Kimberly Bryant spent decades building up her career as an engineer in corporate America – until she decided to leave it all behind to pursue her true passion. In 2011, she drained her retirement savings to launch Black Girls CODE, a non-profit focused on building community while teaching technology skills to Black school-age girls. Today, Black Girls CODE has trained nearly 20,000 girls and is a $40 million powerhouse whose backers include Google, MacKenzie Scott, and the Gates Foundation.

In this conversation with LinkedIn Editor-in-Chief Daniel Roth, Bryant discusses her inspiration for the non-profit, the challenges she faced as its leader, and her surprise suspension from the organization she founded.

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