Kimberly Bryant (technologist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kimberly Bryant
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Kimberly Bryant in 2016
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| Born | January 14, 1967 |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for | Founder of Black Girls Code |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical Engineering |
Kimberly Bryant (born January 14, 1967) is an American electrical engineer. She worked in the biotechnology field for many years. In 2011, Bryant started Black Girls Code. This is a nonprofit organization that teaches technology and computer programming to African-American girls. After starting Black Girls Code, Bryant was named one of the "25 Most Influential African-Americans In Technology" by Business Insider.
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Early Life and Education
Kimberly Bryant was born and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. She was born on January 14, 1967. Her mother raised her during the Civil Rights Movement. Kimberly described herself as a "nerdy girl." She was very good at math and science in school.
In 1985, she earned a scholarship to attend Vanderbilt University. She first planned to become a civil engineer. But she became interested in new technologies. These included the microchip, the personal computer, and early cellphones. So, she changed her major. In 1989, she earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. She also studied Computer Science and math.
Career
Early in her career, Bryant worked for electrical companies. These included Westinghouse Electric and DuPont. Later, Bryant moved into biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. She worked at places like Pfizer, Merck, Genentech, and Novartis.
Black Girls Code
Bryant started Black Girls Code in 2011. This happened after her daughter wanted to learn computer programming. Kimberly looked for courses in the Bay Area. She found that most classes were for boys. Also, there were very few other African-American girls.
Kimberly had felt alone herself when she was studying and working. She wanted a better place for her daughter. Bryant hopes Black Girls Code will help young girls. Especially girls from minority groups. She wants them to stay interested in STEM. She also wants to increase their presence in the tech field. Today, African-American women make up less than 3% of the tech workforce. Black Girls Code works to improve this number.
Black Girls Code teaches computer programming to school-aged girls. They offer after-school and summer programs. This San Francisco-based nonprofit has a big goal. They want to teach one million black girls to code by 2040. The organization has already taught 3,000 girls. They have fifteen chapters in cities across the United States. They also have a chapter in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In August 2017, Bryant turned down a donation from Uber. She felt their values did not match Black Girls Code. In February 2018, Black Girls Code partnered with Lyft. Bryant felt Lyft's values were a better match.
Bryant is a leader in making technology more inclusive. She has spoken at many events. These include TedX Kansas City, TedX San Francisco, and SXSW.
Helping Other Organizations
Bryant serves on the National Champions Board. This is for the National Girls Collaborative Project. This group brings together organizations. They all want to encourage girls to work in STEM.
She also serves on the board of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) K-12 Alliance. This group works to create inclusive computer education for girls.
Awards and Recognition
In 2012, Bryant received the Jefferson Award for Community Service. This was for her work with Black Girls Code.
In 2013, the White House recognized Kimberly. She was named 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 was also named to The Root 100 and the Ebony Power 100 lists.
In 2014, Bryant received the American Ingenuity Award for Social Progress. This was from Smithsonian Magazine. She also won a POLITICO Women Who Rule Award.
In 2019, Bryant was a finalist at the Interactive Innovation awards. These awards are presented by KPMG. She also received the SXSW Interactive Festival Hall of Fame award.
Bryant was a keynote speaker in 2021 at SXSW EDU.
See also
In Spanish: Kimberly Bryant para niños
