My goal as CEO is to put us out of business
As CEO of AnitaB . org , Brenda Darden Wilkerson ’ s goal is to increase the presence of women and non-binary people in the tech sector by 50 %, then to be put out of business
WRITTEN BY : KATE BIRCH
When Brenda Darden Wilkerson first started in tech in the 1980s , she was often the only woman on her team , and even more often , the only woman of colour .
“ The culture in computer science often revolves so much around men and was – and sometimes still is – difficult to navigate ,” she recalls .
Such early experiences , along with innumerable others throughout Brenda ’ s three-decade-long career in the tech industry propelled her to her current role , as President and CEO of AnitaB . org – a global non-profit focused on recruiting , retaining , and advancing women and non-binary people in technology fields .
As a former computer scientist , tech entrepreneur and educational director of computer science and IT , Brenda knows many of the obstacles that women face first-hand . She also knows from experience what happens when tech teams are representative of society and specifically the global majority .
“ From my experience , I learned just how important it is for the tech industry to be supportive of everyone who wants to participate and that drives our work at AnitaB . org – to eliminate obstacles rooted in racism , misogyny , homophobia , classism , and more .”
66 November 2022