Equity in Action

Kimberly Bryant is the Founder and CEO of Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the face of technology by introducing girls of color, aged 7 to 17, to the field of technology and computer science with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts. Prior to starting Black Girls CODE, Bryant enjoyed a successful 20+ year professional career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries as an Engineering Manager in a series of technical leadership roles for various Fortune 50 companies such as Genentech, Merck, and Pfizer. Since 2011, Bryant has helped Black Girls CODE grow from a local grassroots initiative serving only the Bay Area to an international organization with 14 chapters across the U.S. and in Johannesburg, South Africa. Black Girls CODE has reached more than 7,000 students and continues to grow and thrive. Bryant is nationally recognized as a thought leader for her work to increase opportunities for women and girls in the technology industry and has received numerous awards for her work with Black Girls CODE, including being named a Champion of Change by the White House and receiving an Ingenuity Award in Social Progress from the Smithsonian Institute.

Considered one of America's most inspiring business and HR leaders, Steve Pemberton's triumphant life story is about defying seemingly insurmountable beginnings as a child orphaned into foster care. Born to a mother who was in the middle of a losing battle with alcoholism, it was said about Pemberton that he "doesn't have a chance in the world." His inherited circumstances, handed down from one generation to the next, was not Pemberton's fault, but he still looked at it as his responsibility. That determination to better his life was met by the kindness of everyday citizens who affirmed that fight. As told in the major motion picture and acclaimed, best-selling memoir, A Chance in the World, adversity only fueled his desire to become a man of resilience, determination, and vision. Pemberton went on to find success as a corporate executive, innovative diversity, and inclusion thought leader, visionary youth advocate, and acclaimed speaker devoted to inspiring and helping others. Pemberton's keynotes, like his life story, amplify his highly motivational messages: Believe in your dreams, rise above obstacles, create opportunities for others, and most of all, persevere.