Baddies in Tech

I recently had the incredible honor of speaking and leading the Amazon experience at the Baddies in Tech BaddieCon 2024 Tech Conference.🎤✨ We made sure that Amazon was represented with recruiters and ambassadors on-site, connecting with attendees to showcase our security culture, open roles, and, most importantly, representation. It's crucial for people to see themselves in these roles and know that they belong in this space. Representation is critical, especially when Black professionals make up only 9% of the cybersecurity workforce in the U.S., and Black women represent just 2% of the field (WorldMetrics). The broader tech industry also struggles with diversity, with Black professionals comprising just 7% of tech employees(Enterprise Apps Today). This underrepresentation highlights the importance of our work in creating visibility and opportunities for underrepresented groups in tech. This was my first time leading the entire Amazon activation from start to finish—managing everything from outreach to securing recruiters and ambassadors. Normally, we hire a dedicated team for this, but taking on the full lifecycle of the activation was a great learning experience for me. I’m so thankful for the AWS Security Ambassadors Mariamawit (Mary) Alula Comfort Uduebholo Rymesha F. Christina Dickerson Otto Thomas and the recruiters who joined me; I couldn’t have made this possible without their support. Speaking on the panel was such a rewarding experience. I shared industry insights alongside an incredible group of tech leaders Ayana Gardner Kellie P. Stella Ihenacho. MBA, CSM®, PSM™ II, ICP-ACC and helped underrepresented women explore tech career niches, focusing on cybersecurity. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and I’m thrilled that attendees walked away with actionable insights to start or grow their tech journeys. A huge thank you to my company, AWS, for supporting this initiative and for being an employer that people are excited to see! I’m grateful for the relationships and the ability to influence change—ensuring that the next generation of tech professionals feels seen, supported, and inspired to pursue their dreams. Jessica Reyes, MBA Mark Young Megan Franz Sharifa Bernard Ashley Shimer Eric Sikes Andrew Emons Arianny M. Baddies in Tech Allie Joy Tsahey Zaria Pompey-Smith ReeTheCyberBoss Eric Brandwine Sandy Villamil Sharifa Bernard Sharnikya Howard Chris “CAsh” Ashley Chynna W. Omotayo Akintoye, EMBA, PMP, CSM Marquis Thorpe #RepresentationMatters #TechBaddies #BlackInTech #WomenInTech #Cybersecurity

Thank you Brenasia W., this was such a beautiful write up about BaddieCon! 💗 #mustread

We’re STILL buzzin' from BaddieCon 2024, it was nothing short of amazing! All thanks to our Baddies in Tech team, attendees, sponsors and partners! The technical workshops were packed, the activations were lit, interviews were taking place and TheraMotive walked away with $7,500 after winning the pitch competition! Don’t even get us started on the after party…😩 We can’t thank our community enough for making BaddieCon bigger, better and badder than last year! We’re getting excited for 2025, and we’ve been thinking… maybe we should take BaddieCon on the road! Where would you like to see BaddieCon next? 👀 Charlotte? Chicago? Atlanta? or Dallas? Comment below! #baddiecon #baddiesintech #technology #conference #techjobs

