SXSWORLD

2 8 S X S W O R L D | M A R C H 7, 2 0 1 9 | SXSW.COM In 2020, a projected 1.4 million com- puting jobs will become available in the United States. Kimberly Bryant, Founder and CEO of Black Girls Code, is training the next generation of women of color to take advantage of these growing opportunities and enter this burgeoning industry. Through its coding programs and emphasis on STEM education and entrepreneurial concepts, Black Girls Code is making a real impact on the next generation of tech innova- tors, specifically young girls from African-American communities. The Bryant-led non-profit organization has set a goal of having one million girls from around the world partici- pate in its program by 2040. As a bold visionary and purveyor of female empowerment through Black Girls Code, Bryant is the 2019 inductee into the SXSW Interactive Hall of Fame. This award recognizes pioneers within the interactive com- munity whose career achievements have charted the course for the digital industry's future. In 2011, after a professional career spanning over 20 years in technical leadership roles in the pharmaceu- tical and biotech industries, Bryant shifted her focus from Fortune 50 companies to equipping young girls with the tools to develop their own futures and forge a new tech genera- tion. In eight years, Black Girls Code has since grown from its grass- roots start into an internationally acclaimed non-profit. Reaching as many as 14 chap- ters across the U.S. and recently laying its first global stone in Johannesburg, South Africa, Black Girls Code expects exponential Kimberly Bryant How Black Girls Code is Bridging the Digital Divide By Jordan Roberts continued on p.30

• Cover