Angela Nakalembe is an operations leader, internet safety expert, and advocate for responsible AI development, prominent in the vast world of responsible internet use and cybersecurity. As a Program Manager at YouTube, Angela’s main line of work is protecting the platform’s billions of users by leading strategic initiatives focused on safety features and risk mitigation. Her work has earned multiple Google Product Excellence awards, as well as a wealth of expertise in internet safety.
Breaking Barriers in Tech Leadership
As a woman of color working in tech, Angela always had an invested interest in innovation and social impact, especially in how platforms as massive as YouTube have the power to influence society for better or worse, how it must balance this responsibility with user freedom. This has led her to kickstart initiatives within the platform aimed at towing this line ensuring that the platform remains a secure space for over 2 billion users worldwide. Her expertise in content moderation and AI-driven safety systems has made her a key figure in the intersection of technology and social responsibility within the tech sector.
Before joining YouTube, Angela honed her strategic expertise as a management consultant. She led multimillion-dollar technology migrations for Fortune 50 companies across a range of industries, where she developed the skills to manage complex, high-stakes projects. This background in consulting has been invaluable in her work at YouTube, where she drives large-scale initiatives across multiple engineering teams and stakeholders to ensure safety across the platform.
Mentoring Women of Color in Tech
In addition to her leadership and pioneering work at YouTube, Angela has gone out of her way to ensure her career path opens up the trail for more women of color in the industry. This mainly manifests through her involvement with the TechWomen program, an initiative by the U.S. Department of State where Angela has mentored emerging female technology leaders from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East.
The program connects young women with networks, resources, and opportunities to help them reach their real potential within the tech industry, and has already helped over 1,000 women ever since its inception in 2011. Many of these women have gone through Angela’s mentorship and managed to build stable careers in the industry thanks to her guidance.
Wellness Advocacy Beyond Tech
A Leader Shaping the Future of Tech
Angela Nakalembe’s career serves as a model of how innovation is often a byproduct of one’s personal struggles. She had to go through all the challenges of being a woman of color in the tech industry, and, by rising above them, she has elevated several others of her race and gender. And, through her work in internet safety, AI, and mentoring, Angela is not only helping to shape the future of digital safety but also advocating for more women of color to enter and thrive in the tech industry. Her dedication to responsible innovation, community well-being, and mentorship makes her a powerful force in empowering the next generation of leaders in technology.
So, if you’d like to reach out to Angela Nakalembe in order to work with her to further drive such necessary change, you can do so at her LinkedIn page.