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Hack the Hood is turning five this year, and to celebrate this milestone we are highlighting the young people who have brought their skills and passions to our program. We'll be profiling a different young leader each month, with Natalie being our September feature   1. What made you decide to join Hack the Hood (HtH)? When did you start with HtH? I first heard about Hack the Hood online a couple years ago. I wanted to join the bootcamp, but I wasn’t able to commit to the program hours since I was taking college courses and working shifts at a restaurant job. Eventually when I was only working service jobs, I got frustrated and was looking to change gears. I started catching on to the change of energy in the Bay Area. I realized that Silicon Valley and the tech industry draw people from all over to work or study. This whole movement motivated me to figure out how I could be a part of this space. I remembered Hack the Hood and noticed their application was due that week, in January of 2017. I made the decision to only work my serving job part-time in the evenings in order to join Hack the Hood, and see what it was about. It turned out to be a great investment. 2. What did you learn that was unexpected? Was there anything that surprised you about the program? What surprised me about the program was that we had the option to choose any career avenue we wanted, instead of just sticking to one track. So if we were interested in entrepreneurship, coding, or digital marketing, Hack the Hood gave us resources and connected us with mentors or people with experience in those fields. I also didn’t realize that I had an interested in web development until I learned how to craft websites and how they work. Programming allows so much creativity, perspective, and views to come to light. What I was most surprised about was that within just weeks of bootcamp, I learned so much about tech’s different compartments; distinguishing between coders, programmers, software engineers, user experience, user design, etc.; and understanding all the jargon. What I've learned thus far allows me to navigate different areas that I couldn't before. All we needed was that one person to understand that they couldn't assume we already knew everything. So I liked the accommodation given that, yeah, we're interested in tech, which means that we're not coming in with that background and we want to learn. This learning comes in many forms, from the instructors, to the technologies we learn about, different companies that are both local and global, working with the small business owners and hearing their stories because technology is a core interface in people’s day to day lives - it’s an all around thing. 3. What are your favorite foods? I don't even know where to begin with this question, because I feel like I have to divide it between textures and types. But I love dessert. So if I was stranded on an island, and I can only have three choices of food to eat, it would probably be my mom’s homemade Morelia style enchiladas, Thai curry noodles, and chocolate! 4. What do you do for fun? For fun, I really like to kick it with my homies. Seeing people who are part of your community is really healing and a great way to continue be motivated and inspired by those around you. We’ll get together, make food, catch up, talk about life, listen to music or dance. Besides that, I like to try doing outdoor activities - like going on a nice hike. The greenery and being in the elements are really good medicine that helps me when I feel like I need to re-center myself. I also love to dance. I participate in Danza Mexica with a Calpulli or circle a couple of nights a month. The Danza tradition is a way that I reclaim and embrace my Indigenous identity and through this understanding of ceremony I’m able to connect with my self, my homeland, my spirituality and community. I am extremely lucky and honored to have elders & teachers who embody strength and resilience and whose accomplishments and dedication I look up to. So danza is something I consider fun but also very necessary to keep me balanced. 5. What’s your favorite TV show? I actually haven't owned a TV since 2009, it sounds weird but I think that had a lot to do with the switch over from cable television to the internet and YouTube. But anyways, I was really into was a show on Netflix called “She's Gotta Have It.” I think it's a remake of one of Spike Lee’s earlier shows, based in Brooklyn, in the eighties, about this girl Nola. She’s an artist and just trying to figure out life in New York City. It’s fun and relatable; I was watching that for a cool minute. Also a couple friends mentioned this one show everyone was talking about, then I got into Game of Thrones; I think they do a good job on the storytelling, the narrative and I just love how intense it is. As of late, I've been watching this other show called Westworld. It’s also a remake of a 70s film set in a futuristic society where people can pay to visit this theme park and can basically do whatever they want without consequence. There is a lot about science fiction, human psychology, and social ethics that are involved, which is what makes it so interesting and I highly recommend if this interests you. I think this show really hits the nail on a lot of stuff we might start to see within our lifetime. The terms thrown around in the show relating to business investors, software, hardware, programming, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data it fun for me to watch because I can apply what I’ve been learning in tech to better understand the show. 6. What are three places you enjoy visiting in the Bay Area and beyond? That's an amazing question. The Bay is so dense, having different pockets within the area. I really like the Mission, because that's where I was born. So every time I'm walking through there, I get a sense of nostalgia because that's where my parents met in their youth and had me and my sister. In a way, it’s a starting point where my grandparents and others from similar homelands come to seek a better life. My second place is Ocean Beach, or that whole coastal area in general because it is breathtaking. Ever since I was a kid, my mom would have to pull me back from the shore because I was so mesmerized by how the waves came up so intensely and I just wanted to be immersed in it. One thing I love about the Bay is being surrounded by so much water. The third place would have to be the East Bay as a whole. I have so much love for it. It's so cool how you can just move through different avenues and neighborhoods that are all connected like San Pablo, Telegraph, College Ave, International Blvd, Lake Merritt and each area has its own energy and character. 