Founded in 2011 in the Bay Area, Black Girls CODE started after Kimberly Bryant’s daughter was disappointed with her time at a computing summer camp. Kenya Lloyd, director of development at the not-for-profit organization, said Bryant was determined to cultivate a safe space where her daughter and other girls who looked like her could learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from culturally competent mentors and instructors.

The mission of the organization, Lloyd said, is to build pathways for Black girls to embrace the current tech marketplace as builders and creators by introducing them to skills in computer programming and technology. 

“Black Girls CODE is devoted to showing the world that Black girls can code and do so much more,” she said.

We chatted with Lloyd and Dr. Patricie Johnson, Black Girls CODE’s chief program officer, about the group’s evolution, how game development plays into BGC, and the future plans for the blossoming organization.

What drove the decision to include game design as one of the group’s eight program areas?

Johnson: Our founder’s daughter was interested in game design and it was determined that so many other girls were as well.

How important is game design to Black Girls CODE’s overall mission?

Lloyd: Gaming has become very popular in the technology industry. It is important for Black Girls CODE to make certain our students are skilled in this area as well as other technology areas.

How important a role does video game development play in the overarching goals of the organization and what role will it play in its future?

Johnson: Video games will continue to evolve and we believe that our girls should be a part of the creative development of video games, and we hope that they will create games that serve their interests.

I know the group will be receiving an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games. How instrumental will the grant be to the expansion of the group?

Lloyd: This grant will help support Black Girls CODE STEM programs for girls from underrepresented communities, helping BGC get closer to its goal of reaching 1 million girls by 2040. Our community partners play a critical role in our mission to change the face of technology. Together we engage, educate, and empower young girls of color, across the globe, to become the future leaders and innovators in technology.

Do you have specific plans for the grant in terms of pushing forward the group’s efforts in game development?

Lloyd: We are excited to work with the Epic Games team to enhance BGC game design curricula and deliver tech-focused programs, including game design, to girls in our Raleigh-Durham chapter and beyond. 

What methods does the organization use to engage and interest girls in becoming “digital creatives”?

Johnson: Black Girls CODE aims to increase the participation of women of color in tech by facilitating early involvement and interest in the field, moving them from being consumers of tech to creators, innovators, and leaders. We provide access to role models and mentoring in a culturally affirming setting. Since 2011, across 15 chapter cities in the U.S. and abroad, BGC has delivered technology-focused workshops, hackathons, summer camps, and many other enrichment opportunities for more than 30,000 girls. Black Girls CODE has three program pillars to engage girls across the country - Virtual Programs, Chapter-community Based Programs, and In-school Partnerships. The organization has also started to build an Alumnae Program.

Black Girls CODE speaks to a very specific need, has there ever been any thought to expanding the group’s mission or changing its name?

Lloyd: Black Girls CODE is intentional about training black girls because that is the demographic that is underrepresented in the technology field. BGC understands that closing the opportunity gap for Black girls in the tech sector helps to establish equal representation in this field.

How has the group expanded since its launch and what has that expansion meant to the organization?

Lloyd: Black Girls CODE started in San Francisco with eight girls sharing six computers learning how to write lines of code. And since our inception, we have served over 30,000 students through 15 chapters across the United States and South Africa. BGC is scheduled to launch a sixteenth chapter in Charlotte, North Carolina this year. This expansion helps get us closer to our goal of reaching one million girls by 2040.

Shortly after it was founded, the organization talked about becoming the Girl Scouts of technology, is that still a goal and if so how are you hoping to achieve that?

Johnson: We believe that our work inspires not just Black girls, but that empowering girls shifts multiple systems of power. It’s much more than being a Girl Scouts of Technology, rather it is a revolutionary program that challenges everyone to be free to create and be their own brand of genius.

It’s typical for nonprofits to go through growing pains as they expand from a small start-up to a national or international program. How has the organization dealt with this transition?

Johnson: We have focused on the needs of our girls and the mission first while adapting to changes that will enable us to be stronger and develop a global footprint.

Black Girls CODE is now a group with chapters around the world and partnerships with massive, major brands. How has this growth impacted the group’s mission and what does the future hold for the group?

Lloyd: One strategy that we have found beneficial to our organization is our deep relationships with the communities in which we work, including local and national corporate partners. We work hand-in-hand with companies to support and enhance our work, including volunteer instructors being employees in each chapter’s local tech workforce. Our partners help us level the playing field for Black girls in STEM. Together, we are cultivating the next generation of developers and growing the number of women of color in technology, giving underrepresented girls a chance to become the future leaders in technology and the masters of their technological worlds.

What does Black Girls CODE hope to achieve over the next dozen or so years and how does it hope to achieve those goals?

Lloyd: Over the next several years, Black Girls CODE will aim to increase the depth of its impact on Black girls, in addition to the breadth of its reach. In order to advance our mission to prepare participants for the ever-evolving tech industry, we will continue to strategically manage our innovation portfolio. The tech industry is constantly changing, and BGC stakeholders expect us to continually advance our offerings to keep pace. BGC is already innovating by creating new programs to meet girls’ needs, particularly since the onset of COVID.

Black Girls CODE is a 2022 recipient of the Access + Inclusion Grant program.  Led by Epic’s Communities, Partnerships, and Giving team, the Access & Inclusion Grant Program's objective is to increase access to opportunities for underrepresented communities and the organizations that support them by providing funding, tools, education, and resources to advance technology and media innovation.  Find our grant application here.