Who We Are
Our Story
and Values
OUR CORE VALUES
Community
Prioritizing the well-being and shared interests of our Black Women in Data community, fostering a sense of belonging, support, and shared identity.
Advocacy
Aligning personal and professional goals with the broader goals of their organization that champions independence, maintaining integrity and rooted in transparency.
Resourcefulness
Finding solutions, adapting to change, and maximizing ways to creatively and effectively utilize available resources while overcoming challenges and achieving desired outcomes.
Education
Encouraging the pursuit of knowledge and growth in formal and informal setting to promote innovation, motivate problem-solving and improve decision-making.
OUR EXTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD
Black Women in Data is grateful to have a visionary group of advisors. The members come from across the nation to provide assistance and guidance to uplift BWD's mission and work. Each member's distinct perspective provides us with key insights into how we can better support Black women data leaders.
Meet Our Founder
Dr. Brandeis Marshall created Black Women in Data because she was tired of being the only Black woman in the room discussing data education, data governance and cultural competency. She speaks, writes, and consults on how to move intentionally and build people-first tech. She is the author of Data Conscience: Algorithmic Siege on our Humanity (Wiley, 2022), co-editor of Mitigating Bias in Machine Learning (McGraw-Hill, 2024), and contributing author of The Black Agenda (Macmillan, 2022).
Our History
Black Women in Data started on November 7, 2020 as an explicit representation of often overlooked and under-appreciated contributions of Black women in data-related fields. Our charge is simple: center Black women’s point of view in all spaces where data lives. We shared workplace advocacy tips, data learning nuggets, effective leadership experiences and more on social media.
We hosted the first Black Women in Data Summit in October 2022 to bring together Black women data professionals from across the United States. Since then, we’ve invested in developing the data industry’s movers and shakers. And our Black Women in Data Summit has become a movement. It serves as an annual catalyst for recalibrating their career trajectories, retooling their leadership skills and reconnecting with their peer network. We continue the professional and personal growth work within our membership community.
Our Vision
Right now, Black women account for less than 1% of the data industry. By 2040, Black Women in Data wants to see Black women occupying 13% of these data roles. We are invested in the career and leadership development of Black women as data entrepreneurs, leaders, managers and practitioners. Our data future is integrated.
Our Team
Led by Dr. Brandeis Marshall and the DataedX Group team, the Black Women in Data team includes an advisory board, community coordinators, corporate sponsors, donors, event planning team, media team, photography team and photography team.
Our BWD community welcomes Black women data leaders, managers, directors and vice presidents in many industries across corporate, public and academic sectors. The BWD team and community co-create activities, sessions and events to expand their practical leadership and personal growth development.