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 is best known for starting Black Girls Code. This is a special group that helps African-American girls learn about technology and computer programming. Bryant created Black Girls Code in 2011. After this, Business Insider named her one of the "25 Most Influential African-Americans In Technology."
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Early Life and Education
Kimberly Bryant was born on January 14, 1967, in Memphis, Tennessee. She grew up there with her single mother. Kimberly described herself as a "nerdy girl" because she was very good at math and science in school.
In 1985, she earned a scholarship to attend Vanderbilt University. At first, she planned to study civil engineering. But she became very interested in new technologies like microchips and personal computers. So, she changed her major. In 1989, she earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. She also studied Computer Science and math.
Career Journey
Early in her career, Kimberly Bryant worked at electrical companies like Westinghouse Electric and DuPont. Later, she moved into the fields of biotechnology and medicine. She worked for big companies such as Pfizer, Merck, Genentech, and Novartis.
Starting Black Girls Code
Kimberly Bryant started Black Girls Code in 2011. This happened after her daughter wanted to learn computer programming. Kimberly looked for classes in the Bay Area. But she found that most classes were for boys. There were also very few other African-American girls.
Kimberly had felt alone sometimes during her own studies and work. She wanted a better learning place for her daughter. She hoped Black Girls Code would help young girls, especially those from minority groups. She wanted them to stay interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). She also wanted to increase their presence in the tech world. Today, African-American women make up less than 3% of people working in technology. Black Girls Code works to improve this number.
What Black Girls Code Does
Black Girls Code teaches computer programming to school-aged girls. They offer programs after school and during the summer. This group is based in San Francisco. Their big goal is to teach one million Black girls to code by the year 2040.
The organization has already taught thousands of girls. They have chapters in many cities across the United States. They even have a chapter in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In 2017, Bryant decided to turn down a donation from Uber. She felt their values did not match those of Black Girls Code. In 2018, Black Girls Code partnered with Lyft, another ride-sharing company. Bryant felt Lyft's values were a better fit.
Kimberly Bryant is a leader in making technology more welcoming for everyone. She has spoken at many events about this topic. These include TedX Kansas City, TedX San Francisco, and SXSW.
Board Memberships
Kimberly Bryant helps other groups too. She is on the National Champions Board for the National Girls Collaborative Project. This group helps organizations across the United States. They work to encourage girls to choose careers in STEM.
She also serves on the board of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) K-12 Alliance. This group works to make sure girls everywhere can get a good computer education.
Awards and Recognition
Kimberly Bryant has received many awards for her important work.
- In 2012, she won the Jefferson Award for Community Service. This was for her work with Black Girls Code in the Bay Area.
- 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 was also named to The Root 100 and Ebony Power 100 lists.
- In 2014, Smithsonian Magazine gave her the American Ingenuity Award for Social Progress. She also won a POLITICO Women Who Rule Award.
- In 2016, Bryant was added to the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame.
- In 2019, she received the SXSW Interactive Festival Hall of Fame award.
Keynote Speeches
Kimberly Bryant was a main speaker at SXSW EDU in 2021.
See also
In Spanish: Kimberly Bryant para niños
