5 Black And Brown Tech Leaders To Know

Being Black or Brown in tech is one thing; being Black, brown, and queer in tech is another. Being a minority in the tech space can be isolating; now imagine having intersecting identities. The tech space is still very white and male, as only 3% of the UK tech workforce is Black, according to Tech Talent Charter Diversity in Tech Report 2023.

While only 2-3% of tech employees identify as LGBT+, as stated by Women Tech Network. So, just existing as a Black or brown queer person in tech is already defying the odds. However, there are a few queer people in tech who are going over and above, and as it’s LGBTQ+ history month in the UK, we want to celebrate them.

Though this list may be small, a report found that 75% of LGBTQ+ founders and nearly 80% of investors withhold information about their identity. “In the VC world, they have this cookie cutter approach to what a founder looks like and sounds like, and that’s why we have fewer people who are women, who are people of color, and who are LGBT,” Nick Telson, a venture capital investor who founded DesignMyNight, told The Standard.

So, we’re sure there are more queer people of color making a huge impact in the industry, but here are 5 Black and Brown tech leaders you should have on your radar.

Paff Evara – Co-Founder of Take Up Space

Paff Evara is a Black Papuan Australian, queer, and neurodivergent creator living in Wales who uses her story to help other people elevate through her community and media company, Taking Up Space. The platform is a network for change-makers & creators from diverse backgrounds to help create a fair creator economy and promote healing through the community while empowering BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ folks to take up more space.

Asher Ismail – Co-Founder of Uncapped

Asher Ismali is a coach to Series A+ Founders and significant CEO who has helped build three startups/scaleups, including Uncapped (UK’s fastest-growing fintech 2021). Ismali discovered that older funding options are limiting for many businesses, so he tried to elevate fundraising with an Uncapped revenue-based finance provider, which helps founders elevate capital without abandoning their businesses.

Eric Collins – Founder of Impact X Capital Partners LLP

Eric D. Collins wears many hats: investor, entrepreneur, author, and host of Channel 4’s The Money Maker. He launched Impact X Capital Partners LLP to support diverse, underrepresented, and unfamiliar entrepreneurs, specifically individuals of African-Caribbean descent. The company’s mission is to produce the extraordinary and influence the world.

Belton Flournoy III

Belton Flournoy III is the managing director of Protiviti’s Technology & Digital consulting practice and the founder of its UK LGBT+ group. The group was named the best LGBT+ network in 2019 by the Inclusive Tech Alliance and was selected as a top 10 inspirational business leader in 2020 by the British LGBT+.

Additionally, Flournoy co-founded Pride in the City with Pride in London, running a mayor-backed program committed to expanding diversity and inclusivity across London businesses.

Tolu Osinubi

Tolu Osinubi is the director of Deloitte UK in the Quality and Test Engineering Team, specializing in programme test leadership. Outside of this, Osinubi is known for her award-winning diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality advocacy, speaking at several events and conferences. She co-chairs Proud at Deloitte (Deloitte UK’s LGBTQ+ network and has supported numerous internal and external initiatives to encourage inclusion at the firm.

Image: Tolu Osinubi, Asher Ismail  Impact X, Paff Evera, and Belton Flournoy III