Fascinating stories of people who are defying Silicon Valley's infamous reputation

For photographer Helena Price, documenting the minorities working within the San Francisco tech community is a deeply personal endeavor. "It's important to me because I used to be one," she told Business Insider.

During her four years in the tech industry, before becoming a full time photographer, Price felt isolated.

"The majority of my time in tech I [was] surrounded by mostly white, Ivy League men with vast networks and financial safety nets. I always wondered if there were people out there with backgrounds similar to mine, and there are many folks in tech who feel far more isolated than me," she said.

This year, she made a call for photo subjects on Medium, asking for women, people of color, those over the age of 50, LGBT, working parents, and the disabled to come forward and tell their story.

Her project "Techies" is made up of 100 portraits and interviews of those wanting to share their past, and their entry way into the world of tech. Ahead, a selection of 14 subjects who work for Facebook, Google, AirBnB, and more.