Jumi Barnes is a Managing Director, Global Head of Investment Banking Division (IBD) Digital Platform Engineering, and Technology Fellow at Goldman Sachs. She is responsible for delivering the foundational components for IBD's digital strategy. Since 2022, Jumi has served on Pursuit’s Operating Board, where she offers her years of experience and expertise to advance Pursuit’s mission to create economic opportunity for underrepresented and under-resourced communities by building pathways to life-changing careers in tech.
Previously, she led several digital transformation initiatives within the Global Markets Division, overseeing the development of new applications and delivering operational efficiencies through workflow simplification, digitization and automation. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2007 as an analyst in the Technology Division in London and relocated to New York in 2010.
In our conversation with Jumi, she reflects on her first foray into tech as a teenager in London, the importance of opening doors for those who are traditionally denied access, the power of showing up as your full self, and more.
Can you tell us a little about your background and how you got involved in the tech industry?
My journey into the tech industry began very early. While in high school, I convinced the owner of a real estate agency, based in South London, to digitize his business, which led him to begin listing properties on the web and taking bookings online. He offered me a Saturday job and gave me a budget. From there, I procured some IT infrastructure, built the company website, and decided I wanted to impact the world – using technology – just like Bill Gates.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing minorities in general, or Black people in particular, in tech today?
Although not specific to tech, a significant challenge for anyone belonging to any underrepresented group is that, at each junction, whether it be securing a place in a prestigious university or achieving a career milestone, there are folks who believe you are only there because of the group with whom you identify. In other words, you’re a “token,” rather than someone there based on merit – your unique talent, achievements and hard work. This creates unnecessary pressures for one to “code-switch” to fit in or constantly prove that you deserve to be in places or at tables where you rightfully belong.
What does a diverse, equitable and inclusive tech industry look like in the long-term?
It’s an industry in which people from all backgrounds, races, genders, and identities have equal and equitable access to opportunities, resources, and leadership positions. It’s an industry that celebrates diversity – where people feel welcomed and valued for their unique perspectives, experience, and contributions to the field – and ensures that people from underrepresented communities don’t face discrimination, bias, or stereotypes in ways that limit their growth and advancement. We are not there yet, but we must all press towards the mark of a higher calling.
Our mission is to create pathways to economic opportunity for communities that are typically underrepresented and under-resourced. What led you to join Pursuit’s Operating Board, and what role do you see Pursuit, and yourself, playing in helping create the kind of transformation we care so deeply about?
The quote “talent is universal but opportunity is not” resonates here.
Growing up in an underserved community in London, I was passionate about technology but had very little access to the corporate world. A local non-profit, however, coached and equipped me to land my first internship at a large financial institution. This opened up a world of possibilities for me, both economically and professionally.
Pursuit’s mission is to open similar doors of opportunity for others, and my role on the Operating Board gives me an opportunity to pay it forward.
What advice do you have for racial minorities, or black women in particular, who are considering careers in tech or who are already working in the industry?
Representation matters. There is power in showing up, and everyday I am inspired to show up and speak up as my authentic self. Be it as a wife, a mother, a Christian, an introverted tech leader, or having the latest “natural” hairstyle, people need to see “the art of the possible,” which starts with each person being the change you want to see in the world, as the saying goes.
It’s also incredibly important to pursue your passion. I love what I do. I love solving complex technical problems and leveraging technology to optimize business processes. Although tech careers are not limited to software development roles, coding is a universal language that can open doors, regardless of background, social status, or the industry of choice. If you hold back from pursuing your passion or dreams because you don’t see others who look like you, then when will there ever be others who look like you?
Keep pushing forward, keep breaking barriers, and keep celebrating each win everyday and every step of the way.