As the Program Director of BaddieCon 2024, I am incredibly proud of the impact we made this year. We brought together over 560 passionate attendees and 81 dynamic speakers to educate, inform, and connect women at every stage of their corporate and entrepreneurial journeys in tech. First, I have to give it up for our incredible team led by Allie Joy Tsahey, Darlyze Calixte, Adriann Guy, Angela Chen, Mykah Hardin, Alexci Gumbs, Albrina Mendes, Bria Fauntleroy, Kyla Dione Jenkins, Rodesha Luckett, Rebecca Innocent, and many more! Your commitment and hard work drove this event to new heights. We couldn’t have done it without you. Our lineup of speakers was nothing short of stellar. We opened with a dynamic keynote from Pastor Stephanie Ike Okafor, setting the tone for the day. DeAndre Brown then delivered a no-holds-barred fireside chat, and Jasmine Lawrence Campbell closed the event with electrifying insights from her journey with NVIDIA and founding EDEN BodyWorks. But it didn’t stop there—every single one of our 81 speakers, locally and globally, brought their A-game. Their stories, expertise, and experiences resonated deeply with our audience, sparking meaningful conversations that will continue to shape the future of tech. We also hosted the "Baddiepreneur" Pitch Competition, sponsored by Black Girl Ventures, where TheraMotive took home the $5,000 grand prize! A huge thank you to my dear Soror, Zaria Pompey-Smith, Program Director at venture capitalist firm Nex Cubed, and Carletta S Hurt, Ph.D., President of the National Black MBA Association, Washington DC Chapter, for their invaluable support and expertise in making this competition a success. A special thank you to our phenomenal host, Jerlisa "Juju" Fontaine, MPH, Founder at Hue Capital, for expertly guiding us through the day with such energy and grace. Your presence brought an extra spark to BaddieCon 2024! A massive thank you to our sponsors—Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Equitable Advisors, Amazon Web Services (AWS), MYAVANA, Aleo, Block, Yahoo, Google's Tech Equity Collective, Webflow, and many others. Your support was the fuel that powered BaddieCon 2024. To the Baddies in Tech community—you are the heartbeat of this movement. Your energy, passion, and commitment were felt in every moment of the conference. In a world where #STEM is at the forefront of innovation, the importance of minority women and men in these fields cannot be overstated. We are not just participants; we are leaders, innovators, and changemakers. BaddieCon is proof that our voices matter, our ideas are powerful, and our impact is undeniable. Thank you to everyone who made #BaddieCon2024 possible. Let’s keep this momentum going and drive transformative change together! #womenintech #WOCintech

BaddieCon 2024 was a resounding success! With over 560 attendees, we witnessed the power of community and the impact that women of color in tech can make when we come together. I’m still buzzing with excitement from all the incredible moments we shared, some of my highlights being: ✨ Pastor Stephanie Ike setting the tone with an inspiring keynote that reminded us of our true purpose and our potential in the tech industry. What the purpose you ask? To know God and to make Him known in whatever professional space we find ourselves in. 🎤 Moderating a fireside chat with DeAndre Brown, THE "Corporate Baddie," where we explored how Gen Z is shaking up corporate culture and professionalism. The conversation was full of insights, laughter, and bold ideas—exactly what BaddieCon is all about. 💡 Hosting our inaugural Baddiepreneur Pitch Competition alongside Zaria Pompey-Smith and Carletta S Hurt, Ph.D.! A huge congratulations to TheraMotive, who swept the competition, winning both the $2500 Crowd Favorite category, sponsored by Black Girl Ventures and the $5000 Grand Prize! Their innovative, tech-enabled approach to physical therapy stood out among fierce competition, and I’m excited to see their journey ahead. To be fully honest, pulling off a conference of this scale in the midst of a climate that is hostile to DEI and other organizations who support women in tech shutting their doors due to lack of support and funding... it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It took a lot of faith, prayer, and a stellar team behind me to make it possible. Shout out to Lucy Edosomwan, Mykah Hardin, Darlyze Calixte, Adriann G., Angela Chen and so many other team mates and volunteers and who contributed to the success of this event! Major thank you to all the sponsors whose support made that made this event possible including Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Equitable Advisors, Amazon Web Services (AWS), MYAVANA, Aleo, Block, Yahoo, Google's Tech Equity Collective, Webflow and so many more. And to Civic Hall for hosting us this year! Finally, thank you to the entire Baddies in Tech community! 👩🏾💻💕 To every single woman of color technologist who continues to show up for this community - none of this is possible without you. Your support means the world, and together, we are making our presence known and felt in the tech industry. Here’s to continuing the work, supporting one another, and building a future where we all thrive in tech 🙌🏾 #baddiesintech #baddiecon2024 #wedidthat #theynotlikeus #verymindful #equityintech #wocintech #blackwomenintech

