I was born in the ghetto of Paris, and I witnessed my mother rebuild her life while raising three daughters on her own. From an early age, I saw that being Black, female, and ambitious meant constantly proving your worth in environments that weren’t built for you. These experiences showed me that the rules weren’t designed for people like me, so I decided to rewrite them.

I chose to be the change I wanted to see. I created GTA Black Women In Tech to elevate and increase access for Black women across Europe, and I launched Black Rise to build a global ecosystem that supports Black professionals and entrepreneurs. These platforms have enabled over 22,000 career connections, delivered more than 2,200 free books to schools and libraries, and empowered thousands to rise above limitations placed on them.

Flavilla Fongang

The experience and journey of going against the grain and challenging the norm has been bold, uncomfortable, and empowering. You are often the only one in the room, the one who challenges the comfortable narrative. But discomfort is a catalyst. I turned it into energy, into drive, into something productive. Speaking up when it's easier to stay silent taught me that change doesn’t come from conformity. The more I stepped forward, the more I opened doors for others.

We need more than conversations, but even more action. We need infrastructure, accountability, and sustainable investment. Corporate commitments must go beyond optics to deliver measurable results. Representation must be built into leadership development, funding, product design, and hiring strategies. Equity should not be a side project; it should be central to every business and innovation plan.

Flavilla Fongang

I am proud of creating The Voices In The Shadow, a legacy book that tells the stories of nearly 200 Black women in tech, distributed for free in schools to inspire the next generation. I am proud of building Black Rise, a social business that has already raised over $300,000. I am proud to have been invited to speak at institutions like Oxford University and to have been a guest at the Palais de l’élysée, while always using my voice to advocate for others.

I am a Disruptor because I don't wait for permission. I challenge how success is defined and who gets to lead. I use data, creativity, culture, and tech to rebuild systems that were never designed with us in mind. I merge profit with purpose, and I have never been afraid to question what others accept as the norm. I don’t just create space. I build new realities that prove what’s possible.

Flavilla Fongang is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur and an international keynote speaker.  Computer Weekly named her the number 1 most influential tech woman in the UK in 2022. Mercedes-Benz awarded Flavilla the “She’s Mercedes” businesswoman award among women such as Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook. She is the founder of Black Rise, the first AI-powered business platform that connects Black professionals & businesses to facilitate connections, sharing knowledge and opportunities. She is also the founder of the largest European non-profit dedicated to Black professional women in tech, Global Tech Advocates. She is an Entrepreneurship Expert with the Entrepreneurship Centre for Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and a UN brand partner. She is the author of “99 Strategies to Get Customers”.