It’s no secret that the technology industry has a diversity problem. In 2016 Black folks made up 11.9 percent of all U.S. workers yet held only 7.9 percent of jobs in computer and math occupations, says the Brookings Institution. Black women, in particular, have been underrepresented, holding only 3 percent of tech jobs in 2015, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Despite those numbers, it’s apparent that sisters are undaunted by this challenge. Instead of worrying about grim statistics, they are breaking barriers and bridging the gap in the tech world, whether through coding, gaming or entrepreneurship.

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Meet ten ladies making their mark who share why other Black women may want to follow in their footsteps.

Read The Future 10: Get To Know These 10 Black Women In Tech on Essence.

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