ACTIVIST

TECH FOUNDER

MISS BLACK AMERICA

HER

STORY

Ryann Richardson made history when she became the 50th Anniversary Miss Black America. Before that, the tech executive-turned-founder and Diversity & Inclusion advocate spent 10 years building brands and culture for companies spanning early-stage startups (Victor) to billion-dollar "unicorns" (Uber) to the Fortune500 (T-Mobile).

Her work earned her a spot as the youngest honoree on Savoy Magazine’s list of Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America, and set her on the path of discovering her unique purpose as a champion for underrepresented voices.

Today, the social entrepreneur leads the TAKE UP SPACE MVMT, a social action campaign focused on creating social, political, and economic power for historically marginalized communities, and is building her company, Ellington Lafayette Co., as a new type of tech incubator, focusing exclusively on startups that drive social equity for women and people of color.

A TEDx and Keynote Speaker, Ryann travels the US giving talks on diversity and inclusion, representation, and building solutions for a more equitable world.

As a political activist, Ryann champions public policy that better serves long-marginalized and exploited communities and was a national campaign surrogate for Pete Buttigieg's 2020 Presidential campaign.

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