Overall, the culture at Waitwhile was pleasant. However, I had to fake feeling accepted and included the entire time I was an employee. I felt like there was an assumption that being the only Black employee in a tech start up that catered to many other white washed companies would never be a significant concern. Folks at Waitwhile are kind and try their best to set you up for success. However, my work ethic sharply declined the more time I spent trying to please my team for acceptance. I tried to address concerns about going into the tech sales industry as a Black woman during my very first interview but the subject was abruptly changed. Overtime, I felt an unexplainable, crippling anxiety every time I had to make a cold call. I avoided including my picture in my email signature in case someone realized I was the token. Members of my team would ask how they could help me reach my goals, but I felt awkward bringing up these concerns as DEI was never addressed the entire time I was in the organization. They were kind enough to try altering my goals and I even considered switching roles. They were supportive of this but there was still no acknowledgement of the real reason I felt uncomfortable. By the beginning of Black History Month, I couldn’t take it anymore and was planning on saying something to HR. However, I got called into a surprise meeting announcing my termination. I appreciated the decision they made to pay part of the scholarship associated with the program that led me to Waitwhile but no amount of money could change how voiceless I felt when it came to the DEI component. This was disappointing- especially given that it’s 2022.