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.

Educate | Empower | Prepare

Our service offerings and programs were developed with our core demographic and our why in mind. 

We provide training, community and needs-based services to help educate, empower, and prepare our members for careers in technology and cybersecurity. Since 2019, we have served as a community-based not for profit organization that helps bridge the gap between what is taught in schools and what is required for industry employment. We partner with leading-edge solutions and training providers to help career changers and the industry outliers find a home within cybersecurity. Our organization represents the industry as we desire it to be while being inclusive and reflective of our community. Our vision is a diverse and inclusive cyber industry where Black women are represented in technical, leadership, and executive roles. That is our WHY!

BlackGirlsHack (BGH) was founded by Tennisha Martin, a black girl from Washington D.C. Tennisha has been working in the IT/Cyber space for over 20 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. Bio

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, web application penetration testing, and study groups for many of the industry’s leading certifications, including the Security+, eJPT, PNPT, and CISSP.