Stephanie Lampkin’s journey through the tech industry is a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership. A self-taught coder by the age of 13 and a full-stack developer by 15, Lampkin has long defied the narrow expectations of who gets to succeed in tech. With degrees from Stanford (BS in Management Science & Engineering) and MIT Sloan (MBA), her résumé includes stints at Lockheed, Microsoft, and TripAdvisor—not to mention founding two startups.
But even with her technical chops and elite credentials, Lampkin was once told she wasn’t “technical enough” for a role at a major tech firm. That experience, combined with the glaring underrepresentation of Black women in tech roles, led her to launch Blendoor, a software company aimed at eliminating unconscious bias in hiring.
Blendoor initially tackled the problem by masking bias-triggering data—names, photos, and ages—to focus recruiters on qualifications. But after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Lampkin pivoted. It became clear that representation alone wasn’t enough. She developed BlendScore, a proprietary index that tracks how well companies live up to their diversity promises, bringing transparency and accountability into the conversation.
Now, Lampkin is moving the narrative beyond social good. Her focus is on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and fiduciary responsibility, positioning diversity not just as a moral imperative, but as a risk management and business intelligence issue. It’s a shift she believes will drive more sustainable and systemic change.
Having raised $1.7 million in venture funding, Lampkin is among a rare group of Black women founders to pass the $1 million mark. And in 2024, Blendoor was quietly acquired—proof that building for equity can also build value.
Stephanie Lampkin isn’t just advocating for change—she’s engineering it.
