Alexis Williams
Alexis Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupations | Engineer, activist |
| Known for | Sustainable fashion |
Alexis Williams is an American activist, engineer, and advocate for sustainable fashion. She founded the brand Softwear by Lex which uses recycled technology waste to create clothing.
Biography
[edit]Williams grew up in Chatham, New Jersey,[1] and graduated from Chatham High School.[2] She was first introduced to computer programming through Kode with Klossy, a program started by supermodel Karlie Kloss to help young women learn computer science skills.[3] One of her first projects involved controlling prosthetic fingers[4] and she won an award at a 2019 hackathon event.[5] She also cites the 2017 film Hidden Figures as providing additional inspiration to get into coding.[3] Williams enrolled in the New York University Tandon School of Engineering in 2019.[1]
In response to the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, Williams launched a website called PBR; initially standing for Police Brutality Resources, its goal was to provide "the Black community with the necessary social justice tools to fight against discrimination".[6] Later renamed to Progress Building Resources, the website offered social organization and educational tools and explains how to help out efforts such as Black Lives Matter.[7][8]
Williams founded the sustainable fashion brand Softwear by Lex in 2023.[9] In 2026, DoSomething recognized Williams as one of its "9 Black STEM Trailblazers Breaking Barriers and Inspiring Innovation" for her combining computer science, activism, and sustainable fashion.[9] She uses recycled technology to create clothing that "blends masculine and feminine aesthetics", citing how both fashion and technology are major contributors to climate change.[10] Williams won Best Senior Project from her NYU STEM program for her work in creating the program.[11] She graduated from NYU in 2023.[10]
Williams has talked about her struggle with impostor syndrome, acknowledging it can be common for women in a STEM field.[11] She cites the positive response to her PBR website as encouraging her own activism and has called for more Black girls to learn coding skills: "I have found that activism starts with speaking out about things you experience in your own life. Tell your story, and people will start to listen. It is also really important to reach people in other ways as well."[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Horvath, Bruna (December 7, 2023). "Beyond NYU: From coding websites to creating wearable tech". Washington Square News. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
- ↑ Wright, Peggy. "Parkland shooting survivors' bus tour brings gun control campaign to Morristown", Daily Record, August 9, 2018. Accessed July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 Patnana, Meghana (2022). "Alexis Williams: An Activist Fighting for Change Through Code". Pulse Spikes. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ Cheng, Andrea (March 24, 2025). "How Can We Make Tech More Inclusive? This 23-Year-Old Is Fighting For Change". Refinery29. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ Crespolini, Russ (April 5, 2019). "Chatham Students Pickup Two Hackathon Awards". Patch Media. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ Kpakima, Kumba (February 7, 2023). "Meet The Student Using Code To Promote Racial Justice And Equity". PeopleOfColorInTech.com. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- 1 2 Grieg, Jon (June 26, 2020). "For Those Wondering What They Can Do Right Now, This NYU Student's Social Justice Website Is Filled With Answers". Blavity. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ Edwards, Ella (March 31, 2022). "Chatting Stem, content creation and more with Alexis Williams". Our Era. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "9 Black STEM Trailblazers Breaking Barriers and Inspiring Innovation". DoSomething. February 25, 2026. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 Camas, Joanne (July 7, 2025). "Alexis Williams advocates for social change through computer science". Mission. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- 1 2 "Young Activists are Using STEM to Overcome Barriers to Social Change". Yahoo. February 19, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2026.