People of Color in Tech

What People of Color in Tech does

People of Color in Tech (POCIT) is a Brooklyn, NY-based for-profit private organization whose stated objective is to highlight the achievements of people of color within technology and startups in order to inspire others. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Michael Berhane and operates with a headcount of 1-10 employees. Its commercial footprint is event-driven and community-led, anchored by founder dinners and curated in-person gatherings that connect early-stage founders from underrepresented communities with venture capitalists and major ecosystem partners.

The core offering is not a software product but a programmatic community and media property. Distribution runs through regional in-person events (such as the Houston, TX founder dinner co-hosted with Microsoft for Startups on October 28, 2024) and earned-media coverage via the peopleofcolorintech publishing property. The company has no disclosed proprietary technology platform, no public API, no app, and no productized software offering in the source data. It does not publish pricing, and there is no disclosed revenue model, ARR, or paying customer roster.

POCIT's customer base is structured around two personas: early-stage founders from underrepresented communities who seek capital access, mentorship, and peer support, and venture capitalists who use the platform as a deal-sourcing channel for diverse founders. The only named commercial partner in the available data is Microsoft for Startups, with Build-A-Way referenced as a case-study startup benefiting from that program. There are no disclosed funding rounds, investors, ownership details, or financial metrics, leaving the company's monetization, scale, and capitalization as material open questions for any diligence process.

Name

People of Color in Tech

Website

https://peopleofcolorintech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

People of Color in Tech (POCIT) is a Brooklyn-based community platform that runs founder dinners and networking events connecting underrepresented early-stage founders with venture capitalists and ecosystem partners such as Microsoft for Startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tech Community & Networking Events

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Diversity in tech
• Founder community events
• Tech networking dinners
• Underrepresented entrepreneurs
• Startup ecosystem support

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

POCIT curates and hosts community-led events, notably founder dinners and networking gatherings, that connect early-stage founders from underrepresented communities with venture capitalists and technology ecosystem partners such as Microsoft for Startups. The organization also operates editorial coverage through its peopleofcolorintech publisher to document and amplify achievements of people of color in the technology and startup sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Microsoft for StartupscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 October 2024POCIT hosted a founder dinner with Microsoft for Startups in Houston, Texas on October 28. The event brought together early-stage founders and venture capitalists to foster connections and community. Microsoft for Startups showcased their support offerings including credits, infrastructure, and advisory services. The event also featured Build-A-Way as a case study startup benefiting from the program.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• The Plug: The Plug is a B2B media platform covering Black tech and startups, including reporting on funding, founder profiles, and ecosystem events. It is comparable to POCIT in mission (elevating Black founders and tech) and in leveraging editorial content alongside events, though it is media-led rather than event-led.
• Blavity: Blavity is a media and entertainment company and community for Black millennials, including founders and creators. It is comparable to POCIT because it operates a content + community model aimed at amplifying Black professionals and entrepreneurs, though at substantially larger scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Dreamers//Doers: Dreamers//Doers is a private membership community for top women tech founders and funders, convening members through curated events and a trusted network. Like POCIT, it is a community-led organization focused on closing access gaps for an underrepresented group in tech and venture, making it a directly comparable peer.
• Latinx in Tech: Latinx in Tech is a community organization that hosts events, mentorship programs, and networking for Latinx professionals working in technology. It is a directly comparable peer to POCIT because it serves the same function for a different underrepresented group in tech — community convening, employer partnerships, and visibility programming.
• Black Women in Tech: Black Women in Tech is a nonprofit community that supports Black women across the tech ecosystem through events, mentorship, and career resources. It is a directly comparable peer to POCIT as a community-driven organization serving underrepresented tech talent and founders through in-person convenings and corporate partnerships.
• All Raise: All Raise is a nonprofit community that works to increase diversity in venture capital by supporting women and non-binary investors and founders. Like POCIT, it operates as a community-led organization convening underrepresented founders and investors through curated events and programs, making it a close functional peer.

Others

• Human Rights Campaign (HRC) - Equality in Tech programs: Large advocacy organizations such as HRC convene corporate leaders and operate inclusion programs aimed at underrepresented professionals, including in tech. They are comparable to POCIT thematically as advocacy/community organizations serving underrepresented groups, though they operate at vastly larger scale and broader scope.

Broad incumbents

• Black Founders Fund (Google for Startups): Google for Startups Black Founders Fund provides cash awards and support to Black-led startups across the US. It is comparable to POCIT because both target underrepresented founders and partner with major technology platforms (Microsoft for Startups for POCIT, Google for Black Founders Fund) to deliver community and resources.
• SoftBank Vision Fund Emerging Entrepreneurs / Opportunity Fund: SoftBank's Opportunity Fund and broader diversity-focused investment programs back underrepresented founders with capital and ecosystem support. It is comparable to POCIT because both aim to channel capital and resources toward underrepresented tech founders, though SoftBank is a much larger incumbent that operates as a fund rather than a community convener.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pocintech
• Facebookfacebook.com/poctech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10238455

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about People of Color in Tech