ATLANTA — A tech conference is working to crack the code for many Black engineers, founders, recruiters, and executives who are looking for ways to have a seat at the table in the industry.
Render ATL ‘23 went into its third year hoping to bridge the divide between Black culture and Silicon Valley culture.
“I’ve definitely been in spaces where I’ve had to fight for my voice as a person of color and just as a Black woman in general, where you feel like you have to work twice as hard to get just as much,” said Jasmine Davis, an Atlanta-based software quality assurance engineer.
The Spelman graduate has been employed with Mailchimp for the last six years. One year, she noticed the company wasn’t present at her alma mater’s job fair. Speaking up about it, changed that. Her push for them to attend the fair not only gave exposure to students at Spelman but also Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University.
“They took heed to the change, but if I never spoke up and said anything about it, from my first account experience, that may not have happened. That’s why I encourage more people to come into tech so that they can be the voice in the room to advocate and open doors for people that come behind you,” said Davis.
“There is an access gap,” said Portia Kibble Smith, an Executive Recruiter and Diversity & Inclusion Lead with Karat.
Kibble Smith helps to lead Brilliant Black Minds, a free technical interview service aimed at developing the skill set of Black engineers.
“Our idea is to double the number of Black software engineers,” said Kibble Smith. “So many are not familiar with tech, so even when we get to the door, we don’t know anyone on the other side.”
The self-proclaimed “OG” in the tech world got her start in the 70s. Kibble Smith said she’s seen improvements when it comes to diversity, but Black people are still lacking positions of power in the boardrooms at tech companies.
“We need more sponsors than mentors. We need someone in the boardroom that’s willing to pull someone else in,” said Kibble Smith.
Attendees who took a walk down the AmericasMart Convention halls during the Render ATL conference could see the seed being sown to make those changes. Major companies such as Intuit, Netflix, Google, Delta, Amazon, Capital One and other large corporations with opportunities in tech had their doors open along with friendly smiles ready to have a conversation.
It’s a reality that was born from an idea a Black engineer who's also trying to crack the code. Founder and CEO of Render ATL Justin Samuels is still working as a lead engineer at Mailchimp. In an interview with11Alive, he said he’s been blessed in his tech journey because his employers have all embraced diversity. However, he said outside of work it’s a different story.
“I’ve always felt included at the table when I go to work. I can’t say the same on the outside and I go to other conferences and people look at me like a unicorn. Or people are ignorant to the fact that Black people have a seat at the table. But overall, it’s been positive because of the people I’ve been able to keep in my circle," he said.
Courtney Rhodes said she’s also had a positive experience. The senior recruiter with Credit Karma said the tech industry welcomed her with open arms even though she didn’t have a tech background.
“Having the non-traditional track, tech embraces me,' she said. " Tech welcomed me with open arms and was like, 'if you want to learn how to code, learn how to code.'”
“I think we can always do more, she explained. "But I think there is a great effort being put into African Americans going into tech. Especially going into areas like Charlotte, Atlanta, Austin and really seeking southern places that we’re [African Americans] are taking over, it’s a big push to do that."