Nurturing an innovation ecosystem that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion for all people is a top priority for RBTC and Verge. We recognize that the work is always ongoing. To that end, we’ve formed a committee to enhance the participation of Black individuals in our technology region’s social network. This committee is exploring the region’s technology landscape to find people who are interested in becoming founding members of the Blacks in Technology (BIT) newest chapter in Roanoke.
Blacks in Technology is a national “tech-focused community and media organization that is dedicated to increasing representation and participation of Black people in the technology industry.”
According to the BIT Foundation website:
It is a fairly common occurrence that Black workers in the technology industry find themselves the only Black person in the room or the only Black person on their team. Black people are underrepresented in every technology related career demographic, from tech startup founders seeking venture capital, to core information technology workers seeking pay equity.
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.
As we organize and gather support, we encourage interested individuals to join the regional Virginia Blacks in Technology chapter to take advantage of the discounts on technical training, certifications, products, IT services, and exclusive professional networking and social events.
We are actively looking for volunteers and leaders to help build our local chapter. RBTC will be the first sponsor for this chapter, providing support for the initiatives that will serve our community. To register your interest, please fill out the form below and then contact Verge Vice President Lisa Garcia at lisa.garcia@rbtc.tech.
