Black History Month in 2026 carries special weight. Alongside honoring Black history, we are also marking 100 years since it was first formally celebrated in the United States. That history is recent. It lives in the systems we use, the businesses we build, and the technology we rely on every day.
At WTE, this is a time to reflect on how much we owe to Black women whose ideas and leadership helped move entire industries forward. Their contributions shaped innovation, created opportunity, and pushed boundaries, even when recognition did not follow.
Throughout this article, we explore the contributions of the Black women whose visionary leadership changed the world as we know it. Together, they tell a fuller story of innovation driven by courage, vision, and determination.
Photo by Adrian Cadiz
Dr. Gladys West, who passed away on January 17, 2026, was a mathematician whose work was foundational to the development of GPS technology, the very system that helps us navigate our daily lives. At a time when few women, and even fewer Black women, were recognized in STEM, Dr. West did the rigorous work that moved technology forward for everyone.
“As a Black woman, that’s another level where you have to prove to a society that hasn’t accepted you for what you are. What I did was keep trying to prove that I was as good as you are.”
While it’s hard to imagine a recent time without this technology, Glady’s contributions were not so long ago. She passed away just last month, January 17, 2026 having received numerous awards and recognitions including:
Her words remind us that sometimes the journey is about proving to yourself that you belong, even when the world is slow to catch up. At WTE, we see that same determination in women who are building, coding, and innovating today. Progress happens because women like Dr. West kept going.When women refuse to shrink their ambition, progress becomes inevitable.
NASA / Donaldson Collection / Getty
Celebrating Black women in tech and entrepreneurship means honoring the architects of progress. Katherine Johnson was a NASA mathematician whose calculations helped send astronauts to space and bring them home safely. Her work powered some of the most critical missions in history and expanded what the world believed possible.
A mathematical prodigy from a young age, Johnson advanced through school at an extraordinary pace, completing high school at just 13 and graduating college by 18 with highest honors in mathematics and French. Her brilliance carried her even further as she became one of the first Black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools, pushing past barriers long before her work at NASA would make history.
“Girls are capable of doing everything men are doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.”
Her belief in women’s capabilities still rings true. Today, Katherine Johnson’s impact carries forward through women who are building, leading, and redefining what’s possible in science, technology, and innovation.
Madam C.J. Walker Family Archives / 64 Parishes
Madam C.J. Walker, widely recognized as America’s first self-made female millionaire, rose from poverty to build a beauty empire that created jobs, economic mobility, and generational opportunity for Black women. She did not wait for access or approval. She built her own systems of success.
“I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it. Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get them.”
And her legacy didn’t stop there. Walker went on to advocate for Black women’s economic empowerment and the advancement of the Black community through philanthropy, political organizing, and sustained investment in education and civil rights. Her words remain a call to action for women founders today.
At WTE, we see that same spirit reflected in women who create their own paths, launch companies, and redefine leadership on their own terms. Her legacy lives on in every woman who chooses to go after what she wants and builds the infrastructure to support others along the way.
NASA
Valerie Thomas is a scientist and inventor best known for inventing the illusion transmitter, a precursor to modern 3D imaging, her curiosity and creativity reshaped how we see and experience the world through technology.
At a time when three-dimensional visuals felt like science fiction, Thomas developed a system that could transmit realistic, three-dimensional images in real time without the need for special glasses. Using a series of concave mirrors, the illusion transmitter created lifelike projections that laid the groundwork for advances in 3D television, medical imaging, and NASA’s remote imaging technologies. Even today, her breakthrough feels ahead of its time.
“When I started work at NASA, I had not seen a computer except in science fiction movies. Since my job involved writing computer programs, I decided to learn as much as possible about computers.”
Valerie Thomas embodies what happens when women refuse to let unfamiliarity become a barrier. Her willingness to learn, adapt, and expand her skills mirrors the journey of so many women in tech and entrepreneurship today. Progress moves forward when women choose curiosity over hesitation and growth over fear.
