How Cristina Mancini Is Rewriting The Future Of Tech And Who Gets To Code It

Forbes

13 hours ago

If we don't teach the next generation to build the tools of tomorrow, they'll be left behind. This is a reality that Cristina Mancini, CEO of Black Girls Code (BGC) has spent her career preparing for. The skills that once guaranteed job security are quickly becoming outdated. As technology moves at a lightning speed, entire industries are being redefined, decisions are automated and what it means to be ready for the future of work now raises more questions than answers.
The one thing that is most clear is that being tech savvy is no longer optional. And it means more than just knowing how to code. Today's learners must understand cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and the ethical frameworks shaping the tools that increasingly power our lives and livelihoods.
And the stakes couldn't be higher. According to reports from PwC, McKinsey, and the World Economic Forum, AI is expected to fundamentally transform the global workforce by 2050. A rapid evolution that will displace jobs and demand new skills across every sector. In the midst of this technological revolution, those who can harness it will lead. Everyone else risks watching a world that's being reprogrammed without them.
But access to that kind of preparation is far from equal. And as AI tools automate workflows, screen job candidates and power hiring portals that can disqualify candidates based on their gender, age or name, the question isn't just what the tools can do, but who they serve and who has been historically left out. These same systems are already shaping outcomes in ways that reinforce long-standing inequities. Often without the input of the communities most affected.
In healthcare, for example, AI is being used in skin cancer detection, yet studies show that dermatologists are less likely to recommend biopsies for malignant skin cancers on patients with darker skin. While in the financial sector, AI bias is widening the economic opportunity gap with nearly 80% of Black mortgage applicants being denied.
Mancini is one of the voices leading both the conversation and the work to ensure the future of technology is driven by groundbreaking innovation and greater inclusion. She is building real-world solutions to reverse the effects of a tech landscape designed, deployed and governed by those who do not represent everyone. With less than 1% of Silicon Valley tech leadership held by Latina women and even less of these roles held by Black women, entire demographics are missing from the rooms where these technologies are developed.
BGC is on a mission to increase these numbers by equipping young people to see themselves not just as participants but as innovators. As a national leader in tech education, the organization has equipped over 40,000 students in STEAM fields through programs that blend technical skills with creative exploration and critical thinking. From AI and advanced computing to gaming, digital music, and immersive storytelling, BGC's project-based approach is designed to meet learners where they are. Whether through nationwide summer camps or Code Along Jr., a free video-based coding academy on YouTube created in partnership with the globally streamed GoldieBlox series. Participants have the opportunity to workshop real-world solutions to issues that matter most to them and their communities, like a mental health for social justice app developed by a 15 year old learner from New Jersey. With culturally responsive programs for youth and career acceleration pathways for adults 18+, BGC is not just closing the opportunity gap, it's building a pipeline of talent ready to lead the future of tech.
'I want people to know that tech is for everyone, and it doesn't matter how old you are or where you are in life,' Mancini said. 'This is an incredible moment in time where you can opt in and affect change at great scale, so there's no wrong answer to how you start. Just start.'
Mancini, a former executive at Salesforce and 20th Century Fox, stepped into the role of CEO at BGC in late 2023 and unveiled an ambitious new vision. The organization's strategic priorities under her leadership are to advance workforce development and help one million girls of color enter the tech industry by 2040.
'Leading this organization is a great honor. It is my life's work. For years, I poured myself into this mission alongside my previous roles, because I believed in it deeply,' said Mancini. Throughout her career, she's been recognized for her ability to translate complex ideas into emotionally resonant stories that reshape how people see themselves and the world around them. Now, as CEO, she's bringing that same intentionality to tech equity. By using intentional storytelling as a tool to shift narratives, expand access, and reimagine who belongs in the future of innovation.
Family Roots That Transcended Borders
Born in Los Angeles to an Italian father and a Jamaican mother, Mancini was raised at the intersection of cultures, languages, and identities. Her journey took her from California to Italy at the age of five, and then back to the U.S. at thirteen. Her formative years spent as a 'third culture kid' provided real-world lessons on how to adapt, blend in, and stand out all at once.
It was through books that she first discovered the power of storytelling, and through her family that she learned how to build and lead. Her father, an engineer who spoke five languages and started multiple businesses, modeled a curious, entrepreneurial spirit. Her mother, a celebrated dancer overseas, eventually settled down to raise the family, but brought that same creativity and determination into her own business ventures.
