Listen Now

If your internship company left you in the lobby for 4 hours on your first day would you still be there? Well this happened to Jay Hammonds and let me tell you his 4 hour wait helped turn him into an award winning technologist. On this episode of Black Tech Unplugged, Jay Hammonds, Executive Support Engineering Team at Facebook, talks about how he went from the guy who had to leave college after the first quarter of his freshmen year to the man bringing in over 400 diverse interns to Facebook (via Year Up). Listen to episode 042 of the podcast to hear how Jay’s college guidance counselor led him to the tech industry, how even as an introvert you can be ambitious and fearless, and Jay’s top 6 (you’ll understand when you listen to the episode). Full show notes: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2021/02/04/ep-042-jay-hammonds-unplugged/ ————————————————————————- Stay Connected with Black Tech Unplugged: www.twitter.com/blktechunplged www.instagram.com/blacktechunplugged www.facebook.com/blacktechunplugged www.linkedin.com/blacktechunplugged Email: blacktechunplugged@gmail.com ————————————————————————- Use the hashtag #BlackTechUnplugged on IG & Twitter to discuss this & other episodes!t

On this episode of Black Tech Unplugged I want you to meet Zeryn Sarpangal (Chief Financial and People Officer at Code for America), Chris Kuang (Co-Founder and Director of Operations of Coding it Forward), and Andréa Viza (Director of Talent for the United States Digital Service (USDS)). These 3 individuals are leaders in the civic tech sector and it is about time that you not only learn about these civic tech rockstars, but also learn about civic tech as a career path. So on episode 041 you hear all about what is civic tech, how you can get into the sector, and how they are walking the walk when it comes to hiring diverse candidates. *Note: This episode comes courtesy of a panel I moderated back in September. You can watch that panel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcYvJggxOCU Community vote for Black Tech Unplugged's SXSW panel: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/111059 Full show notes here: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2020/11/12/ep-041-civic-tech-unplugged/ ————————————————————————- Stay Connected with Black Tech Unplugged: www.twitter.com/blktechunplged www.instagram.com/blacktechunplugged www.facebook.com/blacktechunplugged www.linkedin.com/blacktechunplugged blacktechunplugged@gmail.com ————————————————————————- Use the hashtag #BlackTechUnplugged on IG & Twitter to discuss this & other episodes!

Serial Entrepeneur. Inventor. First female founder to raise over $1M in a Reg CF campaign. You heard her on episode 011 (https://blacktechunplugged.com/2018/03/27/episode-11-dawn-dickson-unplugged/), but Dawn Dickson is back again! On this episode of Black Tech Unplugged we chat about Dawn's company Popcom, a tech company that is innovating how we look at vending machines. We talk about her company, how she's about to change the vending game, the lessons she has learned from being a tech entrepreneur, but most importantly how you (YES YOU!) can invest in Popcom. Want to invest in Popcom? Now is your chance: https://www.startengine.com/popcom Full show notes here: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2020/10/08/ep-040-dawn-dickson-unplugged/ ————————————————————————- Connect with Dawn: https://twitter.com/THEDawnDickson https://www.instagram.com/dawnwdickson https://www.instagram.com/popcomsaas ————————————————————————- Stay Connected with Black Tech Unplugged: www.twitter.com/blktechunplged www.instagram.com/blacktechunplugged www.facebook.com/blacktechunplugged www.linkedin.com/blacktechunplugged blacktechunplugged@gmail.com ————————————————————————- Use the hashtag #BlackTechUnplugged on IG & Twitter to discuss this & other episodes!

On this episode I speak to Everett Harper, CEO & Co-founder of Truss (https://truss.works/). Everett leaves nothing on the table as we talk about his journey in tech as an entrepreneur, how we can use our race issues to finally address diversity in tech, & he even gives extensive advice on how you can get on the board of your dream. And that's honestly in just the first half of this episode. Grab a pen and some paper because this episode has advice that is going to change your life!(along with some Lauryn Hill lyrics & Hamilton references). Full show notes here: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2020/09/17/ep-039-everett-harper-unplugged/ ————————————————————————- Connect with Everett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/everettharper/ ————————————————————————- Stay Connected with Black Tech Unplugged: www.twitter.com/blktechunplged www.instagram.com/blacktechunplugged www.facebook.com/blacktechunplugged www.linkedin.com/blacktechunplugged blacktechunplugged@gmail.com ————————————————————————- Use the hashtag #BlackTechUnplugged on IG & Twitter to discuss this & other episodes!