CNBC / Janice Bryant Howroyd
Janice Bryant Howroyd is the founder and CEO of ActOne Group, a global human resources company she grew into a billion-dollar enterprise. Beginning with limited resources and a deep belief in equitable workforce access, she launched her staffing business with a $900 loan in front of a rug shop in California and grew it into a global enterprise. Howroyd reshaped how organizations think about talent, leadership, and opportunity. Her success was built through persistence, adaptability, and a willingness to continuously evolve alongside the business she was creating.
“The advice I offer female leaders is the same I offer anyone: Be honest about where you are in the process. Not just your role. Be honest about your abilities. Are they growing? Will what got you here get you there? If not, what are you prepared and excited to do to fill the gap?”
That mindset has defined Howroyd’s journey as a founder and leader. Her story reflects what’s possible when growth is approached with self-awareness, discipline, and long-term vision. Today, she stands as proof that building at scale and leading with purpose can coexist, and that entrepreneurship remains one of the most powerful vehicles for lasting impact.
Travel and Leisure / Drew Xeron / Salamander Resort & Spa
Sheila Johnson co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET), a groundbreaking media platform that amplified Black voices and culture at scale. At a time when representation was scarce, BET became a cultural force, reshaping how Black audiences saw themselves reflected on screen and influencing generations of creators, artists, and entrepreneurs. She has gone on to build a successful hospitality empire, Salamander Resort & Spa, expanding her influence across industries while continuing to champion representation and excellence.
“Money doesn’t fall out of the sky. We had a business plan, an extraordinary proposal, and it was the right timing.”
Sheila Johnson’s career reflects what can happen when vision is paired with preparation and the willingness to act at the right moment. From reshaping media representation through BET to building influence across entirely new industries, her leadership has continued to evolve, proving that impact is not confined to a single chapter but built over time.
Forbes / Arlan Hamilton
“Having privilege, or being privileged, is not the problem. Entitlement is the problem. I think of it this way: privilege is a hand-me-down heirloom, rooted in the circumstances you’re born into. Entitlement is something you procure and choose to wear.”
Some of today’s most important innovations exist because Black women dared to build differently. Before founding Backstage Capital, Arlan Hamilton was homeless, teaching herself venture capital while sleeping on friends’ couches. With no traditional access to the investment world, she built a path forward through persistence, self-education, and an unshakable belief that founders from underestimated backgrounds deserved to be funded.
That determination led her to create Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in underrepresented founders, including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. By challenging who gets funded and who gets believed in, Hamilton has helped reshape access to capital and opened doors that had long been closed.
Her journey from homelessness to venture capitalist underscores what is possible when resilience meets vision. Today, Arlan’s leadership addresses one of the most persistent barriers in entrepreneurship, proving that expanding access is not just impactful but essential to building a more equitable future.
MIT / Shirley Jackson
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is a physicist, educator, and leader whose influence spans science, public policy, and higher education. As the first Black woman to earn a PhD in theoretical physics from MIT, she broke barriers early, setting the stage for a career that would help shape modern telecommunications and expand access to STEM fields for generations to come. Her research contributed to advancements behind technologies such as caller ID, fiber-optic communications, and portable fax systems, innovations that power everyday life.
“Do not let others define who you are. Define yourself. Do not be limited by what others expect of you, but reach confidently for the stars.”
Beyond her scientific contributions, Dr. Jackson has served in national leadership roles influencing science and technology policy and later as president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she worked to strengthen research, innovation, and inclusion in higher education.
These women were not anomalies or rare exceptions. They were emblematic of excellence. Time and again, Black women have driven innovation forward, even as their contributions were overlooked, minimized, or excluded from the historical record. They were thinkers, builders, and visionaries who challenged the limitations placed on them, refusing to accept the boundaries others tried to define. Their work reminds us that innovation has always included Black women, even when history told the story incompletely.
At Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship, we see our role as a continuation of that legacy. Like the women honored here, we believe progress is driven by those willing to question the status quo, create access where none existed, and build systems that reflect possibility rather than limitation. We create space, access, and visibility for women building right now, turning ideas into companies, technology, and lasting change.
This Black History Month, we celebrate not only the brilliance that paved the way, but the women who continue to shape what comes next. When we honor the past and invest in the present, we help build a future where women are supported, valued, and fully seen.