Hired Partner, Blacks In Technology: Supporting Representation of Black People in Tech

Welcome to our spotlight series! Please introduce yourself and The Blacks In Technology Foundation.

My name is Dennis Schultz and I am the Executive Director of the The Blacks In Technology Foundation. We are the largest global community of technology professionals of African descent representing over 80 chapters in 20 countries. Our goal and mission is to “stomp the divide” between Black tech workers and to fundamentally influence and effect change on an industry that has historically not sought parity with respect to Black workers. Our intent is to level the playing field through training, education, networking, and mentorship with the support of allies, partners, sponsors, and most importantly our global members.

How did your organization come to exist? 

Blacks In Technology was founded by Greg Greenlee, a seasoned IT professional, who wanted to address the problem of underrepresentation of Black people in the technology industry after attending a free technology conference and noticing a lack of Black people in attendance and no Black speakers.   Following this, Greg founded BIT. Fast forward to present day and Greg has dedicated over a decade to impacting the Black community and changing the world by building an organization focused on increasing the representation and participation of Black people in tech.

Tell us more about how The Blacks In Technology Foundation partners with Hired. 

Blacks In Technology partnered with Hired to help level the playing field for members seeking employment. Blacks In Technology jobseekers can use the Hired platform to find their next role while leveraging the Hired blog and events. Hired is a diversity focused marketplace with partnerships, bias reduction in-product features, and more to create equity in hiring. These are some of the many reasons this partnership makes sense. Ultimately, we appreciate Hired’s innovative approach to talent acquisition.

What are some initiatives that your organization is currently working on?

The Blacks In Technology Foundation currently has over 20 programs that are either free or discounted for our members. These programs include technical training scholarships and grants, mentorship programs, apprenticeship programs, technical bootcamps, accelerator programs, and much more. 

Thank you for sharing all of that! Anything we should be on the lookout for or upcoming events you’d like to promote?  

The annual conference for The Blacks In Technology community is BITCON. This year we’ll be in Atlanta, GA Sept. 4-6 with events pre and post-conference that include a community cookout and a black-tie gala. BITCON is two parts professional development, one part block party, and one part professional networking, all designed to leave attendees educated, motivated, and inspired. You can get all of the details for BITCON 2024 at bitcon.blacksintechnology.net.

Check out our Events page to keep up with other upcoming BIT events.

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Originally published November 2022. Updated February 2024.