To celebrate and promote racial diversity, Insper launched Black in Tech on November 6, an initiative to promote employability and income generation for black people in Brazil. To mark the start of the program, the Black in Tech experience event brought together prominent black professionals from the market to discuss how technology can transform realities. With over 300 participants, the meeting provided a rich exchange of experiences about the challenges and achievements of black professionals in the industry.

 

"The exchange of professional and personal experiences is fundamental for Black in Tech," highlighted Raulison Resende at the event's opening. Insper professor and one of the program's creators, Resende explained that the initiative had matured over two years. "The goal is to strengthen the Afro-Brazilian community through technology, especially in computing, business, and information technology," he said. Although black people represent 56% of the Brazilian population, they are still a minority in leadership, particularly in the technology sector—a scenario the initiative aims to change.

 

The program is structured around three main avenues: free meetings between professionals and the public at Insper, mentorships led by experienced executives, and academic training with flexible financing options, including scholarships. Resende emphasized that the initiative aligns with eight of the UN's 18 Sustainable Development Goals, including Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities.

 

Black in Tech aims to establish a strategic network connecting black executives and companies engaged in affirmative actions. The program operates on three fronts: in the private sector, through corporate partnerships; in civil society, via dialogue with social organizations; and in the public sphere, collaborating with governments in formulating policies for inclusion and racial equity.

 

 

Intertwined journeys

 

Renouncing small pleasures to invest in education, starting work early, and being pioneers in family education—many being the first literate members of their families. These experiences emerged as connection points among many of the Black in Tech Experience guests, also united by the challenge of breaking into traditionally non-inclusive spaces. Alexandre Moysés, governance director at B3, for example, recalled his mother's warning at the start of his career: "You are entering the job market now, but you need to understand that this environment was not built with people like us in mind."

 

In his career at large organizations like Banco Real, General Motors, and BMF Bovespa (now B3), Moysés repeatedly faced the reality foreseen by his mother. "It's a solitary journey, marked by a scarcity of references, where you realize that the corporate system was not structured to include black people in strategic positions." This realization led him to turn personal achievements into collective advances. "We need to go beyond individual development and build a legacy that strengthens our community, opening doors and, especially, dismantling stereotypes," he stressed.

 

The confrontation with social barriers awakened Celso Kleber, CEO of Grupo Mooven and Instituto Black, as well as a member of the advisory board and partner at Conta Black, to the awareness of his racial identity. With a white mother and black father, he grew up hearing relatives describe him as "dark white." "Around the age of 13, I began to understand the logic behind my grandmother's upbringing—she probably believed she was protecting us by identifying us as white," he revealed. "After leaving school and entering technical high school, I began to understand why we weren’t invited to parties and why we weren’t chosen for certain themes, but for sports and dance instead. I began to understand then that I wasn’t really white."

 

For Kleber, this awareness also brought more responsibility as he advanced in his career. "I started understanding a bit more, understanding my origins, gaining more literacy," he said. "As the poet says, 'you have to work twice as hard.' I learned that just doing what was expected was not enough to open paths for people with our skin color—it was necessary to give more."

 

 

Education and technology as drivers of change

 

During the Black in Tech Experience, education and technology emerged as fundamental pillars in the participants' journeys, highlighting how qualifications and certifications were decisive for their professional advancements. "My journey was built on intense investment in education, balancing day jobs and night studies until I gained access to university," shared Thiago Oliveira, Cloud & Platforms director at Mercado Livre. "I started as a griller, frying steaks, and what brought me here was study."

 

Oliveira underscored that the real value of study lies in its transformative power. "You can’t just study to get passing grades, it’s not about aiming to be double but genuinely seeking deep knowledge," he said. "And genuine knowledge doesn’t come superficially; it comes deeply and internally. The change has to happen within you, not just for show."

 

The academic environment, like the corporate one, also presented its hostilities. Solange Feliciano, a technology executive specialized in ESG and diversity, a member of the Municipal Council for Racial Equality Promotion (Compir) and ambassador of the Paternity Leave Coalition (CoPai), faced a significant episode during her Marketing degree. A professor declared she would "never get anywhere." "That same day I went to the office to leave the university—I was already a mother, older than my classmates, and then this," she recounted.

 

The secretary's conversation turned adversity into motivation: besides Marketing, Solange simultaneously pursued Systems Development Analysis. She not only graduated in both but made sure that same professor handed her the diplomas. In her professional journey, she became an active voice in diversity and inclusion, committed to increasing the presence of black women in technology. "I began to understand that I was impacting society," she said. This motivated her to approach Microsoft Brazil for a black women inclusion project in technology, impacting 280 women, 70% of whom are now employed in the sector. "These are black, peripheral, vulnerable women who knew nothing about technology or English, and today, all have international certification."

 

 

Beyond meritocracy: towards systemic change

 

However, stories like these should not be used to individualize issues of racism and inclusion in the market, according to Alcielle Santos, Education Director of the Instituto Iungo and president of the Cipó Educação educators’ cooperative. "These resilience stories shouldn’t be understood as meritocracy tales, 'work hard and you’ll succeed'," she said. "I believe people shouldn’t have to go through what we did; they shouldn’t have to sell caipirinhas on the beach at age 10 [as was her own case]," she affirmed. "That’s not fair, and building a less unequal society also means constructing one with less suffering for our children and adolescents."

 

Alcielle concluded by emphasizing the importance of celebrating the historical legacy of the black population in Brazil, often overlooked in official narratives. "Our ancestry crossed the ocean; blacks arrived on Brazilian soil with knowledge built over centuries in Africa. We need to remember this, the legacy of knowledge in mining, agriculture, and cooperative organization."