Inside Intercom X Black Tech Unplugged

As we touched on in last week’s episode, the unjust killing of George Floyd has prompted many of us to look at our own relationship with perpetuating racial injustice and to look for ways we can participate in and reinforce racial equity.

At Intercom, we have a lot of work to do in that regard but we feel that a small and organic way for us to start is by connecting the audience we’ve built for this podcast with voices that need to be heard but traditionally aren’t, particularly in tech.

In addition to hearing about Deena’s podcast, you’ll also hear an interview she recorded and produced with us for Inside Intercom. She chats to Lynnise Pantin,  a startup lawyer and professor at Columbia Law School about her Colorlines piece “From Fyre Fest to Theranos, the Invisible Racial Subtext of Raising Capital.” It’s a fascinating conversation which offers a wealth of insight into some of the more insidious biases at play in the tech eco-system.

Our host

Deena McKay is the founder and host of the podcast, Black Tech Unplugged. Black Tech Unplugged is a monthly podcast that highlights Blacks who innovate and work in the tech industry. Deena started Black Tech Unplugged as a way for Blacks to see people who looked like them in the tech industry. She also wanted to share tips and advice for those trying to get into the industry. When not behind the mic, Deena works as an IT Consultant in Chicago.

If you’d like to check out more of Deena’s work, here are some of her favourite episodes to get you started:

Episode 22: Deena + Friends Unplugged

“It was nice to have a raw conversation with my friends. Some of us are in tech, others tech adjacent, and some not in the industry so the mix of interests and thoughts around tech were unique and interesting”

Episode 30: Charles Kuykendoll Unplugged

“Charles is a character (and I mean this in a good way). His zest for life and motivation to get into tech is inspiring. Because he’s a tech recruiter he provided really great tips for applying to jobs and what recruiters are looking for”

Episode 29: Latesha Byrd Unplugged:

“Latesha is an excellent career coach. This episode is filled with so many tangible ways to not only get a role, but also succeed and stay in your role once you’re in it.”

You can find out more about the show, subscribe and listen to all the episodes here.