Kimberly Bryant

Kimberly Bryant is a technologist and founder of Black Girls Code, a nonprofit organization focused on teaching computer programming, robotics, app development, and entrepreneurial skills to girls of color ages 7 to 17. Drawing from her career as a biotechnology engineer at companies such as Genentech, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, and Merck, Bryant identified a gap in technology education for underrepresented girls and launched Black Girls Code to address this need. The organization has expanded to multiple chapters across the United States and internationally, including Johannesburg, South Africa, training thousands of participants and advocating for diversity in STEM fields.

Bryant's leadership has been recognized by Business Insider, which named her among the 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology. She has also been selected for the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and featured on The Root 100 and Ebony Power 100 lists. Bryant received the Jefferson Award for Community Service and was honored at the White House as a Champion of Change for her work in technology inclusion. She serves on the National Champions Board for the National Girls Collaborative Project and the board of the National Center for Women & Information Technology K-12 Alliance, influencing national strategies to broaden access to computing education for girls.

Bryant is founder and CEO of the Black Innovation Lab and Ascend Ventures Tech, an early-stage accelerator in Memphis supporting underrepresented tech founders in the U.S. South. She is authoring a book and advocates for Black women leaders in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors, addressing systemic barriers through mentorship and resources. Bryant's career spans corporate engineering and building innovation ecosystems, making her a prominent voice on resilience, equity, and empowerment in technology.