About

/about

engineering excellence, together.

who we are.

/dev /color is the global career accelerator for Black software engineers, technologists, and executives. And, we are the go-to accountability partner for the companies who invest in, employ and are led by them.

What started as a small squad in 2015 has grown to a community of 600+ professional members. Nearly 1,000 leaders have participated for one or more years in A* (A Star), our flagship peer mentorship program for software engineers. And, our global community reach across all media outlets is more than 20,000 strong. By design, /dev/color brings Black engineering leaders together to surface and solve some of our most pressing challenges – for us, by us, and we’re just getting started!

show up, level up,
and thrive.

Software engineers are uniquely positioned to improve the world—a single developer can design products that change millions of lives and the course of history as we will know it. Yet, progressing in the industry while Black remains exceedingly difficult.

Together, as squads, companies, and communities, we are changing the game by engineering excellence and advancement for Black software engineers, technologists, teams, and companies.

we are committed.

As Black software engineers,
technologists, and partners we will…

accelerate collective advancement
of Black technologists.

increase our access
to executive leadership.

increase accountability
for racial equity, representation,
and belonging in our partnerships.

connect Black technologists
and employers to cultivate
and increase impact.

get involved.

support our work

become a member

become a partner

member stories

Learn about William “MJ” Hill, a front end developer at New Relic, and his work in environment-related software engineering.

Read More

Sydney Smith is a Senior Software Engineer for CNN. Learn about her transition into tech, experience with /dev/color, and how she won an Emmy for her work.

Read More

We spoke with Atlanta-based A*member Marquita Priester about how she turned the crises of 2020 into opportunities for #winning.

Read More

how it all started.

Over the years, Black leaders have been largely excluded from the fastest-growing technical careers in the nation.

Inspired to build community and impact, our founder, Makinde Adeagbo, convened a small group of fellow Black software engineers in Silicon Valley to start /dev/color.

They had each others’ backs, helped each other grow, and set the stage for /dev/color’s signature peer mentorship program, A*, to grow. Since then we’ve helped one another make career moves, learn new technologies, start companies, and find our squad in Silicon Valley and across the country.

our board of directors.

Aneesha Raines

Former Head of Engineering, O(1) Labs, Fractional VP of Engineering, and Coach

Aston Motes

Angel Investor

Brian Mariner

Software Engineering Manager
Apple

Damien Peters

Founder, Wealth Noir

DeVaris Brown

Board Chair

Co-founder + CEO, Meroxa

Grant Oladipo

COO, Pulley

Jason Norman

CEO, KOOLADE

Kamilah Taylor

Head of Financial Products Engineering, Gusto

Priscilla Alfaro

Engineering Manager, Chime

Rhonda Allen

CEO of /dev/color

Window Snyder

Founder and CEO, Thistle Technologies

our CEO.

Rhonda Allen serves as CEO of /dev/color, which equips Black software engineers and technologists with an unparalleled community of support, accountability, and professional development to shape the future as technology industry leaders.

She leads /dev/color with the deep conviction that advancing Black technologists will strengthen communities and accelerate progress toward a more equitable future.

our team.

Ashley Ankney

Chief of Staff

Aston Motes

Engineer in Residence

Rachael Brinker

CFO

Ravyn Williams

Program Manager

Rhonda Allen

Chief Executive Officer

Shannon Lee

Interim Head of Strategy + Special Projects

annual report.

To learn more about /dev/color, access our latest Annual Report through the button below.