There is no greater tragedy than unrealized potential. Did you know that in just 9 years (2030) the tech industry will face nearly a 4.3 million human capital deficit, costing nearly $449.7 Billion in unrealized revenue globally? Yet Black women account for just 3% of women working in tech. Most of these roles are secured directly after college.
That is where Diana Wilson comes in. Born to a single Ghanaian immigrant mother in Newark, NJ Diana’s story is one of tribulation to triumph. Research has shown that the zip-code of your hometown alone can predict the level of wealth, education, and success you’ll attain. Diana’s zip-code showcased that she was more likely to crumble in adversity than to conquer with perseverance. Yet she notes that It was the very limitations of her existence, being raised by a single mother, being a first generation Ghanaian American, being a low-income student, being a rape survivor that allowed her to perceive and identify with her purpose.
Her purpose can be seen in her ed-tech nonprofit called: Yielding Accomplished African Women (Yaa W.) Yaa W. is discovering, training and supporting Black college women in tech and finance. They are building a movement and an army of purposeful Black female leaders globally who will revolutionize the world and challenge the status quo. Yaa W. is a global women development skills center, they train Black women across the diaspora then give them opportunities to work with big Fortune 500 companies.
In just 3 years we have trained 710+ young African women and have a +7k following. She is backed by companies such as Bank of America, Google, IBM, MTN, Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), Educative.io, etc. Diana has led her NGO to be in the United States, United Kingdom and 12 countries in Africa with representation from every region in Africa. Her goal is to reach 30,000 women by 2030.
To this effect she is raising a $1 million dollar fund to provide the resources millions of Black college women need to be holistic leaders and achieve their career goals in STEM. Yaa W. will launch the first beta of their online professional networking and training platform for Black college women across the diaspora in January 2022. Yaa W Online Academy, which will depict the uniqueness of Yaa W’s model lies in the infusion of the “essence of Black women”, “digital skills” and “intersectionality” built into the fabric of the organization. The online academy will allow for more African women to tap into a support system, STEM courses, professional development masterclasses, and on-demand virtual content.
