There’s no single way to celebrate Black History Month. It can look like revisiting the stories of trailblazing Black figures in American history, having honest conversations about equity and inclusion at work, and supporting Black authors, founders, and creators. Often it is all of the above, and more.
At Purpose Jobs, we want to highlight the contributions Black leaders have made in the tech industry. We all know the story of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. You might know the story of Katherine Johnson if you saw the movie Hidden Figures. But do you know the story of Valerie Thomas? Or Mark Dean?
In honor of Black History Month, we put together a list of some of the most influential Black leaders in tech, from the early pioneers whose work laid the foundation for modern computing, to contemporary innovators shaping AI, startups, and the global platforms we use today.
Did we miss someone? Let us know! We love learning more about the people who shaped tech into the industry it is today.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Granville Woods was a great inventor, specifically known for his 15 different appliances for the electric railways. He was most known for inventing the multiplex “induction telegraph,” which allowed for voice communication through telegraph wires. The device ended up preventing many train accidents. He became known as “Black Edison” because Thomas Edison tried to sue Woods after he invented the multiplex telegraph. The lawsuit failed, so Edison tried to make Woods a partner, but he refused. Woods held nearly 60 patents at the time of his death.
The accomplishments of Katherine Johnson were highlighted in the film Hidden Figures, but for those who don’t know, she was a pioneering Black woman in tech. She entered college when she was just 15, and at the time of graduation, her only employment options were teaching or nursing. So she worked as a teacher before she applied for a job at the Langley Research Center (which would later become part of NASA). In 1953, Johnson began working as a “human computer” and calculated the flight path for the first NASA mission to space. Her calculations were essential to the success of many early missions, like Project Mercury and Apollo 11. She also helped confirm the accuracy when machine computers were brought in. In 2015, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.
Otis Boykin was another prolific inventor, eventually holding 26 patents. After graduating from Fisk College in 1941, he began working with the Majestic Radio and TV Corporation and eventually P.J. Nilsen Research Laboratories. Among his inventions were a wire precision resistor used in televisions, radios, IBM computers, and even in military missiles. He also invented a control unit for the pacemaker. Boykin helped improve and make everyday electronics more efficient and affordable.
In 1949, Evelyn Boyd Granville became the second African-American woman ever to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics (hers was from Yale). After working in D.C. using math to help develop missile fuses, Granville took on a role at IBM in 1956. This launched her career at NASA, where she was an instrumental part of the Project Mercury missions, designing computer software that helped analyze satellite orbits. She also worked on the Apollo program in 1962 before returning to IBM as a senior mathematician.
Melba Roy Mouton was another notable “human computer” at NASA. She rose through the ranks to Head of Computer Programming at NASA, and later Program Production Section Chief at Goddard Space Flight Center. Her work helped produce the orbital element timetables, which allowed millions to see the satellite from Earth as it passed overhead. She received an Apollo Achievement Award and an Exceptional Performance Award while at NASA.
Roy Clay Sr. is often referred to as the “Godfather of Silicon Valley.” After graduating from Saint Louis University (where he was one of the first Black men to attend), he started working in computer programming. He worked on writing software that demonstrated the spread of radiation after an atomic explosion. In the ‘70s, Clay worked as a computer consultant in Silicon Valley and became a key figure in the development of HP’s computer divisions. He would eventually lead the team that engineered HP’s entrance into the computer market. In 2003, he was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Council’s Hall of Fame.
Annie J Easley began her career as one of only four Black employees (out of 2,500) at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which was the precursor to NASA. She started as a human computer, but when the real machine computers came out, she dove into learning assembly language and FORTRAN. She became a computer programmer, working on a variety of projects. But her most famous work was on the Centaur rocket, a first-of-its-kind rocket that used a unique fuel system.
Frank Greene is often hailed as one of the “first Black technologists.” He developed high-speed semiconductor computer-memory systems in the 1960s at Fairchild Semiconductor R&D Labs. He would later go on to start two technology companies of his own. He also founded a VC firm called NewVista Capital, which focused on minority and female-led companies. His legacy as a technologist and an investor lives on today, and he’s also among 63 inductees in the Silicon Valley Engineering Council’s Hall of Fame.
Valerie Thomas had a strong interest in technology early on, but didn’t receive support for it until she attended Morgan State University. She was one of only two women in her class to major in physics. She excelled at school and landed a job as a mathematical/data analyst for NASA. She worked at NASA from 1964 to 1995, conducting large-scale experiments and developing computer data systems. She is best known for inventing the Illusion Transmitter, a technology that laid the groundwork for modern 3D imaging used in medicine, entertainment, and virtual reality.
Clarence “Skip” Ellis became the first Black person to earn a Ph.D. in computer science (he earned this degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1969). As a studen tEllis worked on hardware, software, and the development of the ILLIAC IV supercomputer. He had a long career at major tech companies like Bell Telephone Laboratories, IBM, Xerox, and more. At the Palo Alto Research Center, Ellis spearheaded a group that invented Officetalk, the first office system to use icons and Ethernet to allow people to collaborate from a distance. Ellis was a pioneer in the field of operational transformation (examining the functionality in collaborative systems), which is found in computer applications today, like Google Docs.
