BlackGirlsHack

BlackGirlsHack is pleased to announce that we are sponsored by Google. We look forward to accomplishing wonderful things to help increase diversity in cybersecurity.

BlackGirlsHack was created to share knowledge and resources to help black girls and women breakthrough barriers to careers in information security and cyber security. The vision for Black Girls Hack (BGH) is to provide resources, training, mentoring, and access to black girls and women and increase representation and diversity in the cyber security field and in the executive suites. 

BlackGirlsHack Foundation (BGH Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) organization created to bring awareness and provide knowledge and resources to help increase the diversity and representation in Cyber Security.  BlackGirlsHack Foundation is a not for profit organization whose focus is to increase representation in Cyber Security for Black Women and Girls. BlackGirlsHack Foundation will do this through providing training and engagement to encourage Black Women and Girls to be engaged in STEM fields. Lack of diversity in STEM fields leads to poor representation in STEM occupations and is fixed by encouraging young Black (and minority) boys and GIRLS to engage in STEM activities that focus on practical applications of math, robotics, computer programming and engineering. Fixing the lack of diversity in STEM fields starts with engaging children in early childhood education and exposing them throughout their education. As learning requires a collaborative environment, all of BlackGirlsHack’s spaces and programming welcome people of all genders, nationalities, races and orientation.

In 2016, while 56% of women were enrolled in undergraduate education, only 21% of women were enrolled in engineering fields and only 12% of the undergraduate engineering population was Black. What this says for Women in STEM is that while they are well represented in undergraduate education, the number of women, and black women specifically in the pipeline to STEM fields is severely lacking. Black Girls Hack’s goal is to change that. 

We have created programming and workshops to help train the next generation of cyber professionals and are rolling out the BlackKidsHack program to start to affect change in the K-12 spaces.

BGH is going to RSA!!

RSAC 2023 is April 24 – 27 in San Francisco. Attend expert-led sessions, innovation programs, and much more. Register by Mar. 24 to save up to $900*. Black Girls Hack members save an additional $100 with code 3U3BGHREF.
https://www.rsaconference.com/usa?utm_source=assoc-bgh&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=textad-us2023

BlackGirlsHack Foundation (BGH Foundation) is a registered non-profit organization in the state of Virginia with a 501(c)(3) designation. We are a training-focused organization that was created to help increase diversity in cybersecurity by helping to bridge the gap between what is taught in educational institutions and what is necessary for careers in cybersecurity. While several organizations cater to the interests of women and minorities in cybersecurity, black women are still severely underrepresented both in the field and by existing infrastructures. BlackGirlsHack meets the needs left unmet by existing services by providing hands-on skills that are focused on people who are upskilling and reskilling in cybersecurity. To that end, BGH provides weekly hands-on ethical hacking workshops and training programs aimed at helping to provide technical skills and certifications to one of cybersecurity’s most underserved populations. BGH partners with some of the world’s best training organizations to offer introductory to advanced-level training through our BGH Training program.

The mission of the BGH Foundation is to increase representation and empower Black girls and women in the field of information security and cyber security through skills training, mentoring, resume review, and access to low-cost resources in an inclusive environment. The vision of The BGH Foundation is to promote a diverse and inclusive cyber industry where Black women are represented in all levels of cybersecurity, including technical, leadership, and executive roles.

BGH Foundation offers accelerated training programs in ethical hacking, network penetration testing, penetration testing, and study groups for many of the industry’s leading certifications, including the Security+, eJPT, PNPT, and CISSP. We also provide hands-on skills workshops and Security+ certification to high school students to help provide STEM outreach and exposure to the next generation of cyber professionals. BGH Foundation is open to all and takes pride in its reputation as a safe space for all in the cybersecurity industry.

Black Girls Hack (BGH) was founded by Tennisha Martin, a black girl from Washington D.C. Tennisha has been working in the IT space for over 15 years. Tennisha currently works as a Manager for Data Analytics and a Penetration Tester. Mrs. Martin has a Masters in Cybersecurity from The Johns Hopkins University and a Masters in Digital Forensics from the University of Maryland. She is also an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering program.