<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  In a new series called #TechTalk10, we&amp;#039;ll be asking powerful women in the tech industry 10 questions each. We&amp;#039;re tempted to ask them way more questions, of course, but these women are busy and important and have really, really interesting work to get back to.  Photo: Courtesy of Kimberly Bryant These days the importance of getting more girls into STEM is widely recognized, though making it a reality remains a huge challenge. But back in 2011, when Kimberly Bryant, a biotech engineer by training, launched Black Girls CODE she was well ahead of the curve. Bryant&amp;#039;s goal is twofold: she wants to combat the feeling of cultural isolation\u2014of being the &amp;quot;only one&amp;quot;\u2014she felt during her college studies and bridge the digital divide for women of color. Explains Bryant: &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s still a dearth of African-American women in science, technology, engineering, and math professions, an absence that cannot be explained by, say, a lack of interest in these fields. Lack of access and lack of exposure to STEM topics are the likelier culprits.&amp;quot; Related: Amber Valletta&amp;#039;s New Startup Helps You Shop Smarter Her efforts have not gone unnoticed: In 2013 Bryant was awarded the White House Champions of Change for Tech Inclusion award and just three years after launching the non-profit has chapters around the country. Bryant says her goal is to reach one million girls by 2040. Today she is answering our #TechTalk10. Related: Amelia Showalter: The Genius Behind President Obama&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;Hey There&amp;#039; Emails Name: Kimberly Bryant Occupation: Founder and executive director of Black Girls CODE Twitter handle: @6gems/ @blackgirlscode Olivia Pope or Selina Meyer? Hands down Olivia Pope What is your preferred Instagram Filter? Inkwell \u2028To selfie or not to selfie? Not to selfie. I&amp;#039;m horrendous at capturing a decent selfie. What is your favorite app? Tie between SoundCloud and Evernote If you could only follow five people on Twitter who would they be? @blackgirlscode (of course); @luvvie (she&amp;#039;s hilarious); @anildash; @blackgirlnerds; @cindygallop \u2028\u2028Greatest piece of advice you&amp;#039;ve ever been given?  It&amp;#039;s a clich\u00E9 but &amp;quot;follow your passion&amp;quot; \u2028\u2028What would you tell your 16-year-old self? Don&amp;#039;t tie yourself down to anyone or anything\u2014take chances. \u2028What was your biggest mistake? I think my biggest mistake was deciding not to go to law school directly after I graduated from college. It&amp;#039;s always been my dream to be an attorney and I&amp;#039;m that weird breed of human being that loves being in a courtroom.  \u2028What was the last book you read? Malcolm Gladwell&amp;#039;s David and Goliath \u2028Someone gives you a crystal ball that lets you look five years into the future; what do you see? I hope to see a pronounced shift five years from now of women in leadership roles across various industry spaces including technology, media, politics, etc. I believe this is the age of female centered leadership and I&amp;#039;m happy to be working in a space to drive inclusion for women. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/culture/tech/interviews/a24961/kimberly-bryant-blackgirlscancode-interview/?click=hprc>