7. Who are your top music artists? I don't feel like very committed to certain artists. I can mention genres because I just swing between various types of music on the daily. Growing up, I had different musical influences that my parents shared which was really different to stuff on the radio my older sister would record on cassette tapes. I like a lot of R&B and soul because it's beautiful music you can listen to and chill - I feel like I can relax. I grew up listening to a lot of female R&B singers, like Alicia Keys, Aaliyah, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Brandy, Monica, Ashanti, Destiny’s Child, Keyshia Cole to name a few. I like ambient electronic music too. I think electronic music gets bad rep for being perceived as noisy computer sound stuff, but I appreciate the engineering aspect of it. I also love rap music. I don't know how to explain this, but when I'm having a day where I just can't figure something out, or I really need to push through and get things done, I'll put on rap music. Listening to artists like Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, or J. Cole get me motivated. I like rap because of the way they tell stories - how the word play can be so witty and entertaining, yet thought-provoking and empowering. I’ll listen to older artists and new ones; the genre is so fluid. In the end it’s lyrical audio poetry and I really like that. Some of my friends are artists or musicians, so it's always cool to like check in on their styles and see how they like bring a blend of a lot of different stuff into it their work (shout out to all the Bay Area artists and cultural producers doing their thing).   8. Who do you follow on insta? I don't have like specific handles in mind, but I like the work of different photographers since I tend to get drawn to more high-saturated photos and portraits. Portraits fascinate me, because creating them is not as easy as it looks. You have to think about the mood, setting, and connecting with your subject - it’s such a human experience. I like following like a lot of female based orgs and other POC. I tend to like posts with tips on how to live a better life, food recipes, meditations, daily affirmations, just positive information that is helpful. I do follow POC artists, filmmakers, cultural producers, poets, activists, too. I like to follow herbalists and people that are grounded in spiritual work. I find the work these folks do helpful because I think that Instagram tends to be saturated with pretty photos and people really wanting to expand their network. So what really draws me are people who are selflessly sharing information that they have to others. I like that knowledge transmission of the Internet, it's like open source, you can share information freely or ask a question and chances are someone knows something they're willing to share. 9. Where’d you grow up? What do you like about the Bay Area? I was born in the Mission district, so I spent my early years in San Francisco and throughout then, I’ve moved around a lot - from different parts of the peninsula, to the East Bay, out of the country, and back. There was just so much movement happening that when I think of where I'm from, I feel like I'm from all of the places equally because I never really like got too attached to a place. But what I can constitute as home is the Bay. I lived in different cities and went to different schools like in San Bruno, South City, San Mateo, San Bruno and San Francisco. Different landmarks hold different memories. I have been able to observe different pockets of the area and I really have a lot of love for the whole Bay Area in general -the food, the people, the culture, the environment! In a way it gave me this sense of belonging to many spaces. There's a reason why people in the past and present from all over have travelled here or are coming here to live. They want to see what it’s all about and what makes it special. 10. What’s something you’d like to see change in Oakland? What do you want your contribution to that change to be? Something that I want to see change is more representation within all the economic growth and prosperity happening in the Bay Area - whether that's seeing small businesses thrive or having underserved communities have access to more opportunities. I'd like to see this city take accountability for the youth and how to better prepare them as they transition on to the next 20 years and beyond, instead of repeating the same cycles that have gotten us in the states that we're in - speaking for both the younger and older generation. The world around us is going to start changing faster than before. From what I’ve constantly heard is that we are in our own version of the Industrial Revolution with tech, and the changes are not going to be slowing down anytime soon. So we really need advocacy and people who have positions of influence to hear us out and find ways to create connections to allow us to strengthen our communities and be in on the conversation. We still see a lot of leftover from the different decades, initiatives, and politics; it's a public health issue. We should have access to education and enough housing for everyone; the city should not be okay with having so many folks being displaced with nowhere to go or just merely providing a band-aid solution for it. Everybody deserves the right to live and the dignity of safety. I know it’s not easy, but there should be a more holistic approach. It's not just about cleaning up the problem, but also the involvement of communities to set things up right from the beginning. It’s crazy to think about how much movement and power the tech economy is harnessing at such a rapid rate. I really wish that in the future we're moving towards, we would be considered more active participants, instead of just mindless consumers. Because everybody's perspective is so unique, and everybody has something to offer in a unique way as a consumer perhaps even more as a contributor. The contribution I can see myself making is to keep on the track I’m on, by continually hustling and moving forward with my career in tech. If somebody puts me down, makes me feel inferior, or questions my ability to accomplish my goals, I want to be there to prove that I can do it. I’ve been through a lot in life and have had my share of lessons but I don’t see these things as setbacks - they are all part of my path. It's hard not to see all these disparities, but I hope to make a contribution in the form of agency and asserting myself, including myself into spaces where I normally wouldn’t be comfortable in, knowing that the only thing that limits me is myself. I want to take the momentum of what I have accomplished and keep going forward. So ultimately, I want to bring the changes back to the community. My hustle and success would help open the opportunity for others. Be an example of how we can grow from the things that we see as limitations or where we are not expected to, like the rose Tupac talks about in his poem “The Rose That Grew From Concrete”. 11. What do you appreciate about today’s technology? I appreciate my never ending, “Wow, I didn't know that there was an app for that.” But what I really like about tech is that it can apply to so many things and help solve problems for people. Being in these spaces can feel surreal at times, like is this all really happening now? Regarding tech, I’ve heard someone say before that it’s not about stopping the change coming into the neighborhood. The change is already here. It’s about moving with it, and being a much about the conversation because that is where we have influence. There is this company I heard about that is working on autonomous robots to begin to do neighborhood deliveries. Soon enough we might be sharing the sidewalk or maybe bike lanes with programmed courier robots. Like, actual ROBOTS. Should be an interesting time. 12. What type of technology do you wish you had, but hasn’t been invented yet? I want to have a device that records dreams. I don't know how this could happen, but I’d really like to see people create the technology for us to see our dreams. I know that sounds perhaps kind of strange, a tiny bit terrifying, and almost Twilight Zone-like, but I always have these very vivid dreams that are so real and I forget a lot of the details of it after I wake up. So I know that there are dream diaries, but I feel could get a lot of information on how to navigate my day-to-day through my dreams. I like to read about the power of the mind and astral projection that explains how there are moments where I can be in my dream walking and I don’t feel like walking anymore so I'll just pick up and start flying. In my waking state of consciousness I feel like I’ve felt what it’s like to fly, it’s awesome! Like the exhilaration of them. I've never done that before in reality but I've done it in my dream. I think virtual and augmented reality are powerful technologies developing fast to perhaps fill this curiosity and I’m paying close attention to these fields! 