[Women’s History Month] Meet Janet Emerson Bashen, first black woman to patent a computer software

March is the Women’s History Month celebrated globally to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. The month corresponds with the International Women’s Day which is marked globally on March 8.

As part of Face2Face Africa’s commitment to informing and connecting black people around the world, we have resolved to devote each day of the month of March to celebrate black women inventors and to highlight their inventions.

Janet Emerson Bashen is the first African-American woman to receive a patent for developing LinkLine software, an equal opportunity program which tracks EEO investigations from the beginning to the end stages.

In addition, she’s developed AAPLink, which “facilitates OFCCP compliance through AAP preparation, implementation and consultation services, AAPLink is a SaaS (Software as a Service) that will effectively prepare and implement your AAPs through a paperless and secure web-based application.”

She’s also the proprietor of 1-800Intake, a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year web-based hotline used to report workplace complaints.

Finally, Bashen is also a lecturer who covers the areas of equal opportunity employment and founder of Bashen Corporation, “a human resources consulting firm with a market niche in Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance administration.”

Bashen began her firm, Bashen Corporation with a nominal amount of capital and one client.

Bashen obtained her degree from Alabama A & M; she then attended the University of Houston where she gained her degree in Legal Studies and Government. She then proceeded to earn her graduate degree from Rice University. She’s also a graduate of Harvard University’s “Women and Power: Leadership in a New World” course.

Bashen sits on the Women’s Leadership Board at the Harvard Kennedy School.

We honor Janet Emerson Bashen’s contributions to the world as a black woman.