Morales has her eyes on the future.
FunTimes Business Insider
Every year, Shannon Morales’ Diversitech event theme adapts to reflect community needs. One year focused on innovation and business; another honed in on career changers. But at its core, the training company remains about empowering individuals to see themselves in spaces where historically they’ve been excluded.
Ever since she was a young girl, Shannon Morales saw herself as a leader. In her mind’s eye, she was striding down a grand staircase in a power suit, briefcase in hand like a boss, walking into a room filled with possibility. She didn’t know what kind of business she’d lead, but the image never left her. Today, that vision has taken shape, not just as a personal dream realized, but as a platform that is redefining and transforming the tech and work culture for underrepresented communities across America.
Morales is the proud founder of Tribaja, a talent-sourcing platform and community designed with Black, Brown, and marginalized professionals in mind. Once feeling unheard and unseen, she has emerged now as a full-time CEO and founder spearheading a major company that’s effectively building access and community for people like herself. It was a caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation. Her purpose and passion has led to action.
Growing up Afro-Latina, often felt Morales like she was straddling two worlds; she was fully present in both, yet not always feeling entirely accepted in either place. This duality shaped her perspective and later, her mission. After graduating from William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ in 2014, she entered the world of corporate finance. Although the work was steady, something was surely missing.
“I didn’t see people who looked like me in leadership,” recalled Morales. “I didn’t feel heard or valued.” That experience planted the seeds for something bigger. She started a side hustle helping friends from underserved communities to navigate job searches. She would vet companies herself making sure they truly walked the walk on diversity before recommending them to her network. That small gesture became the spark for what would eventually grow into her first venture, Echo Me Forward, in 2017.
It was a bold move rooted in a deep sense of responsibility to her community. Echo Me Forward was about passing wisdom along, “echoing” it into the future, to create a loop of support and access for the next person in line.
But it didn’t stop there. In 2020, just as the world was grappling with a global pandemic and a social reckoning, Morales made a pivotal decision. She rebranded her company to what we now know as Tribaja, a blend of the words “tribe” and “trabaja,” which means “work” in Spanish. It was a name that reflected not only her heritage but also the community-driven mission of the company.
Morales has the tech world at her fingertips.
Tribaja wasn’t just a pivot, it was a powerful expansion of her vision. Morales saw a gap: not in talent, but in visibility and access. “I was building a tech product and couldn’t find the team I needed people who understood the lived experience of underserved communities. Not because the talent wasn’t out there, but because there wasn’t a central place to find us.”
So she created one.
Today, Tribaja connects diverse talent, Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ+, moms, and career change-makers to inclusive companies in the tech and startups’ world. It’s a job marketplace, yes, but it’s also a movement, a space where people find not just jobs, but belonging.
One of the most notable manifestations of Tribaja’s mission is Diversitech, a flagship training event launched in 2021. “Representation isn’t just about hiring,” Morales said. “It’s about storytelling, visibility, and access.” And that is what Diversitech brings to life.
Diversitech has evolved into a powerhouse experience, from boot camps and panel discussions to live recruiter speed interviews and real-time job offers. It celebrates the richness of the tech industry’s overlooked talented people who don’t necessarily code but thrive in customer success, marketing, or product roles. At last year’s event, a job seeker landed a role with Tech Impact. It’s just one of many stories that proves that the model is working.
Every year, the event’s theme adapts to reflect community needs. One year focused on innovation and business; another honed in on career changers. But at its core, Diversitech remains about empowering individuals to see themselves in spaces where historically they’ve been blocked.
That commitment to creating inclusive spaces hasn’t come without its challenges. As an Afro-Latina entrepreneur in tech, Shannon has faced the frustrating and all-too-common experience of being underestimated. “I’ve been told I didn’t ‘look technical,’she recollects. “I didn’t even know what that meant,” she said. “I’ve been questioned, sidelined, and had to prove that I belonged in rooms I’d already earned a seat in.”
Exclusion fueled her mission. Morales embraced her identity fully, refusing to dim any part of herself. She sought out mentorship and community through business- support organizations like Techqueria and Philly Startup Leaders, spaces that helped her scale her impact and refine her voice.
Her honesty about the landscape of hiring in the age of AI is refreshing. While many speak about AI’s potential in idealistic terms, Morales offers a grounded perspective. “AI is a double-edged sword,” she said. “It can streamline hiring and remove bias, but only if it’s designed intentionally.” At Tribaja, they explore ethical uses of AI, focusing on tools that help candidates articulate their strengths and values while keeping human connection at the core of their vetting process.
“AI should empower us, not erase us,” she explains.
Shannon knows that the challenges of breaking into the tech industry extend beyond resumes and skills. It’s about confidence, networking, and navigating unspoken cultural norms. That’s why Tribaja exists to serve as both a bridge and a guide. “You can add tech to what you already do,” she says, adding “That makes you stand out.”
One of the most rewarding moments in her career came when a candidate cried tears of joy after landing their first tech job through Tribaja. “That is the magic that keeps me going,” She says proudly.
Morales has a seat at the table for everyone.
And her movement to build equality in the tech universe is still growing. With plans to expand Tribaja into new cities like Detroit, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Boston, Shannon is building a national network that reflects the future of work and the world. She also is working on new platform tools from AI-assisted coaching to virtual portfolios that will help job seekers go beyond the application process and into long-term career development.
Diversitech 2026 is already on the calendar March 19-22 at Rivers Casino in Philadelphia and Shannon can’t wait. This year, the event goes hybrid, connecting professionals across borders, expanding Tribaja’s global footprint.
For Shannon Morales, the journey from a young girl with a dream to a tech trailblazer wasn’t about finding a seat at someone else’s table. It was about building her own chair and making sure there’s room for everyone. She is not just creating jobs.
“The vision is bigger than me now,” Morales philosophizes. “And that’s the most beautiful part.”
Oluwadamilola is a versatile professional with a passion for digital marketing and social media. Graduating with a degree in Chemistry, she discovered her true calling in the dynamic world of online marketing and content creation.
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