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Black Girls Code CEO Kimberly Bryant out as head of organization

Kimberly Bryant

Kimberly Bryant, founder and CEO of Black Girls Code, has been removed from her leadership position but remains on staff.

Kimberly Bryant Black Girls CODE

Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black Girls Code, has been removed from her position as CEO of the organization, she said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Bryant tweeted that she was removed from her position by the board of the organization. She founded the organization, which seeks to create opportunities for young Black women in tech, in 2011 and has served as its CEO since.

"Yes. This happened. It’s illegal. A mess. Without cause," Bryant tweeted.

"When I said a few weeks ago to be VERY careful with who you put on your boards or take VC funds from? This is what I meant," she tweeted.

Black Girls Code said in an emailed statement to Insider that Bryant will remain on its staff as it investigates "serious allegations of workplace impropriety." Bryant is currently listed on the organization's website as its founder.

In an additional statement on Thursday, a special committee formed by board of directors of Black Girls Code said that Bryant has been put on paid administrative leave as it reviews “concerns raised by current and former employees” about her conduct that it received earlier this year. An interim executive director has been appointed to serve in her role in the meantime.

This story has been updated to include Black Girls Code's statement on Dec. 23, 2021.

Nat Rubio-Licht

Nat Rubio-Licht is a Los Angeles-based news writer at Protocol. They graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in newspaper and online journalism in May 2020. Prior to joining the team, they worked at the Los Angeles Business Journal as a technology and aerospace reporter.

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