Shireen Mitchell facts for kids

Shireen Mitchell is an American expert in technology and business. She helps people understand and use technology better. Shireen is also an author and works to make sure everyone, especially women and girls of color, has a fair chance to use technology. She started important groups like Digital Sisters/Sistas, Inc., which was the first group focused on helping women and girls of color get online. She also created Stop Online Violence Against Women (SOVAW) to make the internet safer for women.

Shireen Mitchell's Work in Technology

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 where people could share information.

Building Early Online Communities

In the late 1990s, Shireen was the webmaster for a site called PoliticallyBlack.com. This website was later sold to a big media company. This sale was an important event in the early days of the internet business.

Helping Women and Girls in Tech

In 1997, 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.

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

Making the Internet Safer

In 2010, Shireen formed Tech Media Swirl LLC. This company helps different communities connect online using smart digital strategies. In 2013, she started Stop Online Violence Against Women (SOVAW). This project works to protect women online, especially women of color.

On October 5, 2020, Shireen Mitchell was chosen to be part of the "Real Facebook Oversight Board." This is an independent group that watches over Facebook's decisions.

Awards and Recognition

Shireen Mitchell has received many awards for her important work. These awards recognize her influence in technology and social media.

• Eelan Media, Top 100 Most Influential Black People on digital/social media, 2014
• DC Inno, Top Ten Influencers in Social Media, 2012
• Fast Company Most Influential Women in Tech, 2010
• Washingtonian's Tech Titans, 2009
• The Root, 100 African-American Leaders of Excellence, 2009