEAM Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 STEAM Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Technology Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Technology Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Health Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Health Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Global Work Skills Topics and Speakers: |
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Friday, June 9 Global Work Skills Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Foundation and Funders Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Foundation and Funders Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Policy Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Policy Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Workshop Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Workshop Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Deeper Dive Sessions: |
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Friday, June 9 Deeper Dive Sessions: |
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Thursday, June 8 Problem Solving Lab: |
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Friday, June 9 Problem Solving Lab: |
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Thursday, June 8 Presentations: |
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Friday, June 9 Presentations: |
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Thursday, June 8 Global Classroom: |
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Friday, June 9 Global Classroom: |
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Thursday, June 8 Roundtables: |
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Friday, June 9 Roundtables: |
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Private screening Thursday evening June 8: Beyond Their Years; the incredible legacies of Herb Carnegie and Buck O'Neil, two social justice icons that blazed a train in sport and changed the world.
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Celebrate the 2023 GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Award Winners With Us!
Wednesday June 7, Reception at 5:00 pm, Dinner and Awards at 7:00 pm to open the 2023 GlobalMindED Conference. Bring your co-workers, team, students, or friends as we honor these incredible leaders in 15 sectors - listed below. Corporate Sponsorship options begin at $5,000 a table and $250 for individuals. GlobalMindED conference registrants can attend the dinner for an additional $100.
You can use the QR codes below or register here for the dinner and the conference June 8-9
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We are delighted to announce the Inclusive Leader Award Winners:
Early Childhood Education:
Miriam Calderon, Chief Policy Officer, ZERO TO THREE
K-12 Education:
Dr. David Miyashiro, Superintendent, Cajon Valley Union School District
Higher Education:
Carrie Billy, President & CEO, American Indian Higher Education Consortium
Government:
Afua Bruce, Founder & Principal, ANB Advisory Group
Health & Wellness:
Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association
Banking & Finance:
Hassan Salem, Head of Commercial Banking, U.S. Bank
Energy & Sustainability:
Mary Nichols, Professor in Residence, UCLA Institute of the Environment
Space & Aerospace:
Greg Robinson, Webb Space Telescope Program Director, NASA
Technology:
Michael Campbell, General Manager, EdTech Innovation & Transformation, Intel
Entrepreneurship:
Diego Mariscal, CEO and Chief Disabled Person, 2Gether-International
Media & Arts:
Mario Carrera, President & CEO, CLLARO
Foundations & Funders:
Nasruddin Rupani, Chairman, Ibn Sina Foundation, RUPANI Foundation
Non-Profit:
Kimberly Bryant, Founder, Black Girls CODE
Leadership & Equity:
Guillermo Diaz Jr., Founder & CEO, Conectado Inc
Global Impact:
Rosanna Durruthy, VP, Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, LinkedIn
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Inclusive Companies Prioritize Diverse Talent: Register for the Industry Marketplace/Career Exploration Arena June 9, 2023 at GlobalMindED
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