The Voices in The Shadow Project
Why is this project so important?
The under-representation of great Black women leaves Black women and young Black girls to accomplish their goals without role models or confidence. Therefore, an increase in representation is imperative to raise inspiration. Also, new research suggests that more than half of the UK workforce lack essential digital skills needed for work, raising fears that the country is heading toward a digital skills shortage as employers begin ramping up their post-pandemic recruitment efforts.
‘The Voices in the Shadow’ showcases the journeys of 51 Black women in the UK and beyond who impacted the tech industry. In turn, it gives Black women and young Black girls the empowerment they need for them to feel that there is a place for them to flourish professionally.
Brands who supported us
Words From The Founder of GTA Black Women in Tech :
“I grew up without seeing any aspirational black women despite my mother. Moving to London, I saw more successful black people than I ever saw in Paris. My ambition was elevated. We often only believe in what we see. Without improving representation, the less fortunate are often the ones left with limited aspirations. So, I decided to create this book to revive hope. The Voices In The Shadow illuminates the voices of under-represented talented black women, so we can impact the present and the next generations.”
Words From The Digital & Culture Minister:
“It’s important children know they can do anything in life, and books like Voices in the Shadows can help them discover new role models and inspire them to aim for the stars.”
“We are committed to working with the industry to create a more diverse tech sector which is positive for society, makes good business sense and helps ensure tech works for everyone.”
Volume 6
Now in our fifth year, we are proud to present Volume 5 of The Voices in the Shadow, a powerful continuation of our mission to spotlight and celebrate Black female excellence in tech. Following the success of Volumes 1 through 4, this landmark edition features a new collection of inspiring stories from Black women who are shaping the future of technology across the UK, Ireland, and beyond. Each story is paired with interactive reflections, journaling prompts, and tailored career insights designed to empower both tech and non-tech professionals to grow, lead, and thrive. As The Voices in the Shadow reaches its fifth year, Volume 5 stands as a testament to the movement’s evolution, from inspiration to transformation, amplifying voices that continue to redefine what’s possible in tech.
Volume 5
Now in our fifth year, we are proud to present Volume 5 of The Voices in the Shadow, a powerful continuation of our mission to spotlight and celebrate Black female excellence in tech. Following the success of Volumes 1 through 4, this landmark edition features a new collection of inspiring stories from Black women who are shaping the future of technology across the UK, Ireland, and beyond. Each story is paired with interactive reflections, journaling prompts, and tailored career insights designed to empower both tech and non-tech professionals to grow, lead, and thrive. As The Voices in the Shadow reaches its fifth year, Volume 5 stands as a testament to the movement’s evolution, from inspiration to transformation, amplifying voices that continue to redefine what’s possible in tech.
The Event
Our event was dedicated to supporting, connecting, and celebrating Black women who thrived in Tech.
This year, we marked a major milestone, five years of The Voices in The Shadow. On Thursday, 2nd October, we hosted an intimate celebration to honour this incredible journey.
Centred around the theme “The Journey Within: I Am…”, the event featured five thought-provoking fireside chats exploring reflection, realignment, activation, affirmation, and self-love. Each conversation offered a window into the personal and professional journeys of Black women redefining what leadership and purpose look like in tech.
A highlight of the evening was the launch of Volume 5 of The Voices in The Shadow, celebrating a new wave of inspiring Black women making their mark across the UK, Ireland, and beyond. With powerful storytelling, heartfelt dialogue, and genuine connection, this year’s event reaffirmed our mission to amplify Black female excellence and inspire generations to come.
The Connection Journal
Alongside Volume 5 of The Voices In The Shadow, themed around Connection, we’re introducing The Connection Blueprint, a 12-week wellness journal designed to help you rediscover harmony, fulfilment, and success without burnout.
More than just a journal, it’s a transformative journey through three powerful phases: Reflection, Realignment, and Activation, guiding you to reconnect with yourself, nurture balance, and build meaningful relationships in work and life.
Each day offers affirmations, mindful tasks, and interactive QR codes linking to meditations and tools that elevate your growth journey.
Rooted in the spirit of The Voices In The Shadow, The Connection Blueprint is your companion for thriving with clarity, confidence, and purpose, from self-connection to career alignment.
Volume 4
Following the success of volumes 1 and 2 and 3, we are excited to introduce volume 4 of The Voices in the Shadow. This new edition features 51 inspiring stories of Black women who have made a significant impact in the tech industry across the UK, Ireland, and beyond. The hard copy includes these powerful narratives, while the digital version will continue to expand with even more stories. Each story is accompanied by an interactive section, a journal, and tailored career advice for both tech and non-tech roles. Volume 4 is another step forward in amplifying these voices and celebrating their achievements.
