Kimberly Bryant Speaks at Female Founders Conference 2015

Black Girls Code was founded in the Bay Area in April 2011 with the mission to empower girls aged 7 to 17 to transition from technology consumers to creators.

• The organization's vision is to train one million girls of color to code by 2040, positioning itself as the "Girl Scouts of technology."
• The initiative focuses on providing culturally sensitive learning environments paired with mentors who share the students' demographic background.
• As of the presentation, the organization has expanded to seven U.S. chapters and one chapter in Johannesburg, South Africa, having reached approximately 3,000 girls.

The founder, who identified as an "accidental social entrepreneur," pivoted from a planned for-profit startup to a nonprofit after analyzing industry demographics.

• In 1989, women earned 36% of computer science degrees, a figure that plummeted to 12-14% by 2011.
• Representation for African American women in computer science degrees fell to 3%, while Latina and Native American women fell to less than 1%.
• The founder determined that the lack of diversity hindered innovation, framing the organization's work as both a business imperative and a social justice issue.

Black Girls Code operates under a specific set of core values derived from Jim Collins' Good to Great and the philosophy of Oprah Winfrey.

• The organization defines its purpose as leveling the playing field for women and girls of color to ensure technology reflects the broader population.
• Leadership prioritizes hiring team members who are smarter, more knowledgeable, and more skilled than the founder to ensure organizational growth.

The organization set "big, audacious goals" (BHAGs) involving a "reckless disregard for the impossible" to drive exponential growth.

• In 2012, the team aimed to reach 200 girls in a summer tour across six cities; they exceeded this by reaching 1,000 students.
• In 2013, they set a goal to raise $100,000 through crowdfunding to expand their reach to 2,000 girls; they successfully raised $125,000.
• The 2040 target date was selected specifically to coincide with U.S. demographic shifts where minorities are projected to become the majority.

The founder outlines a forward-looking narrative for the organization's impact.

• The organization created a specific aspirational vision for 2020 featuring headlines about former students founding high-tech startups.
• The long-term strategy involves migrating from a hyper-local model to a chapter-based structure utilizing a large pool of volunteers.
• Current growth includes international expansion and a focus on preparing the next generation for leadership in a changing technological landscape.