9 Black Women Leaders Dedicated To Empowering Others
In honor of Black History Month, the Aleria team has revamped last year’s list of awesome Black women you should know. Each week for the the rest of the month we will be highlighting the achievements and contributions of these incredible women, starting with a list that features Black Women Leaders In Social Impact. This week, we’ll take a closer look at nine Black women who are spending their lives helping those who are underestimated and underrepresented realize their potential.
Trying to figure out the trajectory of your professional life at 18 or even 40 is hard, let alone trying to navigate your career when the statistical odds are stacked against you. The women on today’s list are all focused on empowering other women and minorities to take control of their careers. Their efforts are aimed at creating tools and resources that will enable others to achieve their goals by providing access to information, counseling with guidance and mentorship, or offering a path to a new community.
1. Rhonesha Byng is the Founder of Her Agenda, a digital platform that helps millennial women achieve their professional goals, with upcoming plans to expand the platform to connect employers with potential employees. Rhonesha also works as a freelance journalist and speaker, having spoken previously at The White House during the Obama Administration and at The United State of Women Summit. She is part of the 2017 class of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in both the media and dorm room founders categories and was named one of 50 Founders to Watch By ESSENCE Magazine.
2. As the CEO and Founder of Noirefy, Shaniqua Davis is an advocate for women of all backgrounds to break through the glass ceiling. With a background in digital media, she has created a platform to help women and minorities find their perfect employer. The software helps candidates find interesting job opportunities and matches them with companies who would be a great fit in terms of mission and culture. Shaniqua has been featured in several national media outlets, including Forbes and Marie Claire magazine, and was also recognized as the 2017 Midwest Women in Technology, was a Talent Development award recipient, and selected as one of WeWorks Young Innovators 2017.
3. Dr. Tausha Robertson is the Founder of Ms. X Factor, an online community that offers relevant content to diverse Gen-X women. She has won numerous awards and accolades for her work on the platform, including MVMT50 as a Top 10 Innovator at SXSW. In addition to her work on Ms. X Factor, Dr. Robertson is a published author and speaker, as well as a Principal Consultant for Experi Consulting.
4. Heather Hiles created Pathbrite, a cloud-based website where job-seekers can go to create their own online portfolio and realize and leverage their own marketable skills. She is also the Founder of Imminent Equity and Hiles Group, and is a board member for LatinX and UNIFORM. Heather won the Tech Trailblazer Award at the 2018 Black Women Talk Tech Conference.
5. With the creation of Lemons 2 Lemonade (L2L), Founder Brittney Oliver created an online platform with the focus of helping equip millennials with career and lifestyle advice. Her career networking events are sponsored by brands such as Marriott, Lyft, and CoverGirl, and her website has garnered the attention of high-profile media like Diverge, The Well, and Forbes. Brittney is also public speaker and a contributing writer for Fast Company and Essence.
6. The Founder of WatchHerWork, Denise Hamilton, is a firm believer that women should have access to advice and career help when she needs it. Her online library of over 6,000 videos has empowered and inspired women all over the country. For her work, Denise has been featured in the Huffington Post, Ebony Magazine, and Xconomy, as well as having received numerous accolades, including being named one of Houston’s Most Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine.
7. Jessica Williams wants you to focus on your hustle — your side hustle. She started her blog, Tech Biz Gurl, at a time when she was feeling burnt out in her day job and needed a “creative outlet.” Jessica used her passion for helping others attain their goals by focusing on helping women start their own side hustles. Tech Biz Gurl has been featured on Brit + Co, Black Enterprise, and Entrepreneur. She is also a published poet and a Mentor for the Women’s Mentoring Co-Op.
8. Sherry Sims’ Black Career Women’s Network started off a simple group on LinkedIn where professional Black women could share experiences and career advice. It soon took off and is now a website that offers a plethora of resources for women. The website offers a plethora of resources for women; it’s a place to find career advice, mentorship, and networking events. Sherry is also a speaker and community leader, and has been featured in publications like Cincinnati Business Courier, BlackEnterprise, and Cosmopolitan.
9. Ifeyinwa (Ify) Walker is the Founder & CEO of Offor (formerly Offor Walker Group), a talent brokering company that “slays bias dragons” (yes, her LinkedIn profile really says that!). Ify and her team work with company leaders to interrupt bias “to bring the best and brightest to the table and build the open, and transparent cultures that keep [employees] there.” She is also author of the series #DearBlackWomen on LinkedIn, and has been featured in several publications including Fast Company, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and O Magazine.
Check out the full list of 100+ awesome Black women. Click below to follow our Medium publication or subscribe to our newsletter to see additional lists celebrating awesome Black women each week this month.
