Kimberly Bryant (technologist) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Kimberly Bryant
Kimberly Bryant in 2016
Born	January 14, 1967 Memphis, Tennessee
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	Vanderbilt University
Known for	Founder of Black Girls Code
Scientific career
Fields	Electrical Engineering

Kimberly Bryant, born on January 14, 1967, is an amazing engineer and a true leader in the world of technology. She worked in important fields like biotechnology and pharmaceuticals before starting something truly special. In 2011, Bryant founded Black Girls Code, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching technology and computer programming to African-American girls. Her work with Black Girls Code led Business Insider to name her one of the "25 Most Influential African-Americans In Technology."

Kimberly Bryant: Inspiring Future Tech Leaders
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Kimberly Bryant: Inspiring Future Tech Leaders

Early Life and Education Journey

Kimberly Bryant grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. She was born in 1967, during a time of big changes in the Civil Rights Movement. Kimberly describes herself as a "nerdy girl" who loved science and math. Her talent earned her a scholarship to Vanderbilt University in 1985. She first thought about becoming a civil engineer. However, new technologies like microchips, personal computers, and portable cellphones fascinated her. She changed her focus and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1989, also studying Computer Science and math.

A Career in Technology

Early in her career, Bryant worked for electrical companies like Westinghouse Electric and DuPont. Later, she moved into the exciting fields of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. She held positions at major companies such as Pfizer, Merck, Genentech, and Novartis. Her diverse experience in these areas gave her a strong background in how technology can solve real-world problems.

Founding Black Girls Code

Kimberly Bryant started Black Girls Code in 2011. The idea came when her daughter wanted to learn computer programming. Kimberly looked for classes in the Bay Area but found that most were for boys. There were also very few other African-American girls. Kimberly remembered feeling alone sometimes during her own studies and career. She wanted a better, more welcoming place for her daughter and other girls like her.

Black Girls Code aims to help young girls, especially those from minority groups, stay interested in STEM fields. It also works to increase the number of African-American women in the tech industry. Currently, less than 3% of the tech workforce are African-American women. Black Girls Code is working hard to change this.

The organization teaches computer programming to school-aged girls through after-school and summer programs. This San Francisco-based nonprofit has a big goal: to teach one million black girls to code by 2040. So far, Black Girls Code has already trained 3,000 girls. They have fifteen chapters in cities across the United States and even one in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Advocating for Inclusion

Kimberly Bryant is a respected voice for making technology more inclusive for everyone. She has shared her ideas at many important events. These include TedX Kansas City, TedX San Francisco, Platform Summit, Big Ideas Festival, and SXSW. She believes that everyone should have the chance to learn and succeed in technology.

Supporting STEM for Girls

Kimberly Bryant also helps other organizations that support girls in STEM. She serves on the National Champions Board for the National Girls Collaborative Project. This group works to connect organizations across the United States. Their goal is to inform and encourage girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

She is also on the board of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) K-12 Alliance. This group focuses on making sure girls everywhere have access to inclusive computer education.

Awards and Achievements

Kimberly Bryant has received many awards for her important work:

In 2012, she won the prestigious Jefferson Award for Community Service. This was for her efforts to help communities in the Bay Area with Black Girls Code.
In 2013, the White House recognized her as a Champion of Change for Tech Inclusion.
That same year, Business Insider named her one of the 25 Most Influential African-Americans In Technology. She also received the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and was included in The Root 100 and the Ebony Power 100 lists.
In 2014, Smithsonian Magazine honored her with their American Ingenuity Award for Social Progress. She also won a POLITICO Women Who Rule Award.
In 2016, Bryant was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame.
In 2019, she was a finalist at the 22nd annual Interactive Innovation awards presented by KPMG. She also received the SXSW Interactive Festival Hall of Fame award.