'I was always taking things apart that I didn't understand,' Mancini said. 'I'd just sit on my dad's lap and ask, 'Why? Why? Why?' because I really wanted to know.' Whether it was dismantling her beloved Barbie doll to figure out how the hair worked or rebuilding her entire Barbie condo from scratch, Mancini was driven by a deep curiosity and a desire to understand how things worked. Equal parts imaginative and analytical, Mancini's mindset shaped her path as a storyteller, a strategist, and now, as a CEO focused on reimagining who gets to be the architects of the technology that serves everyone.
Listen For The Answers
From an early age, Mancini's curiosity about people became one of her most valuable leadership tools. Growing up across countries and cultures taught her how to listen deeply. First, to adapt, and later, to lead. Today, that same instinct helps her understand the real challenges people face in navigating technology. Listening and putting humans at the center of innovation is what will lead to a world that's more equitable and intuitive.
Her approach to career growth has mirrored that mindset. 'My career has been built by finding the white space, like the spaces where there's opportunity,' she explained. 'This job existed before me, but the last five jobs I had didn't. They were created for me. You do that by paying attention, by looking for opportunities to do different things.'
For her, meaningful innovation starts by inviting real people, not personas, into the conversation. 'A lot of people say they're bringing the customer into the boardroom, but what they're really bringing is a version of the customer that works for their narrative,' she said. 'It's not a real person. Real people will tell you the truth. And sometimes, it might hurt your feelings, but it helps you build something better.'
It's this kind of leadership that defines Mancini's vision for the future of tech. One where innovation doesn't just move fast, but moves forward because it includes everyone.
Rewiring Mindsets For The Future
Stepping into the role of CEO at BGC marked a meaningful career pivot for Mancini, who had already built an award-winning reputation leading at global giants like Salesforce and 20th Century Fox. But after years of witnessing the gaps in representation and access, she saw a chance to do more than lead but to transform from the inside out. Through BGC, Mancini ensures learners in the pipeline are equipped not just with skills, but for what's ahead in a fast-evolving tech landscape.
'It's becoming an epidemic, the lack of Black girls in tech,' she said. 'And I'm worried that with all the conversations happening now, we're going to fall off a cliff at a time when we need to be running toward these technologies. We need to see ourselves in these roles - not just as technologists, but as leaders so we can drive the change that needs to happen. Whether you're Black, Brown, a woman or older, all these voices must be reflected in the technologies that affect every part of our lives.' For Mancini, access is only the beginning. Real success lies in activation.
'It's about making sure that no matter your age, you see yourself in tech,' she explained. 'It can't just be about young girls. It's also people my age, younger, older. We all need to be in tech. None of us should get left behind in this time where there's technology out there that is affecting all of us and all industries. Plus, it's right at our fingertips.' Mancini's quick to emphasize that progress begins by shaking off the fear of getting it wrong.
That's exactly what BGC's curriculum and community aim to dismantle. It's not about pushing everyone into coding. Whether someone aspires to be marketers, investors, educators, or policymakers, it's about equipping all learners with a baseline understanding of the technologies shaping every industry. Fluency in tech is no longer optional.
Technology Built By Us, For Everyone
While more technology is being created by people from historically excluded groups, truly inclusive innovation remains rare. When tech is built by us, it's often built for us. Which is progress, but it's not yet transformational. 'Real change happens when we build technologies that are by us and for everyone. That's how we gain access to more data and more dollars to create more spaces and more leaders.'
She also warns against centralizing control—whether in platforms, institutions, or individual voices. No single platform should be the keeper of all change or dictate what our futures look like.
In particular, she's concerned about how we talk about AI. 'People treat AI like it's this magical, sentient being, but it's still just data in, data out. And if you're not part of the data set, you're not considered.' We need to be thoughtful about what we're feeding it, and who we're excluding.
As BGC continues to empower young learners, Mancini also challenges how we define success. Especially for girls of color growing up in the social media age.
'Someone might feel like they've made it because they have a million followers, or 10 million. And they might be making $100,000 or even a million dollars,' she said. 'But some of the content we're expected to put out in order to get those followers is not always sustainable.'
Mancini encourages learners to imagine something bigger. To consider redefining their ceiling of success so that they talk about ownership and building platforms that scale to a billion dollars. There aren't enough women having those conversations and there definitely aren't enough women making billions in tech. That's what I'd love to see more of.'