Had an awesome time speaking at Baddies in Tech BaddieCon 2024 last week in NYC🗽🍎, presenting with Jeree Spicer ! Thank you for having us and showing us so much love! 💡Our session focused on the Importance of Digital Literacy in Surmounting Barriers to Cyberspace Resilience for Underrepresented and Underserved Communities. We also covered and introduced #cyberpsychology, and how these factors significantly impact our present and future in the rapid proliferation of critical and emergent socio-technical capabilities, such as what we are seeing with AI/ML, in addition to cyber. 🙌🏿We had standing room only! This is just one of many examples that signifies that we have women and non-binary technologists traveling across the country seeking knowledge to identify ways that they can take action in contributing to making their communities more resilient in cyberspace! But also how they want to take steps as individuals to leverage their unique backgrounds and skill sets to pursue opportunities to innovate and build solutions that will contribute to safety, security, and soundness. 🛠️⚙️We identified strategic and tactical plans that the audience can take, a community-centric approach, regardless of title, discipline, or any other limiting factor. Bonus: My sister in cyber Arielle Baine surprised me! We met at Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) in 2022 and she’s one of the inspirations for me still pushing forward and doing the work as my authentic self. 💭𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙊𝙣 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨? 🚀𝗪𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 ● Enabling individuals to understand and navigate the digital landscape ● Increasing opportunities for success in a digital (and physical) society. ● Early awareness + adoption = More opportunities 🚀𝗪𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 ● Educating communities on the proper use of technology and how to ask the right questions. ● The honest answers get us to accelerate and see our full potential by building real, sustainable solutions (not theatre!) 🚀𝗪𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 🚀𝗪𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 #BaddiesInTech #BaddieCon2024 #cybersecurity #womeinincyber #blackintech #AI #womentechmakers #cyberdefense #AIpolicy #womenofcolorintech #diversityintech #WomenInTech #aisafety #aialignment #digitalliteracy #womeninai #techpolicy

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Baddiecon, and what an incredible day it was! 🎉 The event was a powerful celebration of authenticity, representation, and networking. I’m especially thankful I was able to attend and represent Latinas In Tech - New York City as the Community Partnerships Manager, meeting other community partners who are just as passionate about making a difference. 🤝 The connections I made were invaluable, and the panels, where I listened to women who were once in my shoes, were truly inspiring. 💪 This experience reinforced the importance of investing in yourself and placing yourself in environments that foster growth and learning. 🌱 Looking forward to what comes next! ✨ Baddies in Tech #latinasintech #nyc #networking #growth

I had the pleasure of coaching attendees at #BaddieCon and here are some lessons for every Baddie looking to level up 💚 💡Please stop comparing yourself in today’s job market to pre-pandemic times—it’s a different world! The quicker we realize this, the more grace and compassion we can give ourselves as we navigate these difficult times. 💡Networking doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If working the room makes you feel anxious, start small. You can aim to make 3-5 new connections. You don’t need to talk to everyone—just a few meaningful interactions can make a big difference. 💡Stay true to who you are. When you feel like you’re losing sight of your authentic self or surrounded by people with opposing values, that’s a sign that you’re out of alignment. Ask yourself: Am I seeking alignment in my connections, or am I seeking approval from others? 💡It’s okay to ask for help. You don’t have to have all the answers. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective and new strategies to get you back on track. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to help so many people find clarity and confidence in their next steps. Many of the baddies I met with had never worked with a coach before, so thank you again Allie Joy Tsahey, Lucy Edosomwan and the entire Baddies in Tech for having me 🙏🏾 📌P.S. If you’re ready to work with a coach and want to learn more about working with me, schedule a call here: https://lnkd.in/efj3sF9v #leadershipcoaching #blackexecutivecoach #Baddiesintech #blackwomenintech #womenintech #coaching #techconferences

Thank you for supporting BaddieCon Raygan Bell, you captured the event perfectly! 💐 💗

Baddies in Tech conference ... just wow 🤯! I had the amazing opportunity to attend Day 2 of the baddies in tech conference #BaddieCon this past Friday. The agenda was packed with different sessions from effective job searching, and interviewing, to creative coding. One of my favorite sessions was JoAnn’s Strategies for Confidence in Interviewing & Negotiation where she dropped gems about seamlessly getting through the application process. Another was Jasmine Lawrence Campbell’s keynote speech where she walked us through her impactful tech journey full of curiosity, innovation, & tangible steps to building a remarkable tech career. Huge shout out to Allie Joy Tsahey for creating a safe space for women to develop themselves professionally. Without events like this, I would not have made the invaluable connections that I did. Jade Walters Nia A. Tattiana Anderson Eleazar Adjehoun 🪛 Until next year!