When Shaniqua Davis applied for jobs, she got far more responses when she used the name Shawn. A little research showed what she had already figured out: people with male and white-sounding names are much more likely to get called in for an interview. But switching between Shaniqua and Shawn didn’t seem like a sustainable option. “I was legitimately tired of changing my name,” says the 26-year-old entrepreneur. “I realized that I needed to create a platform where people are not overlooked for jobs on the basis of their name.” It would be a place where they could share resources, tips about job openings, and relevant news about the job market.
I encourage women from all backgrounds to crush stereotypically defined norms. Become the face of whatever you want to accomplish and give it all that you have.
The result was Noirefy, a job referral and resource platform geared toward people of color. Launched late last year, the Chicago-based Noirefy has already gotten a lot of positive press. Davis is thrilled with the response from the community, especially since most of the publicity has been word of mouth. “Right now I’m doing all the marketing, operations and coding for the website and the app,” says the member of Chicago’s WeWork National Building. “I’m really bootstrapping.” This year will be a big year for Noirefy: expanding the platform, bringing onboard a bigger team, and securing a first round of funding. But it’s all worth it if she can help people get their foot in the door. “Referrals are the number one way people get hired,” Davis says. “We want to help people take advantage of that fact.”
