"In general, the whole startup ecosystem was created for a certain gender, class, and, in many cases, race. Few people, including most young people regardless of race or gender, can afford to work for a year with little to no pay. To be able to focus on just one thing for an extended period when you have a family is truly a luxury that many can’t afford, unless we have outside sources of support and income."

I’ve been in the tech space straight out of college and my biggest complaint is the lack of shine on women, especially of color, and especially us women who aren’t coders or designers. Us girls who like to write, call the shots, and do all your grunt work behind the scenes exist. Our independent spirit, desire to break out of the norm, and carve our own paths has always been here. But no one has given us the mic just yet in this industry. We are still an underrated minority, constantly planning our next strategic move to the top. Can someone give US a billion dollar funding already?

Black Women + Technology + Innovation

Register as an attendee: focus100.eventbrite.com (Use code AUGUST2012 for 30% off)

Apply for a scholarship for your tech start-up: digitalundivided.com/scholarship

Register your start-up for PITCH-IT: digitalundivided.com/pitch-it-application

Learn more at DigitalUnDivided.com

FOCUS100 Speaker Coordinator

The goal of the symposium is to have 100 tech based start-ups with black women as owners or equal partners receive outside angel, venture funding or become acquired  by the end of 2015 through bootcamps, workshops and mentorship.

I am excited to join the DigitalUndivided team to promote women of color in tech at this October’s FOCUS100 conference. As a young woman having worked in the tech space for a number of years, I’ve experienced the unique challenges women of color face first-hand. I’m also excited to finally see a valuable event come along and give women a fair, unbiased, and honest chance at entrepreneurship. It’s our time to shine.

RSVP for FOCUS100 today

Op/Ed Series with WECREATE, Bitmap Labs, and friends.