Under Elizabeth’s leadership, Byte Back’s innovative training pathway is earning national attention and support. Prior to joining Byte Back in 2015, Elizabeth served for four years as the Chief Operating Officer of Groundswell, a DC-based environmental nonprofit. She oversaw Groundswell’s evolution from a start-up, community-based organization into a nationally-recognized social enterprise.
She earned her bachelor’s from Swarthmore College and her master’s in public affairs and urban and regional planning from Princeton University. Elizabeth led development efforts for small, minority, and women-owned businesses for the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, and she helped develop new workforce training programs in high-demand sectors for the DC Department of Employment Services.
Elizabeth serves on the Federal Communications Commission’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment and is a member of the Washington, DC mayor’s Innovation & Technology Inclusion Council. She is on the Board of Directors of The Workplace DC, the Goodwill Excel Center, The Engine Room, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. She competed in two WeWork Creator Awards pitch competitions, winning a total of $720,000 for Byte Back.
As a recognized leader in tech and inclusion, Elizabeth was one of The Root 100 most influential African Americans of 2019 and was selected for the Washington Business Journal’s most competitive list – 40 Under 40. She was named a 2017, 2018, and 2019 Tech Titan by the Washingtonian and won a DC Inno 50 on Fire award, DCA Live New Power Woman of DC Tech award, and the Champion of Digital Equality Award from the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. Elizabeth was also named a 2019 Enterprising Woman by Tagg Magazine and a 40 under 40 Queer Woman by the Washington Blade. She led a panel at SXSW in 2018 and was named a top 100 leadership speaker in Inc.
Elizabeth is dedicated to helping people thrive in a digital society and to creating a pathway to living-wage careers for thousands of people.
In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys the Capitol Hill neighborhood with her family, travels, and “geeks out” about pop culture, nonprofit management, feminism, and current events.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
