
From Apple's first Black female executive comes a transformative guide to visibility and power. Praised by business titans like Ron Johnson and featuring a memorable encounter with Dave Chappelle, "When We Are Seen" offers the secret to authentic leadership: seeing others while being truly seen yourself.
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In the gleaming Fifth Avenue Apple Store on opening night, Denise Young Smith stood as the only Black woman executive who had helped shape Apple's revolutionary retail vision. When comedian Dave Chappelle approached her and simply said, "I see you, sis," those four words crystallized what had been missing throughout much of her professional journey: true recognition. This moment of authentic connection stood in stark contrast to her 2014 feature in Fortune magazine, where despite eighteen years at Apple - thirteen in leadership - she was bizarrely characterized as "Apple's New Voice," erasing her extensive contributions in establishing over 425 Apple Stores worldwide. The difference between being truly seen and being overlooked became the foundation for understanding how belonging works in spaces where difference is often misunderstood. Growing up in Colorado Springs, Young developed strong observation skills by absorbing adults' stories, watching their body language and tone. Unlike many Black children raised to be "barely seen and not heard" (a protective cultural remnant from post-enslavement), her parents encouraged her to develop her own viewpoints. These early experiences shaped her ability to see others deeply - a skill that would prove invaluable throughout her career, yet one that wasn't always reciprocated in professional settings where she was frequently "the only one."