13. What would be your dream job? What do you want to be when you grow up? My dream job is to work on a product that many people around the world will use to develop their passions and creativity - whether that is for an established company or maybe starting my own in the future. Since I’m an intern right now, working for a company like Adobe is a great place because I feel like it's more feasible to find that opportunity within. I know that sounds hella ambitious, and in the past I would never catch myself saying something like that because I didn’t believe I had the potential to start my own business or be a CEO of a company, but my experience in tech is allowing me to see that everyone's path is so different and it takes connecting with the right people, creating feasible goals and milestones, and then tracking your progress towards those dreams. It’s easier to think we can’t do a lot of things, but then that’s the easy way to live. Challenges are good because if it feels like you might be struggling to learn something new, then you are growing, you are changing with the struggle too. I want to be a successful female of color in tech that can continue to live and grow in the Bay, constantly growing and seeking opportunities. It’s empowering to connect with other people who strive to achieve success in their careers, and just being in spaces where we can be exposed to the work others have accomplished, especially females that are already making boss moves in the world of tech and being like, “damn these ladies are badass and they are doing amazing work, I can definitely do this too.” We are living in an amazing time. I hope to create a life for myself that makes an impact and I am working to grow as someone who a younger me would have wanted to look up to.  Photography by Christine Cueto.
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Hack the Hood is turning five this year, and to celebrate this milestone we are highlighting the young people who have brought their skills and passions to our program. We'll be profiling a different young leader each month, with Danny being our August feature   1. What made you decide to join Hack the Hood (HtH)? When did you start with HtH? I decided to join the Summer Bootcamp back in 2015 because I didn't have a specific track to focus on as a business administration major. I wanted to focus on tech because it seems fitting since I live in Oakland - right across Silicon Valley. That made me curious to see what would happen if I joined Hack the Hood. The boot camp helped me learn about technology and web design. We had the chance to visit tech companies where I got exposed to the industry. 2. What did you learn that was unexpected? Was there anything that surprised you about the program? After the summer boot camp, I decided to join Hack the hood's Digital Marketing Program - which I didn’t expect I would be much interested in. The program hosted a workshop on Google AdWords. Then, I was given real business clients to work on ad campaigns for. I got exposed to the world of digital marketing, and I learned how online ads target you on the Internet. This experience inspired me to be a video creator on LinkedIn. 3. What are your favorite foods? I love eating fried chicken. I enjoy the crunchiness of it, and it always great when it’s seasoned well. I also like to eat chocolate chip cookies after each meal. 4. What do you do for fun? I enjoy meditating. It helps me reflect on my thoughts and gives me ideas from the Universe on how I can improve the next day. I especially like to meditate at Bay Farm in Alameda, where I see the SF city lights shining for me. 5. What’s your favorite TV show? I don’t watch tv. I believe that having a tv in my room is an electronic income reducer since it distracts me from being productive. But when I was younger, I loved watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. 6. What are three places you enjoy visiting in the Bay Area and beyond?
 7. Who are your top music artists? My top music artist is Lady Gaga because she inspired me to do public speaking during my middle school career and to not be afraid to go up on stage and sing at my first talent show when I was 13-years-old. My second favorite artist is Madonna because she's almost in her 60s and still makes hits. She's the one who pioneered to make people feel brave about who they are. 8. Who do you follow on insta? I don't have an Instagram account. I do follow a lot of people on YouTube - including a spiritual leader called Teal Swan. Their channel has helped me learn how to be more spiritual with my meditation, be more mindful of my emotions, and how ground myself in tight situations. I also follow a YouTuber named Thomas Frank, who is a leader in study-skills management and has taught me how to manage my school tasks each day. 9. Where’d you grow up? What do you like about Oakland? I grew up in East Oakland, which is filled with a diverse resident population. I value diversity a lot because I love learning from the different cultures, their languages, and their traditions - including their cuisine and festivities. It's a full suite of knowledge that I can't acquire elsewhere. 10. What’s something you’d like to see change in Oakland? What do you want your contribution to that change to be? I don't like seeing my Oakland community being pushed out due to gentrification. I want Oakland natives to stay and see more employment initiatives to conduct more job training - especially for higher level skill sets, like programming or project management. Overall I like to see my community being more involved in politics, so they can see how these bills affect us and look at how we can improve our voting power to see you know to help our community. 11. What do you appreciate about today’s technology? I appreciate how I have the ability to connect with people, no matter the distance, and even people who I haven't seen in years. You can connect with someone by just putting their name on the search box. 12. What type of technology do you wish you had, but hasn’t been invented yet? I’d love to have a mind-reading device that could draft out my thoughts. Think of how beneficial that would be; great ideas wouldn't go forgotten. 13. What would be your dream job? What do you want to be when you grow up? I do not want a job that requires me to be on the computer 80% of the time. That is boring; I want something that allows me to be on my toes and interact with people. Right now, I'm using my digital marketing skills to showcase my expertise in youth development and classroom management as a LinkedIn video creator. Overall, I would like to pursue a career in the digital marketing field. Also, I would like to volunteer for nonprofits like Hack the Hood to share my expertise in professionalism and marketing to youth in low-income communities.  Photography by Christine Cueto.
