In honour of Women History Month, we're highlighting 10 BAME female tech entrepreneurs and leaders who are making waves in the UK.
These remarkable women are not only shaping the future of technology but also breaking barriers and inspiring others along the way.
From innovative startups to established industry giants, these women are not just making history; they are defining the future.
Join us as we delve into the journeys of these trailblazers, uncovering the data and insights that showcase their impact on the UK tech scene.
1. Dr. Rashada Harry
Dr. Rashada Harry is a powerhouse in the UK tech scene, with a list of accolades that would make anyone's head spin. She recently bagged the lifetime achievement award at the Black Tech Achievement 2024 event, and not too long ago, she was crowned 'Woman of the Year Tech 2023–24' by the Women in Tech Excellence Awards. Her impact extends beyond awards; she's also been recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 Ethnic Minority Leaders, according to Empower and Yahoo back in June 2019.
One of Rashada's most notable achievements is co-founding the award-winning Your Future, Your Ambition STEM initiative, which kicked off in 2012. The initiative has been instrumental in bridging the diversity gap in tech, connecting organisations with over 6,000 students to date.
Diversity and inclusion are at the core of Rashada's work. She's a thought leader in workplace diversity and employee engagement, and she's incredibly passionate about nurturing the next generation of talent.
Currently, Rashada serves as an enterprise technologist at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the UK. But her commitment to giving back doesn't stop there; she's also a STEM ambassador and a dedicated charity worker, lending her expertise to projects in Europe and Africa.
Before her time at AWS, Rashada spent nine years at Cisco, where she made her mark as the only black female in their highly competitive Europe-wide sales academy program. It was here that she realised the urgent need for more diverse talent in the technology industry, a cause she continues to champion to this day.
2. Dr. Grace Togun Olugbodi
Meet Dr. Grace Togun Olugbodi, the brains behind BeGenio® and Easy Maths Skills, and the innovative mind behind the BeGenio Maths board game, Race To Infinity®. Her passion? Making math fun and accessible to 10 million children while eradicating math anxiety.
Grace's accolades speak for themselves—she's been voted #1 in the Women Inspiring Women National Awards twice in the last 3 years in the business category. Her expertise has landed her features on NBC, FOX, ABC, and CBS News, as well as in publications like the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National magazine and Woman Online magazine.
Adding to her list of accomplishments, Grace is a trustee of a London university's SU Board and serves on the Finance Committee as Governor of a primary school. Her RACE TO INFINITY math game has garnered international acclaim and has been available in 12 countries since 2017.
In 2018, Amazon recognised Grace's work, partnering directly with her company to sell the game wholesale and retail. Grace is also the co-author of a bestselling book that topped Amazon's charts in seven different categories.
Through her company, Grace continues to create engaging math board games, offer online courses, and host live workshops for parents, empowering them to help their children build confidence, enjoy math, and achieve highly—all while reducing math anxiety.
3. Flavilla Fongang
Flavilla Fongang is a powerhouse in the world of entrepreneurship and a sought-after keynote speaker fluent in both English and French.
In 2023, she clinched the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the BTA Award. Adding to her accolades, Computer Weekly named her the number 1 most influential woman in tech in the UK among a list of more than 600 women in tech nationwide in 2022
As the founder of Black Rise, Flavilla is on a mission to bridge the gap between businesses and the vast potential of black talent. Through Black Rise, she has created a dynamic platform that facilitates connections, collaborations, and prosperity for black professionals, entrepreneurs, and black-owned companies.
Flavilla's expertise extends beyond entrepreneurship; she is also a trailblazer in marketing. She developed the D.A.C. system and the Beyond Marketing Approach, strategies that have propelled numerous brands to success. Her insights are so valuable that the BBC has appointed her as their brand advisor, where she consistently provides actionable brand strategy advice.
4. Tommie Edwards
Tommie Edwards is an award-winning serial tech entrepreneur, a 3X multi-million dollar founder, and the co-founder and CEO of Tech1M, a groundbreaking enterprise software for global workforce management. Her vision for the future of work has garnered recognition and support from Techstars NYC, powered by J.P. Morgan.
But that's not all. Tommie is also the founder and CEO of Tedbree, a highly regarded software engineering and digital marketing company.
Beyond her ventures, Tommie serves as the UK President for the G20 Young Entrepreneur Alliance, advocating for policies that promote entrepreneurship and empower young business leaders.
Recognised as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Leaders in Tech UK by the Financial Times and Inclusive Boards, Tommie is passionate about breaking barriers and creating a diverse and inclusive tech industry where talents can thrive regardless of age, gender, location, or religious background.
Tommie's accomplishments have garnered widespread recognition. She's been published in Forbes, won the TechWomen100 Awards 2021 Champions Category, and was named among the Top UK Black Female Founders by femtechpreneur. Her businesses have won several awards for their innovation, solidifying Tommie's reputation as a leader and trailblazer in the tech world.
5. Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, MBE, Stemettes
In the UK's tech scene, Anne-Marie Imafidon is a formidable force. In 2020, Computer Weekly magazine named her the most influential woman in the country's tech industry. However, this is just the beginning of her remarkable journey.
Back in 2013, Anne-Marie co-founded Stemettes, a social enterprise on a mission to inspire and empower the next generation of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Through innovative events, Stemettes has already reached over 45,000 young people across Europe, fostering a more diverse and balanced science and tech community.
Despite her young age, Anne-Marie's achievements are nothing short of extraordinary. At just 11 years old, she aced her A-level computing exam. By the time she was 20, she had earned a Master's degree in mathematics and computer science from Oxford University.
