*Guest blog post written by Stephanie Nweke, Cofounder of Blademy.

As a black woman in tech, law, and entrepreneurship, my experiences in the corporate environment have been… well, a very interesting journey to navigate. I’m not new to systematic racism and prejudice in the workspace, and it’s been good to see others finally shine a light on these things this past week. So as we continue to amplify melanated voices, I wanted to highlight these 5 incredible women making strides in both Corporate America and the world of entrepreneurship and their perspectives that have helped me to embrace my diversity.

Melissa Butler

On lack of representation in the beauty industry

“Now, this woman is a black woman who is a bit lighter than the model that we were using. And so, she’s like, ‘I could never wear that color.’ And I said, ‘Why do you think you could never wear that color?’ And her response to me was that, ‘My grandma said that only fair-skinned women could wear colors like that.’
And it just further proved the point. It was like, this is exactly why we have to have this imagery because when you don’t have representation, when you don’t have plus-sized women or deeper-complected black women or Indian women or Asian women or whatever variety of women that is not within that traditional beauty standard, it leaves out such a large part of population, and they feel like they have to operate in the parameters of what the world says is OK.
— Melissa Butler

about Melissa Butler

Melissa is the CEO of The Lip Bar and a former stock broker on Wall Street. If you’ve ever watched Shark Tank, you might have seen her on an episode where every investor rejected her and believed she “would never even get market share” with her business.

But oh, how the tables have turned. The Lip Bar is sold through Target stores nationwide and is becoming a powerhouse in the beauty and cosmetic world.

Melissa inspires us to take leaps of faith to leave the comfort of Corporate America and build something we’re passionate about, especially when our passions will likely challenge the female standard of beauty.

So today, don’t measure your dreams in terms of its limitations. Step out on faith, be willing to put in the work, ask for help, and you may be surprised to see how things work out.

Arlan Hamilton

on investing in people of color in the tech industry

“My big idea is that investing money, time, resources, access, belief—all of that—into black people, Latinx people, all people of color, and women in the US is not something that should be looked at as doing us a favor. It is doing you a favor if you are a white male, because we are the future.
Investing in us—people of color, LGBT people, and women—is good business, good sense. And you are foolish if you think otherwise. At first I think I said it politely, I think I asked. Now three years after officially throwing myself into venture capital—80 companies in, 3,000-plus companies seen—I can say without a doubt that the time is coming where you will see return on investment that you missed out on, because you didn’t listen to me three years ago. And two years ago.
But there is still time. You won’t get as much and you won’t be as respected and as recognized in the space if you start today, but there is still time.”
— Arlan Hamilton

about arlan hamilton

Arlan Hamilton is an entrepreneur, investor, author, and a tough advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech and venture capital.

Not only did she start Backstage Capital while she was homeless, but she has now raised more than $7 million and helped 130 startup companies. Arlan has truly paved the way for minorities to have greater access to capital to scale their businesses.

Arlan constantly teaches us that being underestimated is our greatest advantage. As black women in spaces are continually dominated by white men, it’s easy to shrink ourselves because we think success will happen once we conform. But Arlan is like “no—cut that BS out sis!” It’s about time that we know our worth.

Be you and be the best you because there is power in your personality, experiences, and dreams. If you want to learn more about her story and how to achieve your dreams despite the “anomalies” on your journey, you can read her book, It’s About Damn Time. #shamelessplug

Bozoma “Boz” Saint John

On being one of the few women of color in tech

“I find it really difficult to maneuver, because sometimes the things that are given freely, the assumptions that are made when you’re not a black woman — the assumption that, ‘Oh, yeah, you got it. You’ve done this before.’ Then you have to prove again and again and again that you actually do know it, that you’ve done it, it’s hard not to be mad about it.”
— Bozoma Saint John

about bozoma saint john

Bozoma is the CMO at Endeavor and former senior marketing leader at companies like Uber, Apple, and PepsiCo. She was even listed on the Forbes list of The World’s Most Influential CMOs in 2018. What a boss!

