Danielle Forward is a Makahmo Pomo software designer and entrepreneur, who founded the nonprofit organization Natives Rising aimed to help indigenous people pursue careers in the tech industry. She is also known for her role as an activist for indigenous people.[1]
Early life and education
editDanielle Forward is a member of the Makahmo Pomo tribe and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.[1] Raised by a single mother, she witnessed the intergenerational trauma that many indigenous people experience today. Her experience inspired her to want to help other indigenous people.[2]
At Santa Rosa Junior College, Danielle Forward obtained her Associates in Social Behavioral Science and Global Studies.[1] Forward took ten years to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts from California College of the Arts in its interactive design program, working part-time and going into debt in order to finance both her schooling and her living situation in California.[1][3] She graduated as valedictorian.[2]
Career
editEarly career
editWhile attending college, Forward worked various jobs to pay for her education. She worked as a personal assistant, barista, GameStop employee, ice cream and smoothie seller, and coder for drug testing data.[1] After graduating from California College of the Arts, she was hired at Meta Platforms as a User Experience/User Interface (UX/UI) Designer, initially on the Connectivity team before moving to the Social Impact team.[4] She stayed at the company for five years, until leaving Meta in 2023 to work on Natives Rising full-time.[2]
Natives Rising
editIn 2022, Forward teamed up with Betsy Fore and Hannah Cirelli, both indigenous women interested in empowering indigenous Americans, to create Natives Rising. Primarily focused on students and women, Natives Rising provides services for indigenous people to gain access to careers in the technology industry through three programs that are available nationwide: Founders Circle, a Native Women's Tech Fellowship for those pursuing bachelor's degrees, and an Indigenous STEM Camp.[3][5]
Activism
editBuilding on her involvement as a lead in Meta's employee resource group Native@Facebook, Danielle Forward became involved in advocacy for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).[1] She also currently serves as Head of Design and board member of the nonprofit organization MuralNet, which aims to provide access to broadband internet for tribal communities.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Fast Forward: Facebook Catches a Rising Star - Native Business Magazine". 2022-12-02. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ a b c "Danielle Forward: Empowering Indigenous People Through Tech, Entrepreneurship". Nasdaq. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Breen, Amanda (2023-10-09). "She's Making Tech Careers Accessible for Indigenous People". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Indigenous Facebook Product Designer Inspires Young Natives to Break Into Tech - Native Business Magazine". 2021-01-24. Archived from the original on 2021-01-24. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Oxendine, Chez (2023-09-28). "MIT Solve announces 2023 Indigenous Communities fellowship cohort". Tribal Business News. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
- ^ "About". MuralNet. 17 April 2024.
- ^ "User Profile | MIT Solve". solve.mit.edu. 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2024-04-08.