Sian Morson studied film at NYU and dreamed of creating projects that would inspire people. Today, she's still about creating human connections, but now her vehicle is technology.
The Oakland-based tech-preneur is CEO of Kollective Mobile, which develops mobile applications for start-ups, entrepreneurs and agencies. The company has a dozen employees (most of them engineers) and recently celebrated six years in business.
"I never really thought I'd see tech as a career option," says the native of Antigua, who grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and later moved to New York. "Some years ago, I worked at an ad agency as a project manager. I wound up building websites!" she chuckles, noting that her expertise was honed via on the job training and online courses.
The businesswoman was among multiple speakers that participated in Black Tech Week, which was held in Miami this year. The 2nd annual event has drawn hundreds of Black techies, inventors, social media influencers, venture capitalists and community leaders for educational sessions and networking.
Morson, who is currently working on a new start-up called Cast Beauty.co (she describes it as a mobile app that will meld with the beauty industry), urges people of color, especially Black women, to consider careers in the digital space. "Now is the perfect time. You have to do your due diligence but the barriers are lower and there is so much opportunity."