BBG Tech: We Gotta’ Grow the Black Tech Community in West Virginia

By Aiden Satterfield

West Virginia’s tech scene is on the right track, but we have to grow the Black tech community to make it truly shine. Black entrepreneurs are out here coding, securing digital systems, and sparking innovation, yet they’re often overlooked in West Virginia.  Initiatives like BBG’s Black on the Map are stepping up to change that, giving these tech trailblazers the spotlight they deserve. As a cybersecurity nerd, I have so many ideas and want to help create Black tech leaders who can lock down our state’s digital future while building wealth for our communities.

Black West Virginians, just 3.2% of the state’s population in 2023, have tech exposure gaps. National data states that only 9% of Black students earn STEM degrees, unchanged since 2010, and in West Virginia, limited access to tech education worsens this. A 2024 report found a 51% gap between Black students’ aptitude and exposure to computer tech careers, with even less access for Black girls. 

Back in 2020, Morgantown’s Black Business Now website tried to promote Black-owned businesses, including tech startups, showing what’s possible when we lift each other. WOWK article: Morgantown woman launches website. 

That was five years ago, and though that site is now gone, the vision is still the same. 

West Virginia’s $2.4 billion tech industry is perfect for people of color to shine, but we need more voices to diversify all the companies driving it. 

The struggle is real, though, rural broadband gaps in McDowell County and scarce startup funding hold Black techies back. Cybersecurity is non-negotiable, and free tools from the National Cyber Security Alliance can help keep rural businesses safe from hacks. 

Know a Black tech founder in the state? Drop their business on Black By God’s Job Opportunity Board. Let’s grow this Black tech community. West Virginia’s future needs its spark.