My Tech Story Is Not Polished, But It’s Powerful
The raw, unfiltered truth of how I broke into tech, found my voice, and built a movement.
Thirteen years ago, I was a young single mom living in a women’s and children’s shelter in Washington, D.C., trying to figure out what was next.
No degree. No roadmap. Just a deep desire to create a better life for my son — and a gut feeling that tech might be the way out.
I had been working retail jobs, earning minimum wage, and I knew I couldn’t raise my son the way I wanted on that kind of paycheck. But going to college for four years wasn’t an option — I didn’t have the luxury of time. I needed a fast, tangible way to create real change in our lives.
That’s when I found Year Up — a one-year program offering six months of technical training and six months of internship experience. I chose the hardware track and soaked up everything I could, from email etiquette to desktop support.
After my training, I landed an internship at a nonprofit. I was quick, efficient, and curious. My manager saw that and made me an offer: if I could teach myself PHP and JavaScript by the end of my internship, I could join the team full-time as a Junior Software Engineer.
Challenge accepted.
I graduated with a job offer and keys to my first apartment.
That was the start of everything.
You may have seen my viral story before:
“Single Mom In A Shelter To Software Engineer… And I’m Just Getting Started.”
But what those headlines don’t show are the sleepless nights studying with a newborn.
The rejections because I didn’t have a degree or a bootcamp name on my résumé.
The self-doubt that crept in when I was pushed out of my first real tech job due to office politics and misogyny.
Still, I pushed forward. I moved my family to Charlotte, North Carolina — betting on a fresh start in a growing tech hub. That leap paid off.
I was featured in The New York Times.
I landed a six-figure role at a FANG company.
I became a mentor, speaker, and advocate.
I thought I had “made it.”
Then came the recent layoff.
Like many others in tech, I found myself suddenly unemployed. The job I loved was gone. My sense of security — shaken. And just like that, I was staring down the uncertainty I thought I had left behind years ago.
But here’s the thing: I’ve been here before. I’ve faced harder.
And every time life has tested me, I’ve responded the same way — by betting on myself.
So after a month of rest and reflection, I asked myself a question:
What if this moment isn’t the end? What if it’s the beginning of something bigger?
That’s when TechniDox was born.
TechniDox is more than a startup.
It’s a reflection of my entire journey — one rooted in equity, access, and radical inclusion.
I’m building tools that empower developers and technical writers, especially those who don’t come from traditional paths. I aim to make tech education more accessible, documentation more inclusive, and opportunities more visible for individuals who are often overlooked.
I’m still in the middle of my job search, looking for a company that sees the full value of what I bring. But in the meantime, I’m not waiting on a seat at someone else’s table. I’m building my own.
This isn’t just a comeback.
It’s the next chapter in a story I’ve been writing for over a decade.
If you’ve ever doubted yourself…
If you’ve ever been underestimated…
If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t belong in the room —
This journey is for us.
Thank you for being part of it.
Let’s keep going. Let’s keep building.
With love,
Brii