 Dear Beloved Community,
On behalf of the Hack the Hood Board of Directors, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Michel Gelobter as Interim Executive Director, following the departure of Co-founder & CEO Susan Mernit - who will continue to serve the organization as a board member. A national leader in the environmental justice movement with extensive experience leading software startups as well as organizational change, Michel has deep experience in non-profit, social justice leadership as well as tech and clean energy entrepreneurship. He has worked most of his life in and with communities of color and in roles leading diverse teams, working with young people as emerging professionals, and overseeing finance, fundraising, and programs in mission-driven organizations. His proven leadership skills and alignment with Hack the Hood’s mission and vision make him a natural fit for this role. We are excited that Michel has agreed to serve in this capacity as we continue implementing our transition plan to find a permanent executive director. Hack the Hood is committed more than ever to building upon our recent successes and working to achieve empowerment for our youth and small businesses in the community. Thank you for your continued support as we move on to a great new chapter for Hack the Hood. Sincerely, Gabriel Castillo, Luther Jackson, Patty Mitchell and Kamal Shah Executive Committee of Hack the Hood Board of Directors Hack the Hood is turning five this year, and to celebrate this milestone we are highlighting the young people who have brought their skills and passions to our program. We'll be profiling a different young leader each month, with Shreejal being our July feature   1. What made you decide to join Hack the Hood (HtH)? When did you start with HtH? I’d been looking for a tech program for quite a while. My father wanted to pursue an education in a tech-related field but due to the lack of educational resources in Nepal, he was unable to do so. Therefore, tech has always interested me. I was super excited when my dad got his first cell phone, everyone at home started calling me “Simu” (after the SIM card). Unfortunately, living in Richmond, we don’t really have a lot of access to programs that teach us about tech. And the ones that are available cost a great deal of money. So I did a couple of google searches and landed at Hack the Hood….loved the website and that’s what convinced me to apply. Rather than signing up for Bootcamp, I decided to join one of their Membership programs in October of last year, Tech Prep Coding – which gives students opportunities to learn front-end website development and network with many tech companies. I remember finishing school around 4:00pm and having to commute 16 miles using public transportation. My 1 hour 20 minute commute was completely worth it though - I had access to so many resources at such an young age - from MacBook Airs to personalized tech mentorship. It was 9 weeks of awesomeness! 2. What did you learn, that was unexpected? Was there anything that surprised you about the program? There are many valuable concepts that I learned from Tech Prep but the most valuable one was “how to effectively solve a problem?” I realized that Computer Science is logic more than it is anything else. Essentially, telling a computer what to do is like talking to a kid - you have to start at a basic level and build up from there. When I was taking Calculus last semester and struggling with some of the concepts, I purposely taught myself like a computer, with logic, and realized that this is a more effective way to understand the material. Similarly, in real life, if I have to choose between Decision X and Decision Y, I draw potential implications of both the choices to make the most feasible decision there is. When writing algorithms one develops more of the “how to solve the problem” approach more than anything else. There were so many transferable skills I could apply from the Tech Prep class to real life! I also developed practical intelligence, something Malcolm Gladwell repeatedly discusses in his book “The Outliers.” With communication being a major factor to practical intelligence, through Hack the Hood, I am networking with people all across Silicon Valley whether it’s by attending various conferences or even communicating with guest speakers from large tech corporations. I have realized the impacts that communication can have on our everyday lives and through it I’ve developed my practical intelligence. 3. What are your favorite foods? I love Nepali and Indian food. Absolutely love momos, samosas, and daal-bhaat-tarkari. My favorite place to eat momos is Momolicious and I love my samosas from Hamro Aangan. But my mom makes the best dish - daal-bhaat-tarkari! 4. What do you do for fun? Two of my favorite things fun things to do is biking and playing chess. I got into chess, early, in 5th grade and five years later, I’m still playing. I’ve even competed in various tournaments and I have won four awards - all first and second place! I’m involved in the Chess Club at my school, I help my peers learn how to play chess. There is so much strategy behind the game and it exercises your brain a lot. I also love biking! I got into an accident earlier this week and the tires came off and I haven’t been able to fix my bike because I’ve been busy visiting colleges. Accident aside, I still love biking and go on biking trips through Trip for Kids every other week to places like China Camp and Point Pinole. 