Portia Kibble Smith

Portia Kibble Smith leads D&I at Karat. She has dedicated her career to helping more Black professionals land jobs within tech and is continuing to pioneer that work. Most recently, Portia was recognized as one of Built In’s 2021 Moxie Award winners for her role launching the Brilliant Black Minds program to empower the next generation of Black engineers, and for her “Real Talk” platform where women and underrepresented minorities can amplify their voices and share their stories. Prior to Karat, Porta worked her way up the tech leadership ladder. Starting as a sales rep at Xerox and IBM in the 1980s, Portia encountered the systemic barriers we recognize today before they had a name. At Sprint, Portia established the company’s first diverse recruiting initiative. A lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association, Portia also serves on the University of Kansas Alumni Association’s National Board. She is a former board member at Howard University’s Business School in Washington, D.C