Theoretical physicist Dr. Shirley Jackson was the first Black woman to earn a doctorate degree at MIT, and hers was in nuclear physics. Her work paved the way for major technological innovations in telecommunications. We can thank Dr. Jackson’s innovations for the technology that led to the touch-tone telephone, caller ID, call waiting and fiber-optic cable. She has received many fellowships, honors and awards, including the National Medal of Science and was nominated by President Barack Obama to be a member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.
John W. Thompson has had an impressive career in tech. He began as a salesperson at IBM and climbed up in the company to become the general manager of IBM Americas. He has also served as the CEO of Virtual Instruments, CEO of Symantec, and Chairman of Microsoft until 2021. Today, he serves on the board of directors for the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
For the graphics in Jurassic Park, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and more, we have Chicago native Marc Regis Hannah to thank. He was an electrical engineer and computer graphics designer in the ‘80s and ‘90s. In 1982, he co-founded Silicon Graphics, Inc., eventually becoming the company’s principal scientist. His computer graphics technology has been used in major motion films as well as commercials, the intro for Monday Night Football, and by George Lucas’s visual effects studio, Industrial Light & Magic.
David Steward is the founder and chairman of World Wide Technology (WWT), one of the largest Black-owned companies in the United States. In 1990, he co-founded WWT, growing into a global systems integrator that supports enterprise IT, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and telecommunications for Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Under Steward’s leadership, WWT has become a major force in digital infrastructure while maintaining a strong commitment to workforce development and community investment.
Mark Dean is an influential Black tech leader and a prominent figure in computer science. Early on, he had an interest—and a gift—in technology, building his own computer, radio, and amplifier when he was in high school. He began working at IBM in 1980, where he was an essential leader in developing the personal computer. He holds 3 of IBM's original 9 patents for the PC. More recently, he led the team that produced the 1-Gigahertz chip. He was the first Black engineer named an IBM Fellow, the company’s highest technical honor, and continues to shape the future of computing through research and education.
John Henry Thompson is a technologist whose work sits at the intersection of early computing and modern digital media. Trained in both computer science and visual arts, Thompson helped shape how people interact with technology beyond text and code. He is the inventor of Lingo, a scripting language that renders visuals in computer programs. Many programs that use graphics, animation, sound, and video for interactive simulations still use Lingo today. It’s also been used to create the programs that are now used in video games, web design, animation, and graphics.
Stacy Brown-Philpot is a technology executive and venture capitalist focused on scaling companies through operational excellence. As former CEO of TaskRabbit, she led the company’s global expansion and its ultimate acquisition by IKEA in 2017. Building on that experience, Brown-Philpot founded Cherryrock Capital, a venture firm dedicated to helping Black and Latina founders grow from early traction to sustainable scale. Her work emphasizes leadership development, operational rigor, and building companies designed to last.
Kimberly Bryant is an engineer and social entrepreneur, best known as the founder of Black Girls Code, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to technology education for Black girls. After working in biotechnology at companies like Genentech, Novartis, and Merck, Bryant recognized the stark lack of representation in technical fields and set out to change it. Since its founding in 2011, Black Girls Code has introduced tens of thousands of students to coding, robotics, and computer science, helping build a more inclusive pipeline of future tech talent.
Lisa Gelobter is a computer scientist and internet pioneer whose work helped shape how we experience media online today. She played a key role in the development of Shockwave, an early technology that enabled animation and interactivity on the web. Gelobter also contributed to the evolution of online streaming as part of the senior leadership team that launched Hulu. From tech, Gelobter transitioned to policy, serving as the Chief Digital Service Officer for the Department of Education. Today, she is the founder and CEO of tEQuitable, a platform that helps companies create a safe, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins is a technology entrepreneur focused on modernizing essential public systems. In her early career, Ellis-Lamkins served as the CEO of Green for All, where she worked to reduce energy costs and expand clean energy job opportunities for low-income communities. Today, she serves as the co-founder and CEO of Promise, a technology company that emphasizes ethical AI, data privacy, and accessibility for underserved populations and partners with governments and utilities to digitize payment systems, compliance monitoring, and service access for millions.
Tope Awotona is the founder and CEO of Calendly, the scheduling platform used by millions of professionals worldwide. After immigrating to the U.S. from Nigeria, Awotona bootstrapped Calendly with a focus on simplicity, usability, and real-world productivity needs. The company grew into a billion-dollar business by solving a universal workplace friction point: finding the time to meet. In recognition of his impact on technology, entrepreneurship, and job creation, Awotona was the sole annual 2024 inductee into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia, as presented by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).
Timnit Gebru is a computer scientist and a leading voice in artificial intelligence ethics. She is the founder of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and a co-founder of Black in AI, advocating for accountability, transparency, and representation in AI research. Gebru’s work on algorithmic bias, data governance, and power in technology has shaped global conversations about responsible AI and influenced how organizations approach emerging technologies.
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