How Entrepreneur Barbara Jones-Brown Succeeds in a Male-Dominated Industry

Barbara Jones-Brown is an award-winning technology CEO and founder of Lillii RNB, a computer consulting firm in Georgia. She has a unique and inspiring story of success as a black woman in a historically male-dominated industry. She joins Bridget Fitzpatrick on this episode of her The Female Founder to discuss her career as an entrepreneur in tech.

Jones-Brown stumbled upon her passion after taking computer programming classes in high school and quickly falling in love with software engineering. Her first revelation took her relatives by surprise, but her motivation, and the support from her friends and family, made her software, architecture, and her 20-year career of coding a success, culminated in founding her own business.

By the time she founded Lillii RNB, Jones-Brown was no stranger to entrepreneurship. She already ran her own business as a software consultant, but to pursue her own passion, a bigger business with her team and greater customer opportunities was the perfect way for her. I noticed something. Her workforce, mostly women, came from a variety of backgrounds and was often hired straight out of college, giving her a head start in her programming career. Her company provides software her engineering and technology integration solutions to her Fortune 500 clients in the retail industry. Their work has caught the attention of other successful women, including legendary athlete Serena Williams, who is a proud investor in the business.

One of the most important skills that helped Jones-Brown realize this dream was discipline, which she learned during her tenure in the military. told me,” she says. At the time, the military was also segregated on the basis of gender.

This experience in a male-dominated field proved to be another advantage for Jones Brown. explains that conscious bias is pervasive, stating, “People weren’t used to seeing someone like me in the field.” Being black put her under more scrutiny than other women, but for Jones-Brown, the challenge meant an opportunity. “For me, being one of the first girlfriends was tough, but it was also a way of bringing someone like me into space,” she explains.

Jones-Brown and Lillii RNB is an amazing success story and a testament to perseverance in the face of adversity. She hopes black women will hear her story and feel empowered to pursue her passion and goals.

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