Outside from her amazing career, Boz has an incredible story. She grew up in Ghana, moved to the US, and later attended college at Wesleyan to get a BA in African American studies and English. She is a mother and she is also a widow. It’s rare to see women like Boz in the C-suite of Fortune 500 companies.

Boz teaches us ways to overcome imposter syndrome. She talks a lot about this concept of “taking up space” and being fearless. And I know that probably sounds a little cliché, but it’s a practice that makes us stand tall in who we are.

Taking up space can look like speaking up at meetings or showing up authentically every day in the way we speak and dress. We shouldn’t expect things to fall into place overnight, but we have the ability to practice taking up space every day. And when we focus on practicing, as opposed to what we’re lacking, the voice of the imposter gets quieter.

Annie Jean-Baptiste

On inclusion of black people in all industries

“We need to build products for everyone, with everyone. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because all people deserve to be seen. When we do that, we’ll fully reflect the beauty and diversity of our world. We’ll leverage the brilliance of Black people and all underrepresented communities to innovate to our full potential.”
— Annie Jean-Baptiste

about Annie Jean-Baptiste

Annie is an author, co-founder of Equitably Designed, and the Head of Product Inclusion at Google. This basically means that she oversees 2,000 people across different groups to make sure that underrepresented users are seen throughout the product design process. I honestly didn’t even know you could get paid to do something as amazing as this.

I know we’re not supposed to share a woman’s age, but I can’t help myself here. Annie is 31. The reason why that’s so important and inspiring, is because she exemplifies the fact that you’re never too young to lead.

I always thought that I wouldn’t be able to lead a team or have influence until I’m 45 with a family and 20 years of industry experience. But, I think Annie has taught me that you can be a leader and have influence at any stage in life, even in the early parts of your career.

So as we’re building our careers and refining the spaces we want to influence, we should never wait to reach a certain threshold to start.

I think about the manager I want to be or hope to have and I put that leadership into action today. I don’t have to wait for my company to validate me through a promotion or pay raise to lead with intention and with purpose.

Zim (Ugochukwu) Flores

on the black lives matter movement and inclusion of poc

“We are hurting. It may be business as usual for others, but we are exhausted. God help us all. PLEASE heal our shattered hearts.”
— Zim Flores

about Zim Flores

Zim is the founder and former CEO of Travel Noire, which Blavity acquired in 2017. Her success with Travel Noire landed her a Forbes 30 Under 30 Award and features in NYT, TIME, Essence, and so many others! Now she and her husband work on new ventures and acquire small online businesses.

She is unashamed of her faith in Jesus, and this is most important lesson I’ve been learning from her. I’m busy navigating the complicated world of tech, law, and entrepreneurship. But if I’m being honest, it can be difficult to fit my faith into the tiny space that world leaves me.

Zim has shown me that I can’t wait for the world to give me a space for my faith. I have to build my life around my faith so that when I get into a new space, I’m not looking to something external to help me stay grounded. Zim is neither obnoxious or quiet about her faith. And I think I’m learning that I can find that soft balance when I don’t look to corporate America to validate my faith.

A common thread among all these women is that they did not have a “standard” path or journey to where they are today. Instead, they explored their interests and allowed themselves to pursue new opportunities, even if they didn’t have all the answers. And that’s my biggest takeaway.

We shouldn’t look to someone else’s journey as a formula on what to do. Instead, we should look to the principles and perspectives they had and apply them to where we’re at in life. If we work hard, ask for help, and take things a day as they come, we can trust that everything will work out exactly the way it needs to.

Stephanie Nweke, Co-founder of Blademy
I’m a law student by day and entrepreneur by night. I’m passionate about creating more access to education, technology, and capital for black people. Aside from that, I love finding a good deal at TJMaxx, trying new restaurants, and spending time with my friends and family.

Sources:
https://qz.com/work/1196698/backstage-capital-ceo-arlan-hamilton-i-didnt-come-here-to-take-your-scraps/
https://jessicahonegger.com/podcast/episode-33-widen-your-circle-with-melissa-butler/
https://www.espn.com/espnw/culture/sports-business-leadership/summit/2017-summit/story/_/id/20912399/women-+-sports-summit

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