5. What’s your favorite TV show? I don’t really have a favorite TV show but my favorite movie, without a doubt, is “The Wolf of Wall Street,” because the film covers the story of success and the downfall of Jordan Belfort’s brokerage firm really well. Although, I don’t support their recreational activities or embezzling, I simply enjoyed watching it on the big screen because Jordan Belfort is a funny character and I am fascinated by how he and his team started Stratton Oakmont. After watching it, I realized how confidence and humor are critical to running a successful business. And of course doing business legally is critical to success too! 6. What are three places you enjoy visiting in the Bay Area and beyond? Personally, I love visiting San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Pokhara. Right around the Microsoft office on Market Street. I notice all of people wear business casual clothing - especially if there is a conference going on at the Moscone Center. I appreciate the professional vibe it creates and the sense of rush. This is exactly the kind of environment I want to work in! Mountain View is another favorite because of all the major tech companies that have offices there - LinkedIn, Google, Microsoft! It’s where the money comes in and technological breakthroughs occur! I love visiting Pokhara in Nepal! I have gone there several times - my first visit was with my uncle. It presents a beautiful view of the mountains and consists of great landscape. I’m not 18 yet, but once I am,I want to go skydiving and rafting over there!   7. Who are your top music artists? Drake and Eminem! Drake is taking over! His dance moves are hilarious to watch and he created the term “YOLO.” Though I didn’t like his recent album, “Scorpion.” I love listening to Eminem’s music because he discusses various social issues in our communities and shares his story - Nowhere Fast, River, and Walk on Water. His fans criticized his recent album, “Revival,” but I found the album to be rather motivating. 8. Who do you follow on insta? I really like to follow my friends, but I also like to follow entrepreneurs like Elon Musk (@elonmusk), Bill Gates (@thisisbillgates), and Richard Branson (@richardbranson). I also follow community-oriented groups, which focus on opportunities for people of color: Hack the Hood (@hackthehood), David E. Glover Center (@glovercenter), and the Ryse Center (@ryseyouthenter). 9. Where’d you grow up? What do you like about Richmond? I was born in Nepal, but immigrated in late 2009 (I was 7). When we relocated, we moved to Richmond. I like that there’s so much diversity here…people that look different, speak different, and think different. I’m concurrently enrolled at Contra College College (CCC) through my high school and I notice so much diversity! Being on the CCC Speech Team, I have been able to travel to various colleges to present about different ongoing issues in or communities and noticed that CCC holds much more diversity, as compared to many of the colleges we have visited. 10. What’s something you’d like to see change in Richmond? What do you want your contribution to that change to be? There’s not a lot of organizations that are bridging tech and equity in Richmond. Whereas, in Oakland, there are so many organizations working towards this like Gameheads and Youth Impact Hub. I’ve been working towards changing this in my own community. Last semester I organized an Hour of Code for 45 students, which is a global movement where we host a coding workshop for an hour. I want to organize more coding workshops…my goal is to organize at least 3 coding workshops this semester in local schools that generally cater to underrepresented communities. In these coding workshops I’d want to teach Scratch to middle school students and to high school students would want to teach a curriculum similar to Hack the Hoods. 11. What do you appreciate about today’s technology? How we’re able to communicate so effectively. When I was 5, in Nepal, I remember when my Dad got a cellphone. I found it so fascinating how a simple thing like a SIM card made it possible to connect with people over voice. I loved the SIM card so much, my family nicknamed me Simu, after a SIM card :). Connectivity and communication has brought the human civilization very far! 12. What type of technology do you wish you had, but hasn’t been invented yet? Recently, scientists came out with this new technology that captures 1 ton a day of CO2 from the atmosphere and turns it into fuel…as with all new technology, this tool is incredibly expensive. I’d want to see something more efficient and affordable be used…we have to protect our environment. 13. What would be your dream job? What do you want to be when you grow up? Twelve years down the road I see myself as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. I want to go to Stanford to study CompSci and Business for my Bachelor’s. Then I want to become a Software Engineer to get that real-life experience (which is how I learn best). I haven’t made up my mind in terms of wanting to pursue an MBA or not, but I feel what’s more important than anything is getting real-life experience. I’d want to be CEO of a company, like Microsoft. But there is so much knowledge out there and I know very little.  Photography by Christine Cueto.
