Black Women Talk Tech Empowers Black Women Entrepreneurs Globally
Image credit: Madamenoire
Black Women Talk Tech (BWTT) supports Black women entrepreneurs by easing access to essential funding and resources. Co-founders Regina Gwynn and Esosa Ighodaro have built a community of around 150,000 people worldwide in under a decade. Gwynn explains, “Our work focuses on educating, amplifying, and funding Black women entrepreneurs.”
Ahead of the eighth annual Roadmap to Billions conference, MadameNoire interviewed Gwynn and Ighodaro. This flagship event highlights the brilliance of Black women in tech, fostering connections and funding opportunities. The 2024 conference will be held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard from May 16-18, expecting over 1,500 attendees.
The need for BWTT was clear from the start. As tech founders, Gwynn and Ighodaro understood the challenges of scaling startups. They met at an industry event and decided to support other Black women in tech. Their first unofficial founders’ retreat in 2015 included a dozen women who helped each other through honest discussions.
Initially a side project, BWTT became a full-time endeavor during the COVID-19 pandemic. They moved events online, continuing to engage with the community. The racial equity movement following George Floyd’s murder also motivated them to focus on BWTT.
BWTT also addresses biases in the tech industry. They challenged accelerator programs to reconsider application requirements that often exclude Black women, such as having multiple founders. Their research showed that 70% of Black women are solo founders, prompting accelerators to rethink their criteria.
BWTT expanded globally with its first Roadmap to Billions conference in London last October and will host its first Canadian conference in Toronto this fall. Gwynn and Ighodaro aim to normalize the presence of Black women in tech. Gwynn wants people to know Black women tech founders as easily as they know Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk.
Ighodaro emphasizes that entrepreneurship is key to creating wealth and opportunities for the Black community. Investing in themselves and their communities will help improve lives.
To attend the 2024 Roadmap to Billions conference, use code “RTB50_rg” for a $50 ticket.
Re-reported the article originally published in Madamenoire.
