Tinisha Bookhart

Tinisha Bookhart points to two experiences she had when she was young that fuel the passion behind her DE&I endeavors.

“When I was in school, it was very difficult for me to stay in school,” she recalls. While studying computer science full time, she also held down full-time jobs so she could continue her studies and help support her family.

Then, once landing her first job out of college, Bookhart found she was the only Black technology employee in her workplace. “There aren’t many people who look like me in my field. And as my roles have changed into executive positions, the number of Blacks at that level are even fewer.”

Today, as founding partner and director of IT and consulting at Primary Talent Partners, Bookhart focuses on increasing Black technology worker representation in the contingent workforce. She is making progress: In 2023, 30% of her company’s tech placements self-identified as Black, which is nearly four times the industry average.

For Bookhart, supporting a diverse workforce starts with helping students stay in school and providing opportunities that will lead them to high-quality employment once they graduate.

“I wanted to create space for something different to bring more people who look like me into technology positions,” she explains, “and then into more senior positions where they may not have had those opportunities before.”

We … believe in the value of experience and how much more valuable students appear to employers as a result of these experiences.

That’s why Bookhart launched PrimaryPathways, which provides paid internships for students of historically Black colleges and universities. Through the program, her company has funded more than $300,000 in scholarships and internships over the last three to four years. PrimaryPathways provides meaningful work experience that not only improves students’ chances of landing a job in their field of study but also increases their earning potential. “We really do believe in the value of experience and how much more valuable students appear to employers as a result of these experiences,” she says.

Bookhart urges those in the staffing industry as well as employers to push forward on DE&I efforts. “Look internally to identify your gaps and go after them. Just get started,” she adds, “Inclusion as a whole is not as far away as we think it is. It doesn’t have to be as difficult as it seems.”