Recently named one of Boston Magazine’s Top 30 Rising Tech Stars, Kristen Ransom is a prime example of #BlackGirlMagic – an award-winning entrepreneur, engineer and motivational speaker. Kristen is the Chief Operations Officer and Co-founder of Include Web Design, a digital strategy company that provides strategic and graphically stunning web design services to small businesses and purpose-driven organizations. Kristen founded Include with a two-fold mission: (1) to make a powerful online presence more accessible to small business owners and (2) to make a career in web design and development more accessible by training and hiring a diverse team.

The Include team has worked with everyone, from the neighborhood soul food restaurant to larger organizations like, Eastern Bank, that seek to empower small businesses as well. Most recently, Include built the All Inclusive Boston website (www.allinclusivebos.com) and the new Roxbury Community College website (www.rcc.mass.edu). In the past 7 years, Kristen’s accomplishments have been featured in countless renowned publications including Forbes Magazine, The Root, The Bay State Banner and Narcity with Kristen most recently being featured on EssenceNow. 

Prior to starting Include, Kristen used her love for user-centered design at a variety of companies including Harley-Davidson, MITRE Corporation and the Department of Transportation, to develop both hardware and software products fit for an increasingly diverse world. Kristen’s mission is to promote diversity and inclusion through diversity in design. “We’re trying to change the face of tech,” Ransom says, “and this time, everyone’s included.”