12 Black Founders and Leaders Breaking Barriers in Tech

Black founders are breaking barriers and making a big impact in different areas of the tech industry. Even though they’ve often been overlooked in the past, they are beating the odds, raising money, and building strong businesses that are changing the world. Their success is getting well-deserved attention.

These leaders are using their skills to create new technologies and bring more diversity to tech. Here are 12 Black tech leaders to watch as their companies shape the future.

1. Allan Jones: Founder and CEO of Bambee

Allan Jones started Bambee, an HR platform, to help small businesses get affordable HR support. His journey began at 23 when he launched a subscription clothing company for men.

Though the company closed after three years, he learned valuable lessons. Jones held executive roles at Docstoc and ZipRecruiter, where he gained insights into the needs of small businesses.

This led him to create Bambee, giving small businesses the HR resources that bigger companies use. In 2021, he was named to Goldman Sachs’ 100 Entrepreneurs list, showing his impact in the business world.

2. Christopher Young: Former CEO of McAfee

Christopher Young led McAfee’s spinoff from Intel and is now an Executive Vice President at Microsoft. He uses his background in business and technology, having graduated from Harvard and Princeton, to create global strategies for Microsoft.

His work focuses on growing Microsoft’s presence in new markets and strengthening its partnerships around the world. Young’s leadership in the tech industry makes him a key player in cybersecurity and business development.

3. Adeyemi Ajao: Co-founder and Managing Partner, Base10 Partners

Adeyemi Ajao co-founded Base10 Partners, the first Black-led venture capital firm to manage over $1 billion. Base10 focuses on startups that create solutions for everyday problems.

Ajao started coding in high school and co-founded Tuenti, known as the “Spanish Facebook.” After selling it for $100 million, he moved to Silicon Valley and attended Stanford Business School.

He later launched another startup that was acquired by Workday, and he helped build Workday Ventures. Ajao also supports diversity in tech through groups like Code2040 and Black Venture Capital Consortium.

4. Mark Dean: Pioneer of the IBM PC

Mark Dean played a major role in creating the IBM PC. After earning a degree in electrical engineering, he joined IBM and helped develop the ISA bus, which allowed devices to connect to PCs.

His work led to the creation of the IBM PC and, in 1999, he and his team developed the first gigahertz microchip. Dean holds more than 20 patents and helped develop the color PC monitor. After retiring from IBM, he became a professor at the University of Tennessee, inspiring the next generation of engineers.

5. Mary Spio: Founder of CEEK

Mary Spio started her career in the U.S. Air Force as a satellite communications technician. She later worked at Boeing, where she helped design and launch satellites. In 2015, she founded CEEK, a virtual reality platform that offers immersive experiences in music, sports, and entertainment.

CEEK allows users to attend virtual concerts and events through VR headsets or mobile devices. Spio’s platform connects fans with content creators in new ways, making her a leader in virtual reality technology.

6. Kelauni Jasmyn: Co-founder of Black Tech Nation Ventures

Kelauni Jasmyn is a former software developer who now leads Black Tech Nation Ventures, a $50 million fund supporting Black entrepreneurs. Jasmyn founded Black Tech Nation to bridge the gap between the Black community and the tech industry.

Her work includes mentoring Black entrepreneurs and creating partnerships with major companies. She also launched coding boot camps for underserved youth and advises on tech initiatives in Pittsburgh, where she helps the city’s first Black mayor on innovation strategies.

7. Brenda Darden Wilkerson: President and CEO of AnitaB.org

Brenda Darden Wilkerson is a strong advocate for inclusion in tech. As the President and CEO of AnitaB.org, she leads efforts to increase the participation of women and non-binary people in the tech industry.

Wilkerson’s work began in Chicago, where she founded the Computer Science for All program, ensuring that all students had access to computer science education. Her efforts inspired the national CS for All initiative. Today, she works globally, promoting diversity in tech through scholarships, mentorship, and advocacy.

8. Lisa Skeete Tatum: CEO of Landit

Lisa Skeete Tatum is the CEO of Landit, a platform that helps women and diverse professionals advance in their careers. Landit offers personalized career plans, coaching, and networking opportunities.

Before founding Landit, Tatum was a General Partner at Cardinal Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in healthcare. Her experience in product development and investing has shaped her approach to helping women succeed in the workplace. Tatum is a leading voice on diversity and inclusion in corporate spaces.

9. Mae Jemison: Founder of 100-Year Starship

Mae Jemison made history as the first African-American woman to go into space. After leaving NASA, she founded a technology research company and the 100-Year Starship project, which aims to make human space travel possible in the next century.

Jemison is also a strong advocate for STEM education, particularly for girls and minorities. She has written books for children and appears on TV to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and technology.

10. Jessie Woolley-Wilson: CEO of DreamBox Learning

Jessie Woolley-Wilson leads DreamBox Learning, a company that creates interactive math programs for students. DreamBox uses adaptive technology to personalize lessons, helping millions of students improve their math skills.

Under Woolley-Wilson’s leadership, DreamBox has earned numerous awards and is recognized as a leader in educational technology. Woolley-Wilson is also a champion for diversity in education, ensuring that DreamBox’s tools are accessible to students from all backgrounds.

11. Kim Folsom: Founder and CEO of Founders First Capital Partners

Kim Folsom founded Founders First Capital Partners to help underrepresented small businesses get access to capital. Her company offers revenue-based funding and mentorship to diverse entrepreneurs.

Folsom has a long history of starting and selling tech companies, and her experience has helped hundreds of minority-owned businesses grow. By closing the funding gap, Folsom is helping underserved entrepreneurs achieve their full potential.

12. Tope Awotona – Calendly

Tope Awotona, founder and CEO of Calendly, turned a personal frustration into a multi-billion-dollar business. As a former salesman for tech companies like EMC (now Dell EMC), Awotona experienced the hassle of scheduling meetings through endless back-and-forth emails. This inspired him to create Calendly, a scheduling software designed to simplify that process.

Awotona bootstrapped the company for years, relying on his own funds before securing a $350 million investment in 2021, which valued Calendly at $3 billion.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Awotona immigrated to the United States as a teenager. His path to success wasn’t without setbacks—before launching Calendly, he tried his hand at other ventures, including businesses selling projectors and garden tools, which ultimately failed.

Those early experiences, however, shaped his entrepreneurial journey and led to the creation of one of today’s most popular scheduling platforms.

These Black leaders are not just shaping the tech world—they are creating opportunities for future generations. From venture capital to virtual reality, their impact is profound and lasting.