Product Leadership

Black History Month: A spotlight on black product leaders

This Black History Month, we celebrate the brilliance and leadership of individuals who have made significant strides in tech and have become voices for diversity in the product world.

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This curated list highlights 16 black product leaders actively shaping the industry, breaking barriers, and serving as beacons of inspiration for aspiring product professionals looking to improve their product craft. In alphabetical order, here goes…

Adam Thomas – Product management coach and consultant

Kicking off this list is Adam Thomas, a seasoned Product Leader, has a track record of leading high-performing teams. With a wealth of experience in product strategy and development, Adam has been a driving force behind the success of numerous products, coachingleadership teams, and speaking and hosting engaging product events. His commitment to mentoring those in the product field has left a lasting impact on the organisations and individuals he has invested his time and resources in.

Annie Jean-Baptiste – Director of Product Inclusion and Equity, Google

Annie Jean-Baptiste, the Director of Product Inclusion & Equity at Google, who is a trailblazer in championing inclusive product principles in big tech. Annie has been instrumental in creating frameworks that enable product teams to build more inclusive and equitable products. Her advocacy of diversity and equity throughout the product development process, from conception to launch, has earned her recognition as a thought leader and influencer.

Her book, Building for Everyone, is available now for anyone looking to learn more about key strategies and step-by-step processes for inclusive product design.

Brittany Bankston – Product Director, BCG

Brittany Bankston is a Product Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Known for her strategic thinking and operational efficiency, Bankston has undertaken various product leadership roles and has played a key role in growing a diverse network of Black productmanagers in her previous role, as President and Co-founder of Black Product Managers Network.

Christian Idiodi – Partner, SVPG

Christian Idiodi, Partner at Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG), has made significant contributions to the world of product managementand diversity. Known for coaching and developing teams to build innovative, disruptive and market-transforming technology products. In addition to his role at SVPG, Christian sits on the board as Chairman for Innovate Africa Foundation with the aim of enabling practical tech solutions for Africa’s social and economic issues

His dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion within the tech industry is evident through his advocacy efforts.

Dontae Delgado – Senior Product Manager – Tech, Amazon

Dontae Delgado, a Senior Product Manager at Amazon, combines creativity with a deep understanding of user experience. He prides himself on turning customer problems and desires into great user experiences, transforming professionals to accomplish their goals, and developing meaningful ideas into useful businesses. As a coach, mentor, advisor, and product manager with 15+ years in the tech industry, he focuses on transforming professionals on their career journey and guiding entrepreneurs into meaningful ventures.

Ebi Atawodi – Director of Product Management, Creator Experience, Youtube

Ebi is in a product leadership role at Google, building YouTube Studio – the Creative Partner for Creators. She was previously the Director of Product at Netflix and at Uber. Over the last two decades, Ebi has always cared for building sustainable products and making a lasting impact on customer lives.

Ezinne Udezue – CPO, WP Engine

Ezinne Udezue, currently the CPO at WP Engine, has been key in transforming organisations and driving product strategy in the roles that she has held. Ezinne has a unique balance of creative, technical and management experience and has demonstrated this in her various positions in tech. She’s skilled at getting people, teams, and organizations to be high-performing.

Her advocacy for diversity in technology and entrepreneurship has positioned her as a trailblazer, inspiring others to pursue their passions in product.

Felix Watson Jr. – Lead Product Manager, Google

Felix Watson, Jr. brings a wealth of experience as a Lead Product Manager at Google. Felix is a software engineer turned product manager who has developed products for companies ranging from startups to large enterprises. His insights into product strategy and development have positioned him as a thought leader in the field, focusing on leveraging technology to address real-world challenges.

Funmi Alassan – Manager, Product and Program Management, Apple Store Online

Funmi, Manager, Product and Program Management at Apple, is a strong advocate for equity, inclusivity, and responsible tech. She’s undertaken several leadership positions, such as a Product Director for Tes, and Chief Product Officer at Togetherall. She is a strategic thinker with a strong customer focus and over a decade of experience building commercially viable products. Funmi is committed to using technology to solve real-world problems.

Jesse Owens II – Executive Director, Product, Embedded Finance, Wells Fargo

Jesse Owens II brings over 17 years of tech experience across digital payments, banking, e-commerce, and marketplaces. With a highly accomplished yet humble approach, he has served in various product leadership roles at Solo Funds, Mastercard, Squire Technologies, Chegg, and JPMorgan. Jesse’s unique perspective as a former software engineer turned product management executive enriches his strategic insights and innovation-driven leadership. Rooted in a personal mission to empower communities to thrive in a progressive society through technology, he prioritizes a deep understanding of human beings, their mental models, and iterative value creation for all.

Keji Adedeji – Product Director, FT

Keji Adedeji, Product Director at FT, has over 12 years of experience building product in B2B, B2B2C and B2C organisations. Her leadership and commitment to driving innovation have been key to the success of various products. Keji has also been passionate about building product communities by sharing what she has learned to help us all improve our product craft. In addition to leading products and building communities, Keji has also been passionate about helping product people develop through mentoring.

Oji Udezue – CPO, Typeform

Oji Udezue is an innovation-focused business leader and general manager. As a CPO at Typeform and a previous Head of Product for Creation and Conversation at X (formerly Twitter), he has had a proven track record for building products and bringing them to market, while managing and mentoring high-performance teams.

Phyllis Njoroge – Keynote Speaker, Author

Phyllis Njoroge is a Keynote Speaker, Author, and Coach. She specialises in sharing advice on Imposter Syndrome, a challenge that many product managers have to manage at some point in their careers. She’s written a book, From Fraud to Freedom,to help those navigating imposter syndrome.

 

Quincy Hunte – VP of Digital Products, Qata Airlines

Quincy Hunte is a recognised global product innovator and leader. He has over 20 years of experience in product management, transforming product teams and building products people and businesses love. As Vice President of Digital Products at Qatar Airways and previously Global Transformation Product Leader at Amazon, Quincy continues to drive global impact across multiple industries, building on an impressive career.

Ronke Majekodunmi – Product Leader and Keynote speaker

Ronke Majekodunmi, a seasoned product leader, who is at the forefront of shaping product strategy and diversity in product. Known for her strategic thinking and collaborative approach, Majekodunmi is an industry leader in launching customer-centric products. Her dedication to fostering diversity in product teams has led to creating more inclusive and innovative products.

Tobi Otokiti – Lead Product Manager, Flutterwave

Wrapping up this great list is the amazing Tobi Otokiti. With over 10 years of product management experience, Tobi has a track record of delivering innovative technology products in Africa, the US, and Europe.

Her work in product reaches financial and EduTech technology products. She’s worked with three unicorns (Flutterwave, Andela and Interswitch). Additionally, Tobi is recognised as one of the top 10 female product management leaders revolutionising Africa’s tech space. She is also a product mentor at Google Launchpad.

As we celebrate Black History Month, it’s essential to recognise and amplify the voices of these trailblazers who continue to inspire change, break barriers, and pave the way for a more inclusive and innovative industry in product management. Stay tuned for more content during Black History Month.

Is there someone that you have in mind that we missed? Let us know in the comments below, or email editor@mindtheproduct.com

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