20 professional organizations for Black IT pros

Despite diversity being a much-discussed topic in the tech industry, representation for Black tech workers is still not where it needs to be, with African Americans holding just 7% of positions in the tech industry, and only 2% of tech executive roles, according to data from the Diversity in High Tech report published by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Moreover, Black IT pros — even those in leadership positions — still encounter unique challenges both in the workplace and in their career paths.

While the onus of change rests in large part on employers to alter their approaches to hiring and inclusivity in the workplace, the following 20 professional organizations are dedicated to advancing the careers of Black IT pros and increasing Black representation in the tech industry through training, networking resources, and more.

American Association of Blacks in Energy

The American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) is dedicated to ensuring African Americans and other minorities have input and a voice in the discussion and development of energy policies, regulations, R&D technologies, and environmental issues. AABE awards $350,000 annually in scholarships to students in energy-related tech fields and offers a career center for job seekers and employers. There’s also the AABE Institute, which provides training, technical assistance, market information, supplier and partnership opportunities, and business solutions. The AABE Institute has a goal of leading resource for energy issues in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Diaspora, with a focus on sustainable development.

Black & Brown Founders

Black & Brown Founders is a professional organization for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs to network and learn about startup bootstrapping through online resources and events. The goal is to “give entrepreneurs knowledge, tools, and cutting-edge tactics to launch startups without relying on venture capital,” according to the organization. Black & Brown Founders was developed after its founder Aniyia Williams saw firsthand the barriers people of color face when trying to get venture funding. She wanted to provide a way for founders of color with limited resources to get the training and resources to support their business idea, helping them grow their businesses without outside funding. The organization also offers a Bootstrapping Bootcamp — a 10-week course on how to get your business idea off the ground, with access to workbooks, tools, coaching, and lessons offered virtually.

Black Code Collective

The Black Code Collective (BCC) was started in 2016 to create a safe space and community for Black software engineers. Many Black technologists find themselves to be one of the only Black employees on their team or in the room. And workspaces are often “started and run by white people,” which brings an “unspoken burden for Black people,” according to BCC. This inherent bias, which runs through the industry, is what makes groups like BCC so important. It gives Black technologists a space to connect with peers who understand their situation, and who can help ease some of the stress that can come from navigating predominantly white workspaces. BCC advocates for taking the necessary steps to retool the IT and tech talent pipelines, and how to take the right steps to ensure Black tech workers have the same opportunity, sponsorship, and equity as their non-BIPOC peers.

Black Data Processing Associates

The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) is an international organization founded in 1975 as a network for underrepresented minorities working in the IT and computer science fields. The BDPA organizes technology conferences, local chapter events, continuing education and professional development events, academic scholarships, and mentoring and career opportunities for Black IT professionals. The BPDA also organizes community outreach programs for students, including the Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES), National High School Computer Competitions (HSCC), and Youth Technology Camp (YTC) to increase representation in tech and create pipelines for future talent.

Black Founders

Black Founders was started in 2011 as an organization dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and to provide founders with access to advice, mentorship, and funding. The goal is to “stimulate tech entrepreneurship” and create more growth in the community. Black entrepreneurs are underrepresented in the tech industry and only make up 1% of VC-backed tech startup founders. Black Founders wants to increase that representation and bring more opportunity to Black entrepreneurs. They offer different events and conferences for members to connect and network in addition to hosting weekend-long “HBCUHacks” hackathon events at historically Black colleges and universities.

Black Tech Nation (BTN)

Black Tech Nation (BTN) is dedicated to helping Black technologists gain access to valuable resources, networks, and opportunities in the tech industry. It was started in 2017 after its founder, Kelauni Jasmyn, noticed that, after graduating a coding bootcamp, she didn’t see many other software developers who “looked like her in the local tech scene.” She later received a grant to create BTN, to help create a community for other Black technologists who also felt isolated in their careers. The organization offers companies a pipeline to Black tech talent, supports the next generation of Black tech entrepreneurs, highlights impactful Black “techies,” and helps create community hubs in cities for Black technologists to connect, network, and find support.