  . Dear Beloved Community, Six years ago, Zakiya Harris, Mary Fuller, and I came up with the idea to empower local small businesses by pairing them with young people in the community to plan and build their websites, then use that experience to introduce the young people to careers in tech as well as enable the youth to build a portfolio to utilize in their job searches. Today, Hack the Hood has 15 staffers, and our business model multiplier has provided the impact of serving 235 young people in 2017, and more than 600 youth and small businesses over the years. Since our first bootcamp, we have continued to expand our curriculum and in-depth skills training programs that prepare youth developers to grow their skills, confidence, and power for entrance into community college, coding classes, and careers in the tech economy. Additionally our work with small business owners very much increases their economic sustainability and provides economic development for our community. I’m very proud of all we have accomplished. And yet, it is time for change. As of June 28, 2018, I will step down from my role as CEO of Hack the Hood. In late July, I will join an Oakland-based arts and education non-profit as their Executive Director.  It has been rewarding and powerful to turn an idea about introducing low-income young people of color to 21st century skills and careers in tech into a living, breathing organization. Over the course of my leadership, Hack the Hood has expanded and deepened its programs in Oakland, developing a range of innovative programs and services for young people ages 16-25; recruited and supported 9 partners we trained to deliver our core program, Bootcamp, in San Francisco, East Palo Alto, San Jose, Hayward, Modesto, and Merced; grown from serving 18 students and 40 small businesses to engaging more than 600 small businesses, 100 volunteers, 20+ tech companies and more than 50 education, government workforce and community-based partners. In addition to guiding the organization to scale its impact, I am proud of all of the leaders we have helped develop, an executive team with a majority of people of color, and a staff that has hired 15+ young people from our programs as permanent and seasonal skilled employees and leaders. Building a fully functional organization over the past 5 years has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. From that moment in 2014, when Hack the Hood won $500,000 from Google.org during the first Bay Area Impact Challenge (as a good idea at a VERY early stage!) to our full range of year-round programs today, it has been humbling and a constant education to be able to do this work. There’s never a right time to make this kind of change, and yet I think it is the right time to transition Hack the Hood’s leadership. This is a moment to provide new energy, new ideas, and new blood to expand upon the work we have begun. Our team is motivated, capable, and dedicated to the mission. I have pride and full confidence in the board, the staff, and the community of young people and small businesses we have created. I am supporting the board as they recruit and bring in an interim CEO and have gladly accepted a board seat. As a new board member, I look forward to supporting Hack the Hood so this organization continues to grow, thrive, and change lives. I’m impressed by everything that the team has accomplished during this time, and will always love the vision and community of Hack the Hood.  Sincerely,
Susan Mernit Hack the Hood is turning five this year, and to celebrate this milestone we are highlighting the young people who have brought their skills and passions to our program. We'll be profiling a different young leader each month, with Angelica being our June feature.   1. What made you decide to join Hack the Hood (HtH)? When did you start with HtH? Honestly, I had nothing better to do over the summer, so I gave it a shot and applied. Joining seemed like a good use of my time. 2. What did you learn, that was unexpected? Was there anything that surprised you about the program? I wasn’t expecting to enjoy coding or web design. I discovered that this is something that I’m curious about and as I transition to college this is a field that I want to pursue seriously. 3. What are your favorite foods? Love pasta, especially tortellini or anything with pesto! But my food loyalty belongs with french fries…I love them so much! I enjoy eating my french fries with BBQ sauce, ketchup, and ranch dressing. Insider tip - the best place to get fries in the Bay is Super Duper burger…they’re even better than In-N-Out (sorry, but that’s the truth :))! 4. What do you do for fun? Before it used to be hanging out with friends and photography. Now that I’m so busy with school, I like to just be at home. Senior year has just been so stressful. When I have a moment to relax, I like to stay home, read an article, watch Netflix, or hang out with friends at home. 5. What’s your favorite TV show? “The Office” – because it’s so funny, especially the interactions between each other - the jokes are SO hilarious! “Parks and Rec” comes in a close second (if not equal) – the show speaks to my heart. Ron Swanson is my favorite television character...he gets paid to do nothing...that’s the dream or maybe why the government is so inefficient. 6. What are three places you enjoy visiting in Oakland? I like going to cafes or small coffee shops, because they’re more homey and inviting. It’s easy to sit down and chill. In Alameda there’s this restaurant called Lola’s Chicken Shack…my friends and I like to grab food from there and go to beach and chill. Also going to Sushi House with friends is one of my favorite places to eat sushi. When I had time, I loved going to SF to photograph buildings and the local flora/fauna. Perhaps I can go back to this over the summer when I’m officially done with high school!  7. Who are your top music artists? Bazzi: he’s a solo artist and love how he sings about love; Post Malone: he’s super chill and his songs are pretty realistic; For some major throwback, The Beatles: I grew up with them because my Dad loves the Beatles…my favorite song is “Hey Jude”; Beethoven: appreciate his way of music…it’s peaceful and calming. 8. Who do you follow on insta? I follow people/media outlets like: Teen Vogue, because they’ve started focusing on world problems and awareness around that and various make-up artists. 9. Where’d you grow up? What do you like about Oakland? Grew up in Oakland, specifically the Dimond District. St. Jarlath (Roman-Catholic) Church was and is a huge part of my life. At first I really hated going to church because everything revolved around the church, but now I really appreciate it. I like the diversity in Oakland and how our neighborhoods are pretty well blended. When I leave Oakland, I notice how different people interact with each other and how many times people will only interact with people within their own communities, limiting the opportunity for us to learn about other cultures and ways of thinking. 10. What’s something you’d like to see change in Oakland? What do you want your contribution to that change to be? A big problem in Oakland is people experiencing homelessness. Everywhere you go you see them…under the bridge, by Lake Merritt, by the expressway, and downtown. Homelessness is a really hard thing to solve by just one person. But providing shelters and food would be a really good start. Have more accessible centers where people experiencing homelessness can go to so they can get their lives back on track. Over the holidays, my church provides meals for those experiencing homelessness and that’s one way I’ve been helping out. It’s special and humbling to be able to connect with those experiencing homelessness and being able to witness what they’ve experienced. 11. What do you appreciate about today’s technology? The ever connected network. You can literally text, message, or call someone and they will immediately get your message. You can immediately record problems you see on the streets and share it with the world. Having a phone that allows you to do all of this, speeds up the process for information sharing. 12. What type of technology do you wish you had, but hasn’t been invented yet? Something that allows you to read minds. Inserting a chip in the brain and projecting it…so when you’re thinking about something and can’t articulate it, you can then show it so others understand. Though, this would have to be a highly monitored piece of technology and not available to just anyone. Or being able to to have a photographic memory because, in my opinion, life would be easier when we can remember the more necessary things in our daily lives. 13. What would be your dream job? What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to go into the Computer Science field and I want to be coding for web development or would want to work on the math side of the field. Still deciding which of these two I want to pursue. I was accepted into 11 colleges and finally made the really hard decision of where to go…University of Oregon, which I’m really excited to be attending...go Ducks!  Photography by Christine Cueto.
