CEO of Black Girls Code shares how she got a ‘foot in the tech landscape’

Black Girls Code CEO Cristina Mancini explains the difference between a mentor and a sponsor in the business world, as well as the sponsor who played a key role in promoting her career in technical industry.

Before he led the non-profit Black Girls code, Mancini went through the C-suite, with which he held executive vice president positions in Studios in the 20th century and served as a chief marketing officer and chief engagement officer at Salesforce. She attributes her successful business climb to the relationships she cultivated with mentors and sponsors.

“I was really lucky”, Mancini told CNBC makes it At the Fast Company Innovation Festival. “I have had some incredible mentors and sponsors who have contributed to accelerating my career.”

The resident of Los Angeles, who also spent eight years of her youth in Italy, developed her technical skills at work and received a career-changing sponsorship while navigating challenges with an IT director in the 20th century. In 2015, during her 13-year term of office at the company, she was given the task of deepening the involvement of fans with the 20th-century properties, in particular through digital connections. But she missed the necessary technical support and the head was not willing to help.

“I had a hard time because the IT director who was assigned to me did not take me seriously,” said Manicini, adding that “I needed technology. I had to test technology, and he wouldn’t help me.”

While he was looking for a solution to tackle the lack of technical support, Mancini caught the attention of John Herbert, former Chief Information Officer to Studios from the 20th century, who offered guidance instead of criticism.

“You will find that if you keep doing that, the CIO will eventually visit you in your office,” she said. “Fortunately, instead of punishing me for that, John asked, what did I try to achieve?”

“He also introduced me to these technical organizations such as HP and Microsoft,” she added. “That led me to really found my foot in the technical landscape.”

The experience underlines the most important difference between mentorship and sponsorship. Mancini explains that listening mentors and helping to improve CVs, while sponsors open doors and place in the rooms where you can build your own connections.

At Black Girls code, Mancini leads the strategic efforts of the organization to promote the development of staff and help a million girls of color in the technical industry by 2040. Through cultural responsive programs for youth and career acceleration paths for adults aged 18 years and older, BGC has become a national leader in the Technical Education in Technical Education in the Technical Education in the Technical Education in the Technical Education in the Technical Education.

“I want people to know that technology 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 register and influence change on a large scale, so there is no wrong answer to how you start. Just start.”

Related content: Accenture steps up to diversify technical talent pipeline