In an article by InformationWeek back in 2018, Sr. Data Scientist Sophie Searcy stated, “Given the critical role data scientists play in how data is used (or misused), it’s imperative that we fairly represent everyone impacted by our work, which is to say, all of us. In order to ensure that this happens, the data science industry must be absolutely committed to hiring and developing diverse talent.” She went on to state, “when blacks make up 13% of the US population but represent just 1% of hires at our leading tech companies (look no further than Google and Amazon for examples), something’s wrong.”

Women make up only 16% of the population of data scientists and machine learners, according to online community kaggle. While there are no statistics to confirm, trends from other industries would indicate the percentage for women of color in the data field is exponentially lower. I had the chance to speak to Sadie St. Lawrence, the CEO and founder of Women in Data to discuss women’s role in data and where she sees data going in the future.