Kalina Bryant has achieved a level of success in Silicon Valley that is very rare. She has taken her experience and created of UnapologeTECH, a space for women of color and allies in tech to learn, create, and connect.
You have created an amazing platform for the purpose of creating a space for women of color to learn, create and connect. What needs do you hope it will fulfill?
I hope to create a community of gifted women to learn from one another, amplify each other’s voices, and create a tribe for us all to thrive. Oftentimes being a woman of color in a corporate setting can be lonely and we tend to experience imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and the stress of being perfect. With UnapologeTECH women are able to connect and hear other badass women stories, you have the opportunity to lift one another up, to be vulnerable, and most importantly you have an opportunity to ask for help and receive the training you need to lead with confidence, negotiate with grace, collaborate with a niche community, and find your authentic voice.
As a woman of color in Silicon Valley, describe the biggest challenge that you have faced?
Sponsorship from the right leader, representation, and access to opportunity. What I mean by this is, many women of color including myself have strong operational skills, we can execute many jobs, understand visions and how to outline processes, and get creative. We are seen as the perfect employee for a manager or contributor role. However, achieving Director and above opportunities become challenging, not because we aren’t capable but because we lack sponsorship or access to a leader or ally willing to advocate for us in rooms where the final decisions are made. Many times early in my career I have been told “You are an amazing executor and have wonderful ideas, however, you need to work on strategy” and when asked can you elaborate “The person can never convey a genuine answer and clarity of the work and needs” I struggled with this early on within my career, because this gives leaders an out on why you aren’t qualified for the role.
However, then I discovered having the skill set, the right mindset, and most importantly the right leader in your corner anything is possible. You can be perfect, have the best credentials, and go above and beyond but if you don’t have a community, resources, and the right sponsors your chances to succeed in Silicon Valley are slim. Hint – this is why I designed UnapologeTECH.
My goal is to break down this challenge by creating our own community, sharing our knowledge, and providing educational resources to prepare us, and most importantly connecting us to allies and sponsors who can help us make the impossible possible. It’s a journey but it can be done. I am proof of what is possible when you have a strong work ethic, ambition, a creative mindset, and a group of allies who are willing to sponsor and advocate for you.
You selflessly provide opportunities for others to share their stories and experience on your podcast. What inspired that decision?
To amplify one voice is great but to amplify many is priceless. We have an abundance of opportunities if given access and sometimes just given one chance. It has taken me some time to learn to cultivate my own voice but when I did it was the most liberating and fulling experience. When I found my voice, I no longer feared failure, I no longer cared about receiving a no, I embraced critical feedback, and my wants and dreams became massive, all because I started creating spaces for my voice to be heard. So, I asked myself how would the world be if we could all be amplified? How can we all be heard? How can we all achieve the impossible? And most importantly how can we come together without feeling defensive?
I decided to handpick amazing women of color and give them the opportunity to share their stories. They can be as raw, as vulnerable, and as real as they would like. It’s a teaching platform, every woman on my podcast is impressive, but many times they haven’t had an opportunity to showcase how brilliant they are and this is why I choose to share the mic. There is enough of a platform and access for us all to showcase our stories. It’s a goal of mine to create a thriving community and teach women of color how to cultivate their voice and live in their truth and the podcast is our first step in seeing positive change.
With such a small percentage of women of color in tech, have you ever felt alone or undervalued?
ABSOLUTELY, which is why the UnapologeTECH platform, podcast, and blogs are so important. This past February, I was interviewed by Drift titled, Black, Female & Unapologetic in Silicon Valley: An Interview with Asana’s Kalina Bryant. I admitted to my struggles and experiences at the early stage of my career, and I had hundreds of women reach out to me to express also shedding tears and never letting anyone see your flaws, women expressed wanting to quit every day because the environment just isn’t inclusive. All the way from how you wear your hair, how you dress, how you talk and never having an outlet to vent or a safe space is tiresome. Change is needed, but first, a space to express the issues is needed. It’s a lot easier to express your concerns when you have others who can either relate or seek to understand. When you have a community you now have the courage.
How important is it that we know our worth and celebrate our wins?
If you don’t know your worth, you allow anyone to tell you what they think you are worth. The world is truly our oyster, but in order to achieve the impossible, you have to define who you are, and what you are worth. You’d be surprised when I ask women what will you not tolerate? This is tricky and usually, it takes some time to cultivate an answer because they haven’t actually thought about it. Quite often, as women of color, we are so focused on getting the job, being secure, providing, and giving, but we forget to outline our own worth, we forget to think about ourselves. I try to convey on UnapologeTECH it’s okay to take some time out for yourself and outline what you want and what you have already accomplished.
It’s a lot easier to convey your worth when you take the time to reflect on your hard work. As women we don’t celebrate the wins, we don’t soak in the accolades, which makes it hard to define your worth. We need to get in a mindset of celebrating all of our milestones. It can be big or small. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and as women, we are meant to live a fulfilling life, but to do this we must take ownership. Ownership of ourselves, our accomplishments, and future goals.
You have written about being a “unicorn” in your field, how do you stay motivated and protect your peace of mind?
I take a vacation when I need it. I keep a small diversified tribe of advisors whom I call my loved ones around me. They challenge me, support me, and allow me to have no boundaries. I read books in my spare time and take time to listen to others. I embrace the moments that I am in, I am selective of my environment, I set my boundaries, and I try to keep an open mind. I have also learned the power of saying no when I am overwhelmed. I no longer try to take on everything, I outline my pillars and make strategic decisions that benefit my well-being and the cause of creating a more inclusive and diverse space.
Do you have any advice for someone aspiring to enter your field of expertise?
Schedule time to talk with people who are already in the field. Interview them and outline your passions to see if it aligns. Make a plan, and be open to opportunities. Being open to opportunities may be my best advice because you never know where or when your opportunity will appear but be sure to be persistent, determined, and open-minded.
Be’n Original
