Shireen Mitchell facts for kids

Shireen Mitchell is an American entrepreneur, author, and expert in technology. She is known for helping people, especially women and girls of color, use technology safely and effectively. Shireen started Digital Sisters/Sistas, Inc., which was the first group focused on helping women and girls of color get online. She also founded Stop Online Violence Against Women (SOVAW), a project that works to create rules and laws to protect women on the internet.

Shireen Mitchell's Career Journey

Shireen Mitchell started her career in technology even before the internet became popular. She designed early online systems called bulletin board systems and gopher (protocol) sites. These were like early versions of websites.

In the late 1990s, Shireen was the webmaster for PoliticallyBlack.com. This website was later sold to a big media company, which was a significant event in the early days of the internet.

Helping Women in Tech

In 1997, Shireen Mitchell created the Mitchell Holden Group (MHG). This was the first web management company started by a woman of color. She then founded Digital Sisters/Sistas in 1999. It began as a website and grew into an organization that teaches and supports people in technology.

Digital Sisters was the first group specifically made to help women and girls of color get involved in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). It also helped them use technology in their daily lives.

Fighting Online Harassment

In 2010, Shireen started Tech Media Swirl LLC. This company helps different communities connect online using digital strategies. Later, in 2013, she founded Stop Online Violence Against Women (SOVAW). This important project focuses on the experiences of women, especially women of color, who face harm online. It works to make the internet a safer place for everyone.

In 2020, Shireen Mitchell was chosen to be part of the "Real Facebook Oversight Board." This is a group that watches over Facebook to make sure it is fair and safe.

Awards and Recognition

Shireen Mitchell has received many honors for her work. Here are some of them:

• Eelan Media, named her one of the Top 100 Most Influential Black People on digital/social media in 2014.
• DC Inno, recognized her as one of the Top Ten Influencers in Social Media in 2012.
• Fast Company, listed her among the Most Influential Women in Tech in 2010.
• Washingtonian magazine, included her in their Tech Titans list in 2009.
• The Root, named her one of the 100 African-American Leaders of Excellence in 2009.