Emily Hawkins ’06

Emily Hawkins ’06 never envisioned herself as an entrepreneur. She was a dancer with professional aspirations until she was sidelined by an injury, prompting a different path. She majored in sociology with a concentration in African-American studies and became president of the Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Those campus experiences led to the leadership philosophy she still carries today.

“I was thinking back to the leadership roles I held at Columbia and how they taught me to manage a team and think strategically,” Hawkins says. “That is the groundwork and foundation from which my leadership philosophy comes.”

That foundation resurfaced years later when Hawkins began organizing gatherings for her fellow BIPOC colleagues in 2021 after starting a new job at Amazon. She realized these relationships and resources could benefit a larger community and founded The Black Tech Collective in 2022. The volunteer-run organization facilitates community and networking among Black tech professionals to advance representation within the industry.

“The work was so personally fulfilling that I wanted to build something that would be company-agnostic and in service of the broader industry,” Hawkins says.

The Black Tech Collective has grown from a young LLC to a full-blown 501(c)(3), expanding from networking events in the Washington, D.C., area to conferences and programming across the country. Hawkins, who is CEO of the organization, hopes to secure funding to expand resources for Black tech founders and provide greater access to relationships, opportunities and support to help them thrive.

“While the current environment presents its challenges, our name and purpose are here to stay,” Hawkins says. “Holding true to our identity is a core principle for us.” Hawkins was recognized with a 2025 Heritage Award Rising Star from Columbia’s Black Alumni Council, which she says was especially meaningful. In both her role with The Black Tech Collective and her job in external community engagement at Google, she continues to draw on the lessons she learned at the College: to lead with purpose, bring communities together and create opportunities.

“I think there’s something to be said about when you’re operating with purpose and the kind of fortitude it can unlock for you,” she says.

— Emily Driehaus