Hack the Hood is turning five this year, and to celebrate this milestone we are highlighting the young people who have brought their skills and passions to our program. We'll be profiling a different young leader each month, with Paco being our May feature.   1. What made you decide to join Hack the Hood (HtH)? When did you start with HtH? When I was a freshman in high school, I saw Hack the Hood’s Bootcamp poster at my high school. On it, it said I’d get a computer, professional skills, and learn to make things. It sounded interesting to me because ever since I was a kid I would make these weird art combinations - combining things from my vivid imagination with various colors. Attending Bootcamp would mean I’d have an opportunity to see more of the world...how people outside of my neighborhood functioned and thrived. And I was grateful to see this small part of the world. I was really happy to be a part of the program. Isaias [HtH’s former Regional Membership Manager] had this way of getting me to talk and inspired me to do more. Seeing another Mexican doing this great work, was really special. If he could be doing all this great work with the community, then so could I. 2. What did you learn, that was unexpected? Was there anything that surprised you about the program? When I went on our business trips to Adobe, Pandora, and TechCrunch, I was so amazed by how few people of color I saw. It was sad to see the void, but that void inspired me to step-up my game. During Bootcamp, I learned how to deal with clients…I had a particularly difficult client who wanted me to do all these things I wasn’t skilled in doing nor was it a part of the learning for the program, but then I had to learn patience, how to ask for help, and how to deal with discomfort/hastiness that sometimes comes with dealing with clients. 3. What are your favorite foods? On Van Ness in San Francisco, there’s this sandwich place next to the AMC movie theater. I’ve been going there since I was kid. It’s run by Mexican folks and Guy Fieri visited the place too. My favorite sandwich to get is their pastrami sandwich...just thinking of that sandwich is making me hungry...I can almost taste it in my mouth now! 4. What do you do for fun? Music! I’m rapper, singer, and musician. T.H.C (The Heroic Comeback) is my group. My MC name is KO. My friend Javier Mejia is known as JMC. We formed this group in 10th grade and started making poems for school. We both went to Youth Speaks and my mentors there, when they heard me, they were so impressed! They asked me to come back when I was ready to practice my beats and raps. My friends are my inspiration with Javier being my main inspiration. Music and art is all about community, unity, and sharing. I can’t write alone, but I can write a lot more when I’m around my friends. People say I got a little bit of Tupac in me...nothing is ever the same in me and that’s what makes me unique (from singing to how I create art). We’ve performed at the Malcolm X Jazz Festival in Oakland. 5. What’s your favorite TV show? “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” because it’s weird and the comedy is so dark. Even though their lives really don’t change, they change the people around them (most of the time not in the best way). I also enjoy “Samurai Champloo” because of the animation style and color – this inspires my art style. “Bezerk” is an anime show that’s brutal but I enjoy the content and details in the manga. The manga pushes me to think outside of the box, helping my art stand out.   6. What are three places you enjoy visiting in Oakland? I like Josie’s Park in the Fruitvale…a lot of memories from childhood are here. I like sleeping in the park when my family goes on outings together. Love my house and being around my family. I have a strong and playful connection to my Mom. I have 3 brothers and a sister and they empower me…especially with how we’ve overcome some great struggles together 7. Who are your top three music artists? Joey BadA$$ (his sound is very unique), Santo & Johnny (instrumental), and of course myself! 8. Who do you follow on insta? Studio_Odin (great for artwork) 9. Where’d you grow up? What do you like about Oakland? My mom was pregnant walking the border. Then she started having contractions while walking the border. Luckily family friends came to rescue, picked her up, and brought her to the Bay. I was born in Castro Valley. I’ve lived my whole life in the Fruitvale…East Oakland proud and strong! I love how close knit we are here in Oakland…every time I walk the streets I can chop it up with the people in the neighborhood, which I don’t get to see elsewhere, especially in other Bay Area cities. 10. What’s something you’d like to see change in Oakland? What do you want your contribution to that change to be? There’s a lot of programs here in Oakland (like HtH, Eastside Arts Alliance, Roses and Concrete) and I hope more young people take advantage of going through programs like these. My family made a lot of sacrifices to get here and I owe it to them to make something of myself. I hope there’s more people out there who want to explore their talents. I helped make a mural in the Fruitvale (purple background across from the Wendy’s), and every time I walk by there, I can proudly say I made my neighborhood even more special with art. My contribution to Oakland is to do these kinds of interviews to help spread the word on the importance of taking advantage of the great programs available to us AND create more art (music and public art). Currently, I’m making a coloring book, “The Colors of the Revolution” and creating music as a way to showcase the power of all of these programs present in the East Bay. If you give it your all, you can be a part of this giant world! 11. What do you appreciate about today’s technology? I love my iPad Pro (that I got with being a HtH Demo Day winner and through my own savings from work). This tablet has allowed me to make my coloring book. Technology allows me to share my artwork with the world and without it I wouldn’t be making unique and creative art. Technology allows me to explore all avenues of art. 12. What type of technology do you wish you had, but hasn’t been invented yet? Cicret bracelet! I know it’s being made, but the fact that you can project your phone-screen onto your wrist, blows my mind! I love showing all these new gadgets to Mom so she can keep up with how technology is changing and improving the world. 13. What would be your dream job? What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to publish my coloring book, “The Colors of the Revolution” and want to continue pursuing the arts - music, public art, and even create children’s books. I’d like to really continue creating ideas and see them come to life. I really like science…still figuring out though which field in science I should pursue.  Photography by Christine Cueto.
