ABOUT US

Colorintech was started in 2016 to spark action, create community and help increase diversity in Europe’s tech economy.

We exists to inspire, accelerate and connect underrepresented talent

Founded in 2016, Colorintech was started with the belief that a more inclusive tech industry is better for products, innovation, employees and leads to a larger generational impact when it comes to wealth creation and closing opportunity gaps.

Feeling frustrated with being one of a few black individuals in tech, Silicon Valley tech executive Dion McKenzie and ex-Googler Ashleigh Ainsley teamed up to create a nonprofit that would help to increase the number ethnic minorities entering the UK tech workforce and inspire thousands of past and future leaders join the movement.

Colorintech is focused on one mission - to make Europe the most inclusive tech hub in the world.

Since then, Colorintech has been focused on one mission - to make Europe the most inclusive tech hub in the world. We do this by building programs that create access to some of the world’s most innovative companies for ethnic minorities.

“We need to create an industry that’s open to diverse thought whilst building capabilities and democratising access to  knowledge, capital and network for underrepresented talent.”
Read founders letter

Impact

What we have achieved
to date

Over

30k

Community of underrepresented talent and allies

more than

5,000

have graduated from our
programs

Exactly

3%

BAME representation in tech

Our story so far

Our milestones since we launched in 2016

2015

UK tech ecosystem goes maintream

London starts to become Europe's tech capital with large tech companies and startups establishing offices and venture capital funding on the...
2016

A Europe nonprofit

British angel and Silicon Valley executive Dion McKenzie sees Europe is woefully behind the US on diversity in tech and teams up with ex-Googler Ashleigh Ainsley to start Colorintech
2017

Launch Silicon Valley Immersion

The pair pilot an Immersion programme that brings 12 talented UK university students to Sillicon Valley to connect with leading tech companies and build their networks
2017

FTSE Tech Diversity Report

With a lack of data on diversity, Colorintech commision and publish the first UK tech industry report that looks at diversity in tech and at leadership - find 4% of tech leaders are BAME
NOV 2018

Google.org support our work

Colorintech are the recipent of Google.org's largest Europe grant focussed on D&I - we scale our programming to support students, entrepreneurs and professionals
2019

Launch pre-accelerator

Colorintech launches the first pre-accelerator for underrepresented founders. 12 founders go through the program and raise $500k post program
2020

The pandemic & George Floyd

The COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd and others prompt us to pivot our programming to virtual. Colorintech founders also partner with Informa Tech (the organisers behind London Tech Week) to launch the inaugural Black Tech Fest as part of Black History Month
2015
2016
2017
2017
2018
2019
2020

NEWS

As seen in

We've been featured in many leading publications and have received several awards in recognition of our work

Press coverage

Meet the team

Our amazing team brings to life our vision everyday

Temitayo Odukoya

VC & Startup Lead

Fife

Special Projects

Laura

Future Talent Partnerships

Cheyenne

Content & Community Lead

Clare

Project Lead

Alysha

Future Talent Lead

OCTOBER 2024

Black Tech
Festival 2024

Black Tech Fest is a movement that takes the form of a three-day festival to celebrate Black culture and inclusive technology

Check it out