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It’s no secret that the media and marketing industries have a racial diversity problem. According to Marketing Week’s 2020 Career and Salary Survey, a whopping 88% of marketers identify as white, while just 2% identify as Black.
Despite these numbers, the growing presence of Black professionals in marketing, media, advertising, and tech are shifting paradigms in their respective industries—and this is just the beginning.
This Black History Month, we encourage our non-Black partners, team members, and the media community as a whole to learn about the Black women thought leaders pushing our industry forward.
Here are five changemakers to start with:
Bozoma St. John
Bozoma St. John is a businesswoman and marketing executive who has led teams at PepsiCo, Apple, and Uber. Currently serving as Netflix’s CMO, St. John has been inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement, named Executive of the Year by Billboard Magazine in 2016, and featured in Ad Age’s 50 Most Creative People as well as Ebony Magazine’s 100 Powerful Executives.
Follow St. John on Twitter and Instagram!
Elaine Welteroth is a journalist, author, and former Editor-In-Chief of Teen Vogue. Under Welteroth’s leadership, Teen Vogue’s content transformed from fluff pieces to in-depth articles about migrant justice and climate change. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern credits her with developing a magazine that “treats teenagers like rounded human beings with agency and intellect.”
Follow Welteroth on Twitter and Instagram!
Lauren Washington, Esosa Ighodaro, and Regina Gwynn
Lauren Washington, Isosa Ighodaro, and Regina Gwynn are the co-founders of Black Women Talk Tech, a “collective of black women tech founders who have a unique understanding of the challenges we face and the advantages we bring in the industry.” Black Women Talk Tech identifies, supports, and encourages Black women to build the next billion dollar business.
Follow Black Women Talk Tech on LinkedIn and Instagram!
Lenora Porter is a UX designer, tech influencer, and Salesforce software engineer who enjoys teaching people “how not to be afraid of being a multi-passionate creative in tech.” She shares design tutorials on Instagram, runs a Facebook group for Black women in UX, and hosts local meetups for creatives in tech.
Follow Porter on Instagram and Twitter!
Semira Allen is a Reliability Engineer at Deloitte who is interested in the intersection of cybersecurity and agile practices. She runs an educational Instagram account on the side, where she shares her personal journey as a young professional in tech, as well as coding tips and inspiration.