In celebration of Black History Month here in the United States, we wanted to spotlight a few amazing Black women who are using technology to build a future that’s equitable, sustainable, healthier, less wasteful and less hungry. Learn more about these amazing women and how they’re using tech to change their communities—and the world.
Kathryn Finney, Founder, Genius Guild and digitalundivided
Kathryn Finney is revolutionizing venture capital investing! Kathryn founded Genius Guild, a venture fund that invests in “Black entrepreneurs building scalable businesses that serve Black communities and beyond.” She is also the founder of digitalundivided, a leading nonprofit leveraging data, programs, and advocacy to catalyze economic growth for Latina and Black women entrepreneurs and innovators. Today, she is the first black woman business author at Portfolio/Penguin Books.
Folasade Ayoola, Co-Founder, ElectricFish Energy
Folasade Ayoola is revolutionizing sustainable energy storage! Folasade co-founded ElectricFish, a “climate tech company building distributed energy storage powered by software.” The company’s storage solution comes in a battery pack that people can take and use where needed. ElectricFish uses 100% renewable energy and supports energy resilience in local communities.
Jasmine Crowe, Founder & CEO of Goodr
Jasmine Crowe is revolutionizing sustainable waste management with her company Goodr! Goodr leverages technology to combat hunger and reduce food waste. Jasmine’s groundbreaking idea has redirected millions of pounds of food waste away from landfills and served over 30 million meals to those in need.
Jessica O. Matthews, Founder & CEO of Uncharted Power
Jessica O. Matthews is revolutionizing sustainable energy! At age 19, while studying at Harvard, Jessica invented SOCKKET, a soccer ball that acts as a portable power generator. She later founded Uncharted Power, which uses motion energy to power things from microgrids to large facilities!
Loza Tadesse, Assistant Professor, MIT
Loza Tadesse is revolutionizing infectious disease identification! Using machine learning, she developed a tool that makes infectious bacteria more identifiable. The result is earlier identification of bacteria, which helps doctors treat patients better and faster and decreases the risk of unnecessary antibiotic use.