Hello! My name is ‘Tine Zekis and my pronouns are she/her/hers. ‘Tine—pronounced “teen”—is short for Christine. I’m an educator turned software engineer turned career and negotiation coach, working to empower Black women to earn the salaries they deserve.

Years ago, I began my career as a high school math teacher, It was one of the most stressful times in my life. I worked long hours for little pay and was barely making ends meet. As I struggled to pay down my credit cards—let alone my student debt!—I realized I needed to make a change. While substitute teaching for a colleague who taught AP Computer Science, I realized I liked coding. So I went to a web development Bootcamp and became a software engineer.

I was nervous about moving into a white, male-dominated industry. During my initial job search, I promised myself this: I will not find out that the White guy sitting next to me. with the same level of experience, is getting paid more than I am. So I negotiated. I reached my goal for my starting salary and even landed some extra vacation days through the negotiation process. Then I helped one of my Black cohort-mates negotiate his compensation for the same role.

In the years that followed, I found myself at four different tech companies and I negotiated each time I moved. I also negotiated when it was time for promotions and compensation discussions. Two years into my career as a software engineer I doubled my teaching salary. It took four years to triple my teaching salary. I am now the sole breadwinner for a family of four, working reasonable and flexible hours.

I have always believed in the adage that we should lift as we climb. Along the way, I have coached several Black women through career changes and salary negotiations. I am passionate about diversifying Tech and other high-earning industries and dismantling the institutional systems designed to gatekeep. I founded Getting Black Women Paid to empower more people who look like me to grow in this space. Let’s take these next steps together!