5 Podcasts About Women of Color In Tech You Need To Listen To Now
As you may already realize, working in tech is quite different for men than for women. Gender discrimination has always been a big issue: There's an imbalance in pay and power, but the case for Women of Color (WOC) is even more concerning. Let's check some numbers. According to AnitaB 2020 report:
14.1% of the tech workforce is White women, 9.6% is Asian women, 2.2% is Black women, and 1.7% is Latinx women.
In the case of board representation, 29.8% of board members are women, with just 6.6% of these women being women of color.
Unfortunately—and unfairly—women of color have more obstacles to overcome (culturally, socially, and emotionally): Gender and racial stereotyping, misrepresentation, discrimination, impostor syndrome are some of the many barriers that WOC face every day in academia and the workplace.
Diversity and inclusion programs have been implemented by many organizations to overcome these barriers; however, there is a long way to go towards equity and equality in the tech workplace.
Now, why listen to podcasts hosted by—or about—women of color in tech?
👉🏿 Is it because of the need for representation? Certainly.
👉🏾 Their knowledge? Indeed.
👉🏽 Motivation? Yes!
👉🏼 Are they expressing a different point of view? I guess so, and I would like to know more.
Listening to podcasts is a great way to gain a better understanding of this issue.
For a few weeks now, I've been listening to WOC in tech podcasts, and I'd like to share my favorites with you. The podcasts listed below are in no particular order, and all are worth listening to. There is also no paid advertising from their side.
1. Deeper Than Tech
(9 episodes + some bonus ones!)
Samantha Bretous, Kedasha Kerdd, and Sandi, three software engineers, host this insightful, comprehensive, and motivating podcast. Together they tackle these main topics:
Being a black woman in technology: the journey and experiences
How to progress in an industry that wasn’t designed for WOC in mind
Help build confidence in your career as a software engineer
Also, they are very active in social media. Samantha has her own YouTube channel where she shares tips for people learning how to code, and Kedasha’s IG profile has plenty of useful content too!
2. A Seat At The Tech Table
(7 episodes)
A podcast by Sisters in Tech, a project that aims to help black women learn about and pursue careers in technology. The podcast is hosted by Anna Kuforiji and Esther Kuforiji, founders of Sisters in Tech.
This is an interview series featuring black women working in tech: Talking about the challenges they’ve had, the innovative projects they lead, doing networking, mentoring, among other experiences.
In this podcast, the title of every episode focuses on what the interviewee has achieved in the form of "how did she do...". It's straightforward and captivating.
3. Coding Black Females
(29 episodes)
A podcast hosted by an NGO founded in 2017 which holds the same name. CBF aims to “provide opportunities for Black female developers to develop themselves, meet familiar faces, network, receive support and build relationships through having regular meetups.”
Topics covered in the podcast include life as a developer, mentorship (on finding a mentor), neurodiversity, security, gaming, tech recruitment, among others.
4. Women in Tech With Ariana
(47 episodes)
This podcast, hosted by Ariana Waller, starts with “you are the face of technology, the face of the future”. So motivating!
This is by far one of my favorite podcasts! A series of interviews with women working in the tech world. She also talks about news in tech, shares resources for women building tech careers, promotes giveaways, job opportunities, and more. Insightful, eloquent, and entertaining, Ariana sends “you are a boss” vibes.
⭐️ Here are some of my favorite episodes (Spotify): How Do Non-Techies Get Into Tech? and Ariana’s A-list, Learn How To Code From Beginner to Expert
5. Lost in The Source
(24 episodes)
This podcast is hosted by Lola Odelola, software engineer and promoter of diversity in tech. She shares her journey through the tech world, her experience in academia, job seeking and bootcamps. Moreover, she has episodes where she tackles imposter syndrome, talks about diversity lacking in the tech industry, and even technical tips for developers!
This podcast is very personal and sincere on one side, and very helpful and motivating on the other. It’s easy to connect with her and her stories. The way she debunks the system = ⚡️
Do you know any other podcasts of women of color in tech?
Please share in the comments below! 👇🏿👇🏾👇🏽
