Black Girls Code is guided by a dedicated Board of Directors, whose expertise across sectors advances the organization’s legacy of extending chances and dissolving barriers for girls of color in tech.
Damier Xandrine has 20+ years of experience advising tech and financial services companies. She has held senior roles at Wells Fargo, Silicon Valley Bank, and Marqeta, before Tala.co. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley, UC Hastings College of the Law, and has an MBA in International Business. She is passionate about advancing education and wealth opportunities for girls and the Black community.
John Herbert is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in information technology and media. Currently, he serves as the CIO & EVP at Fox Corporation, overseeing Enterprise, Media, and Digital Platforms. This role places him at the helm of technological strategy and innovation across the company's vast media and entertainment portfolio. Prior to his current position, John was CIO at 20th Century Fox Film. His tenure was marked by significant digital transformations and overseeing global operations and content distribution. Before his career in media, John spent more than a decade in the automotive industry.
Lisa Serwin is a recognized expert in healthcare tech and finance, highly experienced in both start-ups and established organizations. The author of So Many Shoes, So Little Money: A Girl's Guide to Finance, she has been featured on Wired.com, Forbes.com, SheKnows, Huffington Post, CBS Radio, NPR, Popular Science, and others. Named one of the 20 women in finance you should add to your company's board by Business Insider, she holds the MBA from Loyola Marymount University and the BA from UCLA.
Selina Suarez is an accomplished tech professional and the force behind PepUp Tech, a transformative nonprofit organization that supports people from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in tech. By actively advocating for diversity, her thought leadership and commitment to equality have earned her recognition as a prominent voice in the tech community. Prior to launching PepUp Tech, Selina gained invaluable experience, working for several renowned companies, most recently Salesforce. She holds the MBA in Executive Management from St. John's University in New York City.
Neeracha is a Board Director and Advisor to Nintex, an automation management software company. She has built a 25 year career at blue-chip companies such as Salesforce, Asana, Oracle and smaller startups - leading diverse go-to-market functions including the largest Customer Success and Renewals organization in the technology world. She holds B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from Stanford. On the philanthropy front, she currently serves as the First Vice President on the board of Girl Scouts of Northern California, and is passionate about empowering girls and women of diverse backgrounds with the tools and confidence to lead.
Mashea Ashton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Pioneers Academy (DPA), a charter middle and high school in Southeast Washington, D.C. focused on empowering students with essential skills for the future.
A dedicated advocate for educational equity, Mashea has spent her career advancing opportunities for young people. Mashea began her journey in education as a special education teacher at Anne Beers Elementary in Ward 7 of Washington, DC.
She previously served as the CEO of the Newark Charter School Fund, leading a $48 million initiative to enhance the quality of charter schools in the area. She also held senior leadership roles at New Leaders for New Schools, the New York City Department of Education, and the KIPP Foundation.
In 2023, she was appointed to the Virginia Board of Education. Additionally, she serves on the boards of Black Girls Code, the William & Mary Foundation, the Center for Learning Equity and Washington Leadership Academy. She is a graduate of William and Mary in Virginia. Mashea and her husband are the proud parents of twins currently in middle school.
