The Hostile Takeover of Black Girls Code: What Happened to Kimberly Bryant’s Vision?
If you haven’t heard of Black Girls Code, let’s do a quick introduction. Black Girls Code (BGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that teaches young Black girls how to code and break into the tech industry. They offer workshops, camps, and engaging programs that help girls learn programming and digital skills, basically preparing them to be future bosses in the tech world. It’s all about giving them opportunities and closing the gap in an industry where Black women are seriously underrepresented. The organization was founded in 2011 by Kimberly Bryant, a fierce woman on a mission to increase the number of Black women in tech.
Kimberly got the idea for BGC when her daughter became interested in coding. At the time, she noticed that tech and coding programs barely had any girls and almost no Black girls. She wanted to create a space where young Black girls could learn to code, feel supported, and see people who look like them thriving in the tech industry. Black Girls Code was her way of making sure these girls had the tools, confidence, and opportunities to become the next generation of tech leaders. Despite reaching over 20,000 girls, establishing over a dozen chapters across the country, and locking down major brand collaborations with companies like Google and Microsoft, BGC’s founder and former leader Kimberly Bryant was abruptly placed on leave from her leadership role in 2021.
This move sparked controversy and conversations about nonprofit governance, leadership disputes, and the challenges Black women face in the tech industry. Bryant, who started BGC to empower young Black girls through coding education, alleged that she was wrongfully ousted by the organization’s board in what she called a "hostile takeover." The situation escalated when Bryant was placed on paid administrative leave while the board reviewed complaints and concerns about workplace culture and governance. However, specific details on these complaints were limited.
Not long after the leave, Bryant sat down with Roland S. Martin on his show Roland Martin Unfiltered to discuss her dissatisfaction with the situation, noting that she was informed of her leave three days before Christmas on her mother’s birthday. Bryant claimed that the disruption at BGC stemmed from its hyper-growth in 2020 during the pandemic. After the death of George Floyd, many organizations serving Black communities experienced rapid growth, and BGC was one of them. Their revenue reportedly grew from $4 million to just under $25 million, a nearly $20 million increase. The staff expanded from about 8 people to over 20. With this growth, Bryant stated that there were “bad actors” within the organization who contributed to internal issues.
The growth didn’t take Bryant by surprise, though. She said the company took steps to manage it, hiring professionals to conduct a people survey, a compensation study, and even bringing in an executive coach to help her navigate the organization’s expansion. However, Bryant alleged that these actions were taken without much internal support from the board.
In her effort to grow in her role, Bryant said she was blindsided by the leave, revealing that she was never informed why she was placed on leave or why there needed to be an investigation. According to her, no formal meetings were held with human resources or the board. The situation intensified when Bryant was locked out of company accounts and eventually removed from her position as CEO in 2022. She then filed a lawsuit against BGC’s board, accusing them of wrongful termination and mismanagement of the nonprofit’s mission. In response, BGC filed a countersuit accusing Bryant of "hijacking" the organization’s website after her dismissal according to TechCrunch.
The legal disputes between Bryant and BGC concluded with a settlement, as Bryant indicated in a 2023 interview with Black Enterprise, though the specific terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed. Although settled, the dispute raised concerns about internal power struggles within nonprofit organizations, especially when founders have strong, personal stakes in their missions. Some reports pointed to tensions between Bryant’s leadership style and the board’s expectations, while others suggested that larger issues of nonprofit governance and Black women’s leadership autonomy were at play
Despite the controversy, Black Girls Code continues to operate under its new CEO, Cristina Mancini. The company has grown to over 70 employees and reportedly reached over 2 million students, according to their 2023 annual report. However, despite this growth, revenue has decreased significantly since their 2020 surge, with the organization maintaining a negative net income of over $5 million for the past two years, reports for company financials can be found on Nonprofit Explorer. This could be due to the post-pandemic slowdown, but the incident has left many questioning how organizations led by Black women can remain vulnerable to power struggles, even within missions designed to uplift marginalized communities.
Supporters of Bryant argue that she was unfairly removed from her own vision, while critics believe the board acted in the nonprofit’s best interest. Regardless of where opinions fall, the situation underscores the complexities of nonprofit leadership, the potential conflicts between founders and boards, and the broader struggle for equity and power within organizations built for social change.
