As founder of MentorMe, Britt Fitzpatrick recognized the huge need to help others advance in the technology field, early in her teens. “Mentoring has played a huge role in my life since youth. I’ve volunteered as a mentor for 10 years now, and have consulted with new and existing mentoring programs for almost three years. I started MentorMe to help social sector and for-profit organizations scale mentoring as a pathway to education and careers, says Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick’s passion to pursue technology came from the joy she felt from making things. “I’ve always enjoyed ‘making things.’ I particularly enjoyed taking things apart and trying to figure out how to put them back together to make something new using items out of my Granny’s ‘junk drawer.’ I started with VHS tapes and then moved on to old watches and jewelry boxes,†says Fitzpatrick.
“We got our first computer when I was in the 3rd grade and I was fascinated at the idea of making things inside the screen. I would spend hours playing a CD-ROM that I thought was teaching me how to “draw†using the computer, but thanks to my mom, it was really teaching me math,†said Fitzpatrick. My mom was a Math major and a C.S. minor, and looking back most of my favorite “toys†involved math or science in some way. When I got into grad school, I started taking a front-end development class where I learned HTML, CSS and Flash (when it was useful). I found myself learning more on my own, teaching myself more advanced Web development/design techniques outside of class, and eventually I was building websites for churches and small businesses on the side.â€
Using an “eHarmony” approach to mentor matching, MentorMe combines actionable intelligence and innovative mobile technology to better engage mentors and mentees. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the trailblazer to learn more about her journey.
For Fitzpatrick’s transformative work in the technology field, she’s been recognized as one of the Top 10 Young Professionals in Memphis by the Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Top 50 under 40 by American Express, Fall 2014 Points of Light Civic Accelerator, and a 2014 Points of Light Civic Accelerator “Best Pitch,” to name a few.
BlackEnterprise.com: What inspired you to pursue a career in mentorship and technology?
Fitzpatrick: Â Professionally, I got into digital media marketing for nonprofits. The combination of working in the social sector; my natural interest in trying to figure out why things work they way they do so that I can make something new; and my interest in tech led to my passion for applying tech-based solutions to complex social problems.
You left your job to pursue entrepreneurship, please tell us about the biggest lesson you’ve learned from taking the leap from employee to entrepreneur?
“Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally.†It’s a quote from Janice Bryant Howroyd, the first African American woman to own a billion-dollar company.
Describe your experiences as a black woman in the tech space?
I have the same challenges as every other tech founder in trying to take a company from an idea to a scalable business. However, there are still some hidden biases within the tech culture that I’ve had to learn to navigate and am still learning to navigate. Rather than allow those attitudes or beliefs to define my entire experience in tech, though, I’ve used them as fuel to build a successful company so that I can open doors for others.
(Continued on next page)
As an ambassador and advisory board member of @100GirlsofCode how are you getting young women in your community involved on Aug. 8?
The Girls Day of Code on Aug. 8th will feature events around the
world, through which girls in STEM will hear talks from women in STEM and gain hands-on coding experience. As an advisory board member of 100 Girls of Code, I speak at workshops, participate in media appearances and other promotional opportunities, and aid in sponsorships and strategic planning for the organization.Who inspired you the most?
I’m inspired by anyone with the courage to be 100% themselves. I admire and respect genuine people.
Your best piece of career advice for a young woman pursuing a career in technology.
I’m not interested in being the next, “insert name of tech icon here.†Your path doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. Build your own path, celebrate your strengths, and find mentors to help fill in the gaps. You need people to validate your idea. However, you don’t need anyone to validate you.