Malinda Williams has been a staple in film and television, with appearances in popular showslikeThe Cosby Show and Sister, Sister.
Despite a successful career, she faced a period of stagnation, which sparked her interest in technology. In an interview withAfrotech, Williams revealed how a chance encounter with a codingbook led her to teach herself programming languages over 15 years ago.
This newfound skill inspired her to launch empowerment platforms for women, especially in her community.
“I taught myself how to code and build websites at atimewhen you really had to know the code,” Williams said. “Thatexperienceempowered me and opened my eyes to the opportunities intech, especially for women.”
Launching the Arise and Shine Foundation
In 2023, Williams co-founded the Arise and Shine Foundation Inc. with her sisters, Leslie Williams-Dunn and Lisa D. Williams-Sorensen.
The foundation focuses on connecting and educating underserved women and girls, offering programs like an HBCU coding boot camp designed to provide both technical skills and the confidence to succeed in the tech industry.
“As a successfulactor,peopledidn’t want to hear mystoryofadversityor know that I can code. But that’s exactly why I’m sopassionateabout this work—we have to push through theexpectationsandfocuson what we’re truly capable of,” Williams explained.
“The young ladies blew our minds,” Williams told Afrotech.“They felt valued, trusted, and empowered—knowing that major organizations are willing to invest in their futures makes a hugedifference.”
Following the success of this inaugural program, Williams plans to expand the boot camp to more HBCUs in 2025, with a goal of reaching every single HBCU across the nation.
“Ourvisionis toimpactevery HBCU,” Williams said. “Next year, we’ll be at a differentschool, and I ultimately want to do atour, bringing thisopportunityto regions across thecountry.”
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