Devon Prince grew up thinking that being a police officer or his job at KFC was enough for him. Boy was he wrong! Thanks to his uncle, who called him with the chance of a lifetime, he was introduced to the organization called Year Up and his whole life changed in a flash. He went from frying chicken to working as a IT Global Service Desk Analyst at Salesforce. On this episode of Black Tech Unplugged you learn about Devon Prince's nontraditional journey into tech. He tells us about his time at Year Up (https://www.yearup.org/), why he's still at Salesforce (7 years later), and his plan to inspire little Devon's all over Ridgecrest, CA. Connect with Devon: https://linktr.ee/yeahprince Full show notes to the episode: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2020/07/28/ep-038-devon-prince-unplugged/

Episode 037 features Caren Young, who for the past 14 years helped Fortune 1000 companies build, market, and sustain products that are user-centric and based in research. She has helped organizations craft compelling stories, execute, iterate, and get results. Blending a background in the social sciences, advertising, product management and diversity/inclusion management, I am able to pull disparate items together, build a cohesive solution and inspire teams to get the job done. Now she has her own business, the Professional Adult. During her time working for large companies she realized they aren't the only ones that can benefit from focused, targeted planning with a heavy eye towards inclusion – artists, creatives and small businesses can also use these tools and techniques and get fantastic results! Her goal as a consultant is to help organizations, teams, and creatives shape their most important product – themselves and what each person brings to their work.

Arlan Hamilton shook the tech world when she hopped on the scene in 2015. She took what once used to be the 'good old boys' club and made room for a new group in town by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT via her company Backstage Capital. Now her life wasn't always rainbows and butterflies (hell she was homeless before this all started). BUT, Arlan uses her hustle mentality and resilience to not only survive, but thrive in the world today. On this episode of Black Tech Unplugged you learn about Arlan's journey to greatness as well as hear some snippets from her new book "It's About Damn Time". Purchase Arlan's book here: https://www.itsaboutdamntime.com/ or https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593136411?tag=randohouseinc39578-20 Full show notes can be found here: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2020/05/09/ep-036-arlan-hamilton-unplugged/

There’s many paths you can take in law, but have you ever thought about being a lawyer in tech? Bärí A. Williams didn’t KNOW that would be her route in life, but many years later she has worked at startups and companies (including Facebook and Stubhub) to make sure they are protected. Oh! And did I mention on top of being a lawyer she is a diversity warrior? Her passion for making people see every side of a situation is what makes Bärí... well Bärí. Listen to episode 035 Bärí A. Williams Unplugged where we talk about tech law, Bärí's career journey, and her new book “Diversity in the Workplace: Eye-Opening Interviews to Jumpstart Conversations about Identity, Privilege, and Bias”, which is out right now! Link to purchase Bärí's book: https://www.amazon.com/Diversity-Workplace-Eye-Opening-Interviews-Conversations/dp/1641529040 Full show notes for this episode: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2020/04/14/ep-035-bari-a-williams-unplugged/

Imagine starting your career thinking you are going to write scripts and act in movies, then.... that doesn’t work out. So now what? With a little help from her guidance counselor, Pariss found her new career path, TECH. Find out how joining a coding boot camp helped elevate Pariss to become a woman who wears many hats in the tech industry including being the founder of #BlackTechTwitter & Black Tech Pipeline as well as killing it in her current role as recruiter/marketer/ social media extraordinaire at her day job. Hear Paris’s adventure of going from wannabe Hollywood actress to the tech movement creator in episode 034 of Black Tech Unplugged.

Sometimes we think 'if I just fit in with the rest of the group I'll be alright'. Some call it Leaning In, others call it survival mode, in this case no one was the winner. Allow me to introduce Yassmin-Abdel Magied, a young Black women who tried to lean into her tech job, but found herself fighting to shine her extraordinary light with the world! On episode 033 of the podcast Yassmin and I discuss her time in tech, how being in a toxic environment psychologically affected her, and how leaning in did not work for her. Full story notes here: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/11/27/ep-033-yassmin-abdel-magied-unplugged/

Who would've thought a boy from the hood of Stanton Island would end up in the White House? We did, but I digress... On episode 032, David Holmes shares his story of how his love for computers at an early age led him to become the Director of Engineering at USDS. From being called the n-word (it wasn't intentional) to hackathons to his dream role, this is David Holmes story. Full story notes here: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/10/31/ep-032-david-e-holmes-unplugged/

Greg Greenlee is the man we all want to be... the man who has over 17 years of experience in tech. The person who has used his personal experiences in the industry as a motivator to create change in the industry. And furthermore, that's why I had to have him on episode 031 of Black Tech Unplugged, it was time to share his knowledge with us so we can be motivated too. On episode 31, Greg & I discuss: * The evolution of his organization, Blacks in Technology (BIT) * What a Dev Ops Engineer is and how he got into that role * How he plans to increase the number of Black men and women in tech Connect with Greg: https://twitter.com/bit_greggreenle https://www.facebook.com/blacksintechnology/ http://www.blacksintechnology.net/ Full show notes at: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/10/09/ep-031-greg-greenlee-unplugged/