In 2017, Anne-Marie was honoured with an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her outstanding contributions to promoting STEM careers among young women. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, sharing her insights and experiences at top companies and conferences worldwide.
But Anne-Marie's influence extends beyond her work with Stemettes. She also serves as Chair at the Institute for the Future of Work and was the President of the British Science Association from 2022 to 2023. And if that's not impressive enough, she even stepped in as the arithmetician on Channel 4's Countdown for 60 episodes while covering maternity leave.
Anne-Marie's latest endeavour is her book, "She's in CTRL," which is available now.
6. Jessica Okoro
Jessica Okoro is an award-winning business consultant whose journey began with a personal struggle that turned into a passion for philanthropy.
As a student, Jessica faced challenges with traditional teaching methods, but found her own path to success through innovative learning resources and methods at home. This experience fueled her drive to create BeScience STEM, a multi-award-winning organisation that promotes STEM engagement using creative techniques.
In just a few years, Jessica's charity has mobilised over 1000 volunteers and reached more than 10,000 people in the community. Her impactful work has caught the attention of major brands like Google, O2, and HSBC, as well as high-profile figures including presidents, vice presidents, and prime ministers who have endorsed her efforts.
Beyond her charity work, Jessica is a sought-after consultant for various organisations. She also shares her inspiring story of overcoming dyslexia with #DyslexicApologies, encouraging young people to embrace boldness and courage in their daily lives. Join us in celebrating Jessica Okoro's dedication to making a difference and inspiring others to do the same.
7. Cynthia V. Davis, CBE
Cynthia V. Davis, recently honoured with the "Inspirational Woman of the Year" award at the BTA Awards 2024, is a powerhouse in the business world. She's the founder and CEO of the Diversifying Group, a company making waves in the industry.
After a successful career in the city, Cynthia founded Diversifying Group (formerly BAME Recruitment) in 2015. She later co-founded the pro-diversity career platform Diversifying.io in 2019. Her focus on social change and equal access to opportunities has set her apart in the industry.
Cynthia is committed to providing inclusive recruitment, consultancy, and D&I solution services. She's passionate about helping organisations connect with qualified candidates from diverse communities. She is a fellow of St. George’s College, Windsor Leadership, and the Royal Society of Arts. She also chairs the board for literary social enterprise Pop Up and serves as a trustee at Over the Wall, supporting children with serious illnesses and disabilities. Additionally, she is a board adviser for the meditation tool Headspace.
Her remarkable journey and commitment to diversity and inclusion make her a true inspiration. Davis has been recognised as a Computer Weekly ‘Most Inspirational Women in Tech 2020-2023’ nominee, further solidifying her impact in the tech world.
8. Natalie Ojevah
Since starting out as an apprentice at Barclays when she was just 17, Natalie has forged an impressive career path.
One of her standout achievements includes launching Barclays' Black Founders Accelerator in 2020, which has since supported over 115 black-founded businesses.
In 2022, Natalie was awarded an MBE for her contributions and currently serves as the Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Eagle Labs. She's also a co-founder of 'The Hustle Table' podcast, where she shares valuable career insights and inspiration.
Natalie's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Numerous awards have recognized her, including inclusion in Forbes 30 Under 30 2023, the Black Tech Awards Inspirational Woman of the Year 2023, the Black British Business Awards Finance Rising Star 2022, and inclusion in Fintech Future's Top 10 Women 2020, among others.
9. Izzy Obeng
Izzy Obeng is not your average entrepreneur. She's the brains behind Foundervine, an award-winning social enterprise that's all about helping digital startups and scale-ups reach their full potential. But that's not all—she's also a business coach and a non-executive director for Capital Enterprise.
At Foundervine, Izzy is on a mission to shake up the world of entrepreneurship. Her consultancy focuses on making real, lasting change in the field. Foundervine's accelerators in the UK are game-changers, offering crucial support to early-stage companies. They offer mentorship, training, and financial support to entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
By 2022, Foundervine had already made a huge impact. They'd helped over 5,000 leaders develop new skills and supported over 300 entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses, helping them secure vital funding along the way.
Izzy's not one to shy away from the spotlight either. Some of the biggest names in media, including the BBC, The Telegraph, The Times, and The Guardian, have featured her. And in 2022, her star shone even brighter when she was named on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list for social impact.
10.Charlene Hunter
In the tech industry, Charlene Hunter, the CEO and founder of Coding Black Females, is a formidable force. Her academic background includes a BSc in Mathematical Sciences and an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham.
With over a decade of experience as a Java and C# developer and technical architect, Charlene excels in requirements capture, technical architecture, testing, and various other aspects of building successful software applications.
Driven by a deep passion to increase and showcase the skills and talents of black women in tech, Charlene is determined to diversify the tech sector. Her motivation to create Coding Black Females stemmed from her realisation that black women were significantly underrepresented in tech during her years as a software developer. She set out to change this, ensuring that black women could discover role models and see familiar faces within the industry.
Charlene's efforts have not gone unnoticed, as she has received multiple awards and recognition for her work in supporting black women in tech. Her dedication and commitment serve as an inspiration to many, highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion in the tech world.
The stories of these remarkable women in tech are not just tales of individual success; they're beacons of inspiration for future generations of innovators and leaders. Together, we can break more barriers, shatter more glass ceilings, and pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future in tech. Here's to these incredible women and to all the women making history every day!
