When Kelauni Cook came to Pittsburgh over a year ago, becoming involved in the city’s tech scene, she would look around the room at tech events and not see anyone that looked like her in the crowd. During Inclusive Innovation week in Pittsburgh, Cook’s initially small discussion about Black Tech in Pittsburgh drew in a packed room. The conversations during the event highlighted something eye opening. There was a disconnect between people who felt that there was not a place for them at the “table” and those who did not understand why a diverse pool did not attend their technical events. Cook saw that she was not alone in realizing that there was a disconnect between the broad tech community in Pittsburgh and Black tech professionals and entrepreneurs in the city. Thus became the starting point of Black Tech Nation, a collection of cities with similar initiatives to cultivate greater diversity. Cook believes that Pittsburgh can take the driver’s seat in achieving more diversity in tech and set an example for tech havens looking towards the future. 

Learn more about Kelauni Cook and Black Tech Pittsburgh in The Incline’s article here.