Black Tech Pipeline

Black Tech Pipeline started with a viral tweet. The organization’s founder, Pariss Chandler, sent out a tweet asking followers “What does Black Twitter in Tech look like?” and the response was overwhelming, according to an article from TechCrunch. Not long after, Chandler was contacted by companies looking to recruit Black tech workers, and although she had never worked in recruiting before, Chandler quickly developed a talent database and connected candidates with potential employers. Launching the Black Tech Pipeline in 2020, Chandler partners with companies and offers various services to help connect them with Black technologists looking for new jobs. But she soon recognized the tech industry also has a retention problem — especially with Black tech workers — so she expanded her services to include a consulting package, conducting biweekly check-ins during the first 90 days to see how new Black Tech Pipeline hires are doing at their new jobs. The goal of Black Tech Pipeline is to prove that there isn’t a pipeline problem — that there are plenty of skilled and experienced Black technologists available who are eager to work for equitable and diverse organizations.

Blacks in Technology

Black workers in the tech industry typically find they are the only Black person in the room, and that underrepresentation bleeds into career growth, pay equity, and mentorship opportunities. Nonprofit organization Blacks in Technology (BIT) aims to “stomp the divide” Black workers face in the IT industry to help “level the playing field through training, education, networking and mentorship with the support of allies, partners and sponsors,” according to the organization. BIT has chapters across the US and internationally where members can attend events, trainings, and tech summits designed to uplift and connect the Black tech community. Members also get access to career support, networking, and tech resources. Membership is open to any Black woman or man who works in tech, making it the largest community of BIPOC tech workers in the world.

For a spotlight on Blacks in Technology, see “How Blacks in Technology is ‘stomping the divide.’”

Blacks United in Leading Technology (BUiLT)

Blacks United in Leading Technology (BUiLT) is a nonprofit professional organization that offers community-focused activities, events, and programs that focus on Black technology workers and highlight the importance of diversity, equity, and equality in the tech industry. BUiLT believes in “equity for Blacks in tech, in where they work, with those who buy our products, and investors who support our ventures,” according to the website. You can find BUiLT chapters across the United States, with locations in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, North Texas, San Diego, and more.

Members enjoy free and discounted technical training, including discounted rates for Lean Six Sigma certifications, along with free training for the cybersecurity PenTest+ certification. Members also get access to a large network of other entrepreneurs, founders, senior business leaders, and other professionals dedicated to increasing representation of Black people in technology. Membership also includes professional development courses, mentorship opportunities, events, speaking opportunities, engagement with corporate sponsors, private events, and optional website listings for business owners.

Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN)

The Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN) was started as a way for Black tech professionals to connect with one another to build community. Its network currently consists of more than 50,000 Black professionals who network, connect, share resources, and grow their careers together. Members get access to mentorship, events, summits, skill-building opportunities, and a strong peer-network to support career growth. One of the goals of BPTN is not only to connect Black tech professionals, but to help corporations strengthen diversity in the talent pipeline. BPTN helps corporate partners understand how to attract, hire, retain, and promote Black tech talent by changing not only the way they hire, but their internal culture.

Black Women Talk Tech

Black Women Talk Tech is an organization dedicated to supporting Black women founders and technologists, with more than 2,500 members in its community. The organization is creating a “roadmap to billions” for Black women entrepreneurs in tech who want their ideas heard, seen, and invested in. The organization also holds annual conferences that it touts as the “largest convening of Black women tech entrepreneurs and technologists,” with conferences held all around the globe. Black Women Talk Tech partners with corporate sponsors such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Netflix, and Facebook, just to name a few.

CODE2040

CODE2040 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to “activating, connecting, and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy,” according to the organization, which achieves this through events, training, early-career programs, and knowledge sharing to ensure Black and Latinx technologists have the tools and network to enable racial equity throughout the tech industry. 