When I tell you that Charles Kuykendoll has been on a ride and yet doing the most, I'm not exaggerating! This man went from an operations internship at Barclays, which he had no experience to do, to now leading engineering recruiting at AirBNB. On episode 030, Charles breaks down his unique journey into tech, why being a good person is going to get you far, and how he has a business that doesn't interfere with his 9-5. Full show notes at: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/09/24/ep-030-charles-kuykendoll-unplugged/

Episode 029 features Latesha Byrd, the Founder & CEO of Byrd Career Consulting — a consulting firm on the mission to help millennial professionals turn their dreams into careers that allow them to live life on their own terms. On this episode Latesha and I discuss: * Stigma around career switching * Why you need to take control and "manage up" today * The importance of LinkedIn and why you should update your profile weekly Make sure to sign up for Latesha's FREE salary negotiation masterclass on September 19th or September 21st: https://www.lateshabyrd.com/masterclass Connect with Latesha Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/latesha_byrd Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lateshabyrd Twitter: http://twitter.com/latesha_byrd Website: http://lateshabyrd.com

Like many of us, Jessica Williams had no idea that she would end up working in tech. Learn how Jessica went from following people in the office to managing a team in episode 028 of Black Tech Unplugged. Full show notes: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/08/13/ep-028-jessica-williams-unplugged/ Vote for Black Tech Unplugged's SXSW Panel: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/99023 Connect with Jessica: Website: https://www.techbizgurl.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalavernewilliams Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techbizgurl Twitter: https://twitter.com/techbizgurl

Last week Black Tech Unplugged celebrated 2 years of podcasting!! In order to celebrate I had a live podcast in Chicago! Listen to the live episode that includes my 4 panelist: Will McNeil, Jane Hamner, Giovanni Perez & Vunzai Yeazel. This episode is full of amazing advice from these Chicago techies and of course the full show notes have all the cliff notes and links you need. Full show notes: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/06/18/ep-027-black-tech-unplugged-live-in-chicago/ Special shout out to the event sponsors: * Thank God It's Natural (TGIN) (https://thankgoditsnatural.com/) * Ulta (http://careers.ulta.com/) * Full Stack Academy (https://www.fullstackacademy.com/)

Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to acknowledge the month with a tech + mental health discussion. Introducing Solome Tibebu, an investor (Launchpad Digital Health) and tech entrepreneur (Cognific) who is passionate about frontier technologies transforming digital health, equity and access, behavioral health and more. During episode 026, we discuss: * the stigma of mental health in the black community * how tech is improving mental health access, including startups that are currently doing the work * how to support a friend or family member with mental health issues Links: Black Tech Unplugged Live Event: blacktechunpluggedlive.evenbrite.com ReThink Behavioral Health Innovation Newsletter: http://rethinkbhi.com Solome's Twitter: https://twitter.com/solometibebu Full episode show notes: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/05/28/ep-026-solome-tibebu-unplugged/

Have you met a developer, scrum master, and network professional before? Well that is exactly who Devin Jackson is, a man of many technical hats. On this episode, Brooklyn native - Devin Jackson walks you through his moment of taking a friend's recommendation of attending a boot camp to now trying to help fellow Black techies achieve their tech dreams. Join the waitlist for Mavens I/O: Black Women in Tech conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mavens-io-black-women-in-tech-2019-tickets-59092841279?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Black Tech Unplugged live event tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-tech-unplugged-presents-2-year-anniversary-live-show-tickets-61403815465 Full show notes here: blacktechunplugged.com/2019/05/07/ep-025-devin-jackson-unplugged/

On episode 024 of Black Tech Unplugged I speak with the co-founders of Black Women Talk Tech. The women talk about how they met, what made them put the Black Women Talk Tech Conference together, and much more! Full show notes at: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/03/07/ep-024-esosa-ighodaro-lauren-washington-unplugged/

This tech rockstar took over the tech scene in 2018, but did you know she's been working hard on her business for over 10 years?! On episode 023 of Black Tech Unplugged I speak to Sevetri Wilson about her transfer into tech, how being a first generation college student taught her how to hustle early, and why trying to find funding while being a non-technical founder is for the birds. Connect with Sevetri Wilson at: instagram.com/sevetriwilson twitter.com/sevetriwilson Follow Black Tech Unplugged: instagram.com/blacktechunplugged facebook.com/blacktechunplugged twitter.com/blktechunplged Full show notes at: https://blacktechunplugged.com/2019/02/07/ep-023-sevetri-wilson-unplugged/