Imagine going to your job daily, knowing you’re helping people find love.
That’s what Kenya Fairley, Planning & Partnerships Associate Director of Trust and Safety, Candi Williams, Content Design Director, and Macketta Johns, Senior Manager of Social and Content, have to look forward to every day as executives at Bumble, the dating and friendship matching app designed with women in mind. Fairley, Williams, and Johns are some of the powerful voices shaping Bumble’s vision to redefine what it means to build safe, inclusive, and engaging online spaces while paving the way for more representation in the tech industry.
They sat down with ESSENCE to share what it’s like for Black women to work in the love tech business.
On what it’s like working for a company that puts love first.
There’s a reason 4.2 million people choose to be paid users of Bumble. It prioritizes the safety and security of its customers. But that doesn’t just apply to them—the team feels the love too.
Fairley, planning, and partnerships associate director of trust and safety with Bumble, said her values align with her role at Bumble, which involves developing strategic alliances, implementing policies that protect users from harm, and advocating for better industry standards. With a background rooted in advocacy and social impact, Fairley’s leadership ensures that Bumble remains an app where everyone, especially women, can engage without fear.
“It’s been a fascinating opportunity to bring a lot of different skill sets and experiences in my background, from working with NGOs to the government to working as a trauma-informed birth doula, just bringing all of that experience to bear on the work that we do at Bumble, which is really about supporting women and also then being able to bring that diversity into our Melanin Hive has been amazing.”
The Melanin Hive she’s referring to is Bumble’s Black ERG (employee resource group), which empowers the company’s Black employees to connect (globally) to empower and support one another.
Black (work) love.
With nearly 1,000 employees working globally, it’s easy to get lost in the fray, especially for Black employees. That’s why the company encourages its teams to lean into the various ERGs, even in the face of consistent corporate DEI rollbacks. One of the most impactful is the Melanin Hive. Fairley and Williams work out of Bumble’s UK office. Johns, however, is located in the US, and she says the Melanin Hive has been a source of support in times of national uncertainty.
“I’m the only one here in the US–just knowing that I have that group to tap into has been so, not to get emotional, but important,” Johns told ESSENCE while fighting tears. “Even down to getting on a call and seeing faces that look like yours, you don’t even think about how much that will affect you, but it does.”
Fairley seconded this notion.
“Coming into the Hive has been nice in terms of connecting with so many other Black people across the business,” she shared. “Because being an American working in Bumble’s UK office, it can be so easy to feel disconnected because you’re remote working most of the time. But even going into our office in London, it’s still nice to see familiar faces and know that you can have a sidebar conversation, get some support, or just process or debrief about something happening.”
Williams, a UK native who Johns describes as “one of the most empathetic people” she knows, shared that she feels a haven amongst her colleagues.
“Being able to show up and be your authentic self, speak in your language, is important at work,” Williams explained. And she would know. Before joining Bumble, she studied linguistics and how language and communication affect all aspects of life.
Now, she’s the driving force behind Bumble’s messaging. With expertise in inclusive design, Williams ensures that Bumble’s language and user experience reflect its mission of empowerment and diversity.
Advice for Black women in aiming to break into the proper tech role for them.
Tech jobs in the US are projected to grow at twice the rate of the overall workforce in the next decade, but it’s not always easy to find the right opportunity for you, especially as a Black woman.
Workplace biases, microaggressions, and deprioritization of DEI are all concerns that loom over a job seeker, but Johns suggests forging ahead anyway.
“Apply, go for it,” she advised.
Working out of Bumble’s US office in Texas, she recounted her experience applying for the job and boldly reaching out to the recruiter to ask questions.
“I did my research and wasn’t afraid to show that I wanted to learn more about the company right at the onset,” she shared. This is unsurprising, considering she’s held the lead social media strategy, ensuring the company’s message reaches and engages diverse audiences.
She said Black girls looking to break into tech shouldn’t allow fear to hold them back.
“Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too young because someone is going to apply for a role because they think they can, so why can’t you? I feel like so often as black women, we talk ourselves out of opportunities, and it shouldn’t be that way. We are so capable. And once we believe in ourselves, that is the biggest weapon because we can accomplish anything we want.”