Black Tech Nation is a budding social good organization aiming to be a voice and an advocate for more black representation in tech. We pride ourselves on being a fun and informative safe space for black tech professionals, or as we like to call ourselves, “black unicorns”, to connect, share, and exchange resources. Our goal is to influence the tech industry to become more diverse and close some of the barriers to entry that plague countless black tech professionals across the country. Through our strategy, “Gather. Connect. Affect.” we plan to make Pittsburgh the model city for true tech inclusion..
Gather: So far we’ve created a personal online network of 150+ black tech professionals, which we plan to grow to 500+ members through various events, heavy outreach, and online & community engagement by March 2018.
Connect: We partner with tech companies and diversity groups alike to create socially conscious work cultures that make everyone, specifically black techies, feel comfortable in typically white, male dominated work spaces. It’s a complicated issue that we’re ready to tackle through purposeful and culturally sensitive programming.
Affect: Thanks to Pittsburgh’s City Council, The Mayor’s office, and some of Pittsburgh’s black elected officials, we’re on our way towards implementing policies around hiring and tax incentives for companies interested in creating diverse workplaces that are inclusive to black tech professionals.
Black Tech Nation is also working with local institutions and Ph.D faculty to conduct research and find data on black tech professionals in our region, including employment numbers, salaries, positions, retention rates, resource pools, and more. This report will be made public by late 2018.
If you or your organization would like to partner with Black Tech Nation in any capacity, email info@blacktechnation.com.
