Rakia Finley is the Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Surge Group and Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer of FIN Digital. She is responsible for leading and strengthening both companies’ offerings and success internationally. Rakia continues to serve as a resource for diversity and inclusion and frequently speaks on topics such as women in leadership, organizational change, inclusive leadership, and global diversity and inclusion. With over 13 years’ experience in the information technology industry, she has become an industry expert on organizational issues associated with digital creation and growth. As a FemTech 2016 & 2017 Powerful Woman Programmer, Rakia continues to develop innovative technology solutions that have gone to support national organizations and created over 50 jobs in the Washington, DC area.
Outside of managing her firms, Rakia continues to lead initiatives on workplace challenges for women of color in hopes of developing solutions for building more productive and inclusive workplaces. Rakia founded Pastries and Champagne (now SATT) and additional initiatives geared toward educating future female leaders on the tools of working in male-dominated industries through honest discussion with women in leadership positions. She partnered with the Obama Administration on the White House Council on Women and Girls to bridge the gap between women entering STEM fields.
Rakia is a serial investor and entrepreneur with ventures in a number of industries nationally. Rakia loves to empower her fellow women by speaking and providing mentorship to the next generation of businesswomen. She is a successful entrepreneur who thoroughly enjoys engaging with the tech community and sharing all the wisdom she has garnered throughout her journey.