I'm a minority and a Silicon Valley 'trade secret'

I've been told by search executives that I don't exist -- that there aren't people like me in the marketplace.

By and large that is true. What can be truer still is that there isn't necessarily a place for people like me in high tech.

I held several general manager positions at Microsoft (MSFT) over the past decade. In 2010, I quit after nine months of struggling to change Windows Phone 7's position in the marketplace.

I started looking for a job about a year ago, and I'm still looking for the right one. Most companies want a high performing candidate they're familiar with, and I think black women in particular are seen as a risk, primarily because there are so few of us in high tech.

I think black women still face a challenge in being recognized and rewarded for their achievements. I speak up if I see injustices. It's pretty dicey when you do that. It's a touchy area to talk about.

For high tech companies to make a palpable difference in the representation of African-American women in the workplace, someone needs to step up. It requires mentoring at the highest levels. It's disingenuous if companies say there aren't qualified African-Americans in the workplace. There's an opportunity for high tech to do better.

NEXT: Diane Bates, technical writer