DevColor

DevColor bills itself as a “global career accelerator for Black software engineers, technologists, and executives and serves as the go-to accountability partner for the companies who invest in, employ and are led by them.” DevColor is dedicated to creating a community for Black leaders in IT, a group that has been largely excluded from the tech industry by offering career development and networking resources. They offer several unique programs, including the A* program that matches participants with a small cohort of six to eight Black software engineers and managers for a year to offer each other accountability, career mapping, and community.

For a spotlight on DevColor, see “DevColor’s cohort approach to uplifting Black IT careers.”

DigitalUndivided (DID)

DigitalUndivided (DID) is an organization focused on fostering more inclusivity in entrepreneurship by empowering Black and Latinx women entrepreneurs. It started as a conference for Black women founders in tech, which led to it growing into a Focus Fellow (FF) program and eventually it turned into an eight-week virtual accelerator program. And the organization didn’t stop there — DID later took on research projects that uncovered how Black and Latinx female founders receive less than 0.2% of all venture funding. After the report was released, the number of startups led by Black women tripled and funding increased 500%. DID has since continued to expand its offering of programs, initiatives, and research to uplift Black and Latinx female founders in tech.

Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF)

The Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) offers career-advancing programs for Black IT professionals. The ITSMF was formed in 1996 by a group of technology executives who wanted to improve diversity in the technology industry all the way to the executive level. The mission of the ITSMF is to “increase the representation of black professionals at senior levels in technology, to impact organizational innovation and growth.” The ITSMF offers programs for executives, managers, and an “emerge” program specifically designed for increasing the representation of women of color at senior levels in the technology industry.

For a spotlight on ITSMF, see “ITSMF: Growing Black IT careers through leadership programs.”

National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME)

The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) is a professional organization for underrepresented minorities working in engineering and STEM roles. NACME provides college scholarships for underrepresented minorities who are interested in pursuing a degree in STEM. The goal is to increase representation of BIPOC in tech by providing scholarships, resources, and opportunities for “high-achieving, underrepresented minority college students pursuing careers in engineering and computer science.” NACME’s focus is on helping students become qualified candidates for in-demand tech jobs.

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a student-governed organization with 500 chapters and nearly 16,000 active members in the US and abroad. The nonprofit organization comprises collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology. The mission of the NSBE is “to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community,” according to the organization. 

Opportunity Hub (OHUB)

The Opportunity Hub (OHUB) was founded as a “technology, startup, and venture ecosystem building platform” to ensure that everyone has “equitable access to the future of work” and to create pathways to “multigenerational wealth creation with no reliance on pre-existing multigenerational wealth,” according to OHUB. The organization provides skills development, early tech exposure, job placement, entrepreneurship support program, new job creation, and alternative capital formation for college students, young professionals, founders, and investors nationwide. 

Technologists of Color

Technologists of Color was established in 2012, as a “passionate collection of professionals from the information technology arena,” according to the organization. Technologists of Color’s goal is to build a community of Black tech workers in Atlanta, Ga., while also offering various services and programs to its members. The organization offers meetups, happy hours, and conferences for members, as well as coding programs and resources to equip members with laptops and other necessary equipment. The organization has held several types of events, including coding workshops, meetup events for members to build their networks, app showcase events, and coding events for youths in the community.

We Build Black

Nonprofit organization We Build Black was founded in 2017 by Devin Jackson, who was feeling isolated as the only Black software engineer in his company. Unable to find an established community for connecting with other Black developers, Jackson decided to take matters into his own hands by starting the Black Software Engineers of NYC Meetup. The event was hosted every Saturday afternoon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, eventually growing to 1,000 members within just six months. From there, Jackson and his fellow Black software engineers knew they had something special and wanted to grow the group into a full-blown organization. We Build Black also hosts the Mavens I/O: Black Women in Tech conference each year, along with bringing coding programs to schools, piloting a recidivism program, and working to connect members to new job opportunities.