Black Women Tech Leaders On Beating Back Impostor Syndrome And The Power Of A Career Pivot

Earlier this month, in the heart of Atlanta, the fourth annual RenderATL event took place, filling the city with young people from all across the country. If you’re new to it, “Render,” as I often heard people refer to it, which started in 2019 and was founded by CEO Justin Samuels, is a multi-day tech conference for industry professionals looking to learn from and network with the best in the business. It’s grown incredibly over the years in its footprint.

I had the pleasure of attending to moderate a thought-provoking fireside chat with Imani Ellis, founder and CEO of the Creative Collective agency and the brains behind the mega-popular CultureCon conference, and Beverly Jackson, the VP of Brand and Marketing at Zillow, at Ponce City Market for the conference. It was a greatly impactful time.

Both women left behind what many would consider dream jobs to be where they are now. Ellis was at NBC Universal working with Bravo (even kickstarting BravoCon), while Jackson was changing the game at Twitter (now known as X). The ladies talked about finding the courage to leave those roles so that they could have a greater impact.

“Although I truly was in my dream job at NBC, I couldn’t help but notice that The Creative Collective and CultureCon were growing, and as they grew, they demanded more and more of my attention,” Ellis shared with ESSENCE, following the fireside chat, about the spaces she’d built to help creatives have the resources they need to thrive. “I heard a little whisper that said, ‘It’s time,’ and soon after, I realized that my purpose was attached to building this community, and I wanted to give these pursuits my full attention.”

“At first, I resisted the idea of becoming a full-time entrepreneur, but as I continued to think about the possibilities, I became excited,” she adds. “I began saving up, said my prayers, and took the leap. I was so scared to change, but I was more scared of staying the same. Sometimes, discomfort can be a great catalyst to growth.”

Jackson agrees. The opportunity to contribute to solving the housing crisis with Zillow was too great to pass up, and it was an opportunity for her to stretch herself.

“After years of working in marketing for big brands, I am now more focused than ever on having a purpose-driven career, where I can support my organization while also making a positive impact on people’s lives,” she says. “This mission led me to join Zillow, where I am proud to champion our ‘housing super app’—a one-stop platform for buying, selling, and renting properties. This is the important work of providing information, tools and resources to make real estate more transparent, fair and equitable,” she says. “Zillow is dedicated to creating new possibilities in real estate. There are few things as powerful as home – and every day, I get to help make home a reality for more and more people.”

One of the most impactful moments during the panel was hearing the women share their truth about how they face impostor syndrome as Black women in leadership roles. The thoughts of “Do I belong here? Do I know what I’m doing? Am I going to fall on my face?” are ones they too have encountered.

“Through my career journey, I’ve discovered that the key to overcoming self-doubt lies in shifting the focus from inward uncertainty to outward inspiration,” Jackson says. “Whenever I tackle a new role or project, I prioritize being a leader who motivates others to thrive. By channeling the energy from self-doubt into creating a supportive and innovative environment for my team, I can create a safe space for creativity and innovation. Embracing our core value, #BetterTogether, we recognize that we’re stronger when we work as a team. We value what each and every person at Zillow brings to the table and strive to consistently treat each other with respect, empathy, and appreciation in serving our customers, community, and partners. This empowering approach not only drives collective success but also helps us all rise above moments of self-doubt. I believe in playing for the front of the jersey and rallying a call for building teams who win by working together.”

Ellis says one piece of advice forever changed the way she looked at herself when entering into rooms with other tech industry leaders, especially ones who don’t look like her.

“I was recently reminded by a mentor that an imposter is defined as a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others,’ and that’s not who I am,” she says. “Every room you’re invited to, you belong in. In this next chapter, I am embracing what I know and what I don’t know. If I know something, I can stand fully in it, and if I don’t know something, I’m not afraid to ask. This allows me to stay true to myself, and in that truth, I know I am not an imposter.”

Getting to share these gems of advice with the audience was motivating for those present but also enriching for Jackson and Ellis. Both women benefited from interacting with guests and from learning one another’s experiences of being underpaid and underappreciated at one time or questioning stepping into one’s purpose to become the successful changemakers they are today. Jackson especially loved offering insight into a space filled with the next generation of Black tech leaders and knows how important that is.

“The energy at RenderATL was electric! As a Black woman, I’ve sometimes found myself in positions that felt isolating, so I deeply understand the importance of seeking connections and inspiration both within and outside my organization,” she says. “At Zillow, our Employee Resource Groups, like ‘Billow’ for Black Zillow Employees, are instrumental in fostering connection, diversity and inclusion internally. Engaging with external communities like RenderATL provides additional practical advice and motivation. These connections are crucial for diversifying the tech industry and tailoring our products and services to meet the needs of diverse consumers. I’m committed to building strong communities to drive impact.”

Both women are grateful to have had the chance to use the RenderATL platform and Samuels’s clearly popular conference to inspire Black professionals.

Their best advice for those individuals about the power of making a pivot in your career is guidance that can encourage anyone, whether you’re in tech or not.

“Date your dream first,” Ellis says. “As tempting as it is to jump out of the window, you can actually test your idea out. Is there a true demand for what you’re selling? Do you already have any customers or anyone interested in becoming a customer? Also, set a financial goal of what you need to survive each month and begin to save towards it. If you do decide to leave your 9-5, you want to make sure that money stress isn’t at the top of your list [of concerns]. Having to worry about money immediately can distract you from your vision and force you to make compromises that you wouldn’t make if you had a few coins stacked up.”

“Knowing your worth and being courageous are essential,” says Jackson. “The best advice I can give is to be brave, and take the leap. After doing your research and understanding that a change is necessary for your situation and goals, don’t hesitate—just go for it and see what happens. I believe in striving for excellence, so if you sense it’s time for a change, trust your instincts and make the move.”

She adds, “Your safety net is the wisdom and expertise you’ve acquired over time, which remains with you forever. If you’ve put in the effort, you have the fallback of your hard work that can support you if you need to pivot multiple times until you discover what truly fuels your passions. I don’t hesitate to embrace change because I’ve put in the work over the last 20+ years and the body of work is proof of concept.”

My time getting to know both women, both on the stage and off, was impactful. It’s always a pleasure to learn the stories of industry leaders, and it’s even more of a memorable experience when they look like you.