The Event
Our event was dedicated to supporting, connecting, and celebrating Black women who thrived in Tech.
This year we shook things up and created a Grand Roundtable event. On Saturday, 5th October, we hosted an unforgettable Voices in The Shadow Grand Roundtable at Google’s St Pancras offices. Designed to empower Black women in mid-level tech and non-tech roles, the event featured interactive roundtable sessions, fireside chats with Global Ambassadors, and hands-on workshops led by Black women in tech.
A highlight of the day was celebrating the 51 phenomenal women featured in Volume 4 of The Voices in The Shadow book. With engaging discussions, meaningful connections, and an inspiring atmosphere, the event served as a strong reminder of our commitment to uplifting and advancing Black women in tech.
SoulDeep Card Game
Alongside Volume 4, this year we also created the ‘SoulDeep’ card game to help families reconnect while introducing topics such as hair, technology and culture.
‘SoulDeep’ is more than just a game; it’s a journey into the heart of what connects us. With every card, you’re invited into a world rich with stories of hair, tech, and cultural vibes, guided by five incredible Black female superheroes. Their stories aren’t just stories; they’re powerful narratives meant to educate, empower, and uplift our diverse voices.
Volume 3
After the success of volumes 1 and 2, we designed a new creative book for volume 3. 51 new black women’s stories are part of the hard copy. Still, we will continuously extend the number of featured stories in the digital version. Each story comes with an interactive section, a journal, and career advice for non-tech and tech roles. ‘The Voices in the Shadow’ volume 3 will again showcase the journeys of 51 Black women in the UK, Ireland and the world who impacted the tech industry.
The Event
Our Festival was dedicated to supporting, connecting, and celebrating Black women who thrived in Tech, wanted to thrive in Tech, and become a successful Entrepreneur.
This year gave you the keys to elevating your success, inspiring you, helping you grow in your tech career or as an entrepreneur, and making new connections. Throughout the day, you got plenty of opportunities to learn new strategies, connect, unleash new opportunities, and network with brands, our speakers, and other delegates.
Throughout the day, you learned new strategies, unleashed new opportunities, and networked with our sponsors, our speakers, and other delegates. Our festival was open to all levels, genders, and ethnicities, but our stage was led by Black female excellence.
The first interactive History Map
Volume 3 of “The Voices In The Shadow” book proudly partnered with United Nations Women to bring untold stories of Black Women to a global audience. Through a pioneering approach that merged the written word, visual arts, and multimedia technology, we aimed to create an immersive experience that captivated readers and viewers alike. This collaboration with United Nations Women ensured that these stories reached diverse audiences worldwide, promoting awareness and understanding of the experiences of Black Women who had been silenced throughout history. Together, we celebrated and amplified their voices, contributing to the ongoing pursuit of equality and justice for all.
Volume 2
After the success of volumes 1 and 2, we designed a new creative book for volume 3. 51 new black women’s stories are part of the hard copy. Still, we will continuously extend the number of featured stories in the digital version. Each story comes with an interactive section, a journal, and career advice for non-tech and tech roles. ‘The Voices in the Shadow’ volume 3 will again showcase the journeys of 51 Black women in the UK, Ireland and the world who impacted the tech industry.
The Event
On the 27th of October, we held our Voices in the Shadow Festival to celebrate the release of Volume 2 of our Book. The day covered four main Pillars: Pillar 1: Career Growth, Pillar 2: Web 3.0, NFT, Metaverse, Fintech, Pillar 3: Raising your profile and Pillar 4: Entrepreneurship, Investment & Bootstrapping. The festival featured panels with speakers from our book as well as stalls held by our sponsors. The day was an amazing celebration of Black women in Tech and all that we have and continue to achieve.
Redefining beauty and worth: dark skin discrimination and colourism
Dark-skinned Black women have been affected by prejudice and discrimination in the media, at work, and the rest of the world.
We hosted a private black-tie event on the 23rd of June 2022 with prestigious guests for the presentation of the art collection designed for The Voices In The Shadow Volume 2.
The collection presented Black women’s unique beauty that transcends the shadow of their melanin. The acquisition of our artwork continued to contribute to the creation, production and distribution of The Voices In The Shadow Volume books to schools for FREE.
Volume 1
We designed a creative book. 51 stories were part of the hard copy, but we continuously extended the number of featured stories in the digital version. Each story came with an interactive section, a journal, and career advice for non-tech and tech roles.
We had already distributed 300 copies for FREE to 300 schools across the UK and Ireland.
The Event
For Black History Month, our book launch event took place on the 28th of October 2021. We had a series of fireside chats with our sponsors and women from the book sharing their journeys, guidance, and so much more.
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