Why are there so few Black technology entrepreneurs?
One industry that we are starting to excel in where I see tremendous potential in is the technology field. The internet has dominated the world and is now the breeding ground for high growth and high valued startups. What makes the internet ecosystem so explosive is the fact that there is a low barrier to entry. This presents a big opportunity for young black entrepreneurs to take advantage of a growing and changing ecosystem. We can see this through programs like Code2040, Google’s “Made with Code”, and Black Girls Code who are providing minorities with the resources to learn such a valuable skill such as coding/programming.
I believe that all young African Americans growing up should learn how to code because it makes you instantly valuable to companies and even in your own ventures. Not only coding, but actually understanding technology at a high level and being able to predict trends will put us at the forefront of innovation.
The internet is such an interesting place that allows for anyone from any race, gender, or socioeconomic status to build their ideas and put them out for distribution and participation. It is easy to see the ecosystem and believe that there is no room for innovation since everybody is trying to build their own app or make the next best technology to solve problems.
One of the biggest issues I have seen in Silicon Valley, the global center for high technology and innovation, is the lack of human centered business design and business functions. Every app or product that comes out looking for massive funding claims to solve problems that aren’t actually problems or they build a product/platform without the sense of community in mind. This is a gap that I believe we as up and coming African American entrepreneurs can contribute to the already massive tech ecosystem.
The time has come for more of us to step up to the plate and excel in our chosen fields and entrepreneurship is here for all!
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