Kimberly Bryant is the Founder and CEO of ASCEND Ventures and the Founder and creator of the groundbreaking and revolutionary non-profit organization Black Girls CODE; a social change organization founded to “change the face of technology” by introducing girls of color (ages 7-17) to the field of technology and computer science with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts. Under Bryant's leadership, Black Girls CODE grew from a local grassroots initiative serving only the Bay Area to an international organization reaching more than 30,000 students with chapters across the U.S. and in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Bryant has been 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. Bryant has been awarded the prestigious Jefferson Award for Community Service for her work to support communities in the Bay Area, named by Business Insider on its list of “The 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology”, and named to The Root 100 and the Ebony Power 100 lists in 2013. Bryant has been named one of FastCompany’s Most Creative People. Bryant was named a White House as a Champion of Change for her work in tech inclusion and for her focus on bridging the digital divide for girls of color and received an Ingenuity Award in Social Progress from the Smithsonian Institute.

ASCEND Ventures Tech and it's flagship Black Innovation Lab ("The Lab") builds upon her trailblazing work by helping marginalized founders build pathways to ownership with an incubator and venture studio (C3Ventures) that will support founders who are building impact driven companies in Web3, climate/sustainability, agtech and femtech.

Technology, Start-Up Founder, Diversity, For Diversity Events, Black Heritage, Black History Month, African-American Women, Women, Women in Business, Female Leadership, STEM Education, Social Entrepreneurship, Diversity Topics, STEM, Leadership, Influential Women, Motivational, Education, Social Justice, Culture, Social Activism, Social Issues, Business, Entrepreneurship, Inspirational, Overcoming Adversity, College, DEI, California, Science, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Women in Tech Racism,