If you’re a young person who is trying to learn web development, digital marketing, or coding on your smartphone, you’re going to have a very hard time getting much done. Similarly, if you’re trying to write and research a school paper on your phone, you’re also limited--and yet, so many of our young people don’t have access to the powerful digital tools they need to learn skills, do school work, and look for a job.   A tech partner of ours is helping give the gift of technology tools to our young leaders. Earlier this week we had the pleasure of unwrapping 331 relatively new Macbook Pros, MacBook Airs, and Lenovo ThinkPads from one of our technology partners. With the donation of these higher-end machines, 100 of our young people participating in Summer Bootcamp will get to use and receive one of these high quality machines. Additionally, we’ll have spare laptops to use in our after-school classes and update laptops for staff members who are using Chromebooks and Dell Latitudes.  We are grateful to the foundation and e-waste teams at the anonymous tech company for investing in our young leaders and empowering them to explore the world of tech. Before we distribute them to our young people, our partner Tech Exchange, will double-check to make sure all laptops are ready to use and that there are no glitches with the system. They will also install updated operating systems and new software. Thank you again to our anonymous tech partner for selecting us as the recipient for their lightly used laptops. Thank you TechExchange for partnering with us to run diagnostics, update systems, and distribute these amazing laptops to our young people and to community members in East and West Oakland.  Hack the Hood is turning five this year, and to celebrate this milestone we are highlighting the young people who have brought their skills and passions to our program. We'll be profiling a different young leader each month, with Jodie being our April feature.   1. What made you decide to join Hack the Hood (HtH)? When did you start with HtH? I joined in January 2017 after I saw a post on Facebook for the Spring Bootcamp. The post asked if I was an entrepreneur, wanted to learn to build a website, and earn money. At the time I really wanted to start a small food business and saw this as an opportunity to kickstart a dream by understanding the tools I’d need to build a thriving business and engage consumers. After I finished the six-week Bootcamp and built a website for Ase Arts, I chose to continue my learning by joining the digital marketing program with Siobhan [HtH Instructor]. What made me want to continue my learning was the positive and confident experience I’d had with my Spring Bootcamp instructors and how I felt connected to the people and my peers at Hack the Hood. 2. What did you learn, that was unexpected? Was there anything that surprised you about the program? I really learned the concept of networking and self-advocacy. Max [HtH Lead Instructor] taught us how to stay connected to the people we meet and how to leverage those connections for opportunities. Zakiya [HtH CIO] taught us how to use our voice to advocate for ourselves, while building our own confidence. My biggest takeaway was that we each have our own personal brand - how we present ourselves impacts what people think of us and the impressions we make. I learned to build my personal brand. 3. What are your favorite foods? My favorite foods are those that remind me of my family - Filipino food, Creole food, and tacos! I love anything over a bowl of steamed white rice…adobo with veggies (ideally from Lucky Three Seven), shrimp gumbo, and carne asada tacos (ideally from Tacos Sinaloa). 4. What do you do for fun? I love cooking – cooking allows me to feel confident in my creativity and slow down. Cooking for others inspires me to be in community. I also love getting outside and going on adventures. Depending on the weather, who knows what you may find me doing! I enjoy kayaking on the Bay, exploring Redwood Regional Park, and biking along the Bay Trail. 5. What’s your favorite TV show? I don’t watch much TV, but when I do I love to watch Insecure. That show impressed me because it’s different than what you see on TV - I felt it was authentic and relevant. Walking Dead is my other favorite show. I love post-apocalyptic fiction  6. What are three places you enjoy visiting in Oakland? I like visiting the Emeryville Marina because it’s very low-key and is easier to access the water. Lake Merritt is another fave of mine because there’s always something going on to check out and people to see. My last (but definitely not least) favorite place is Mandela Foods Cooperative because of their awesome members and the community they’ve created there. 7. Who are your top three music artists? A. Kelela; b. Little Dragon; c. Khruangbin 8. Who do you follow on insta? NatGeo (for photography); Foundr (inspiring posts); melaninbasecamp (POC outdoor group); and of course Kelela (music artist)! 9. Where’d you grow up? What do you like about Oakland? I grew up in Long Beach. I moved to Oakland to continue my undergrad studies at UC Berkeley, where I majored in Conservation and Resource Studies. What I like about Oakland is that it reminds me of my hometown. In Long Beach, we have a lot of diversity – diversity of cultures, activities, food, and perspectives. Oakland is similar with a unique and rich history of culture that I have lots of love and appreciation for. 10. What’s something you’d like to see changed in Oakland? What do you want your contribution to that change to be? I want to see more people of color (POC) represented in positions of influence - women of color, immigrants of color, queers of color. I also want to see economic justice for our community. I want to see trendy spots coming up in Oakland/San Francisco owned by and supported by POCs. I want to see West Oakland have more green spaces, and still keep the same community who have lived there for generations. One of my contributions is supporting local, people of color owned businesses as much as possible. I believe that supporting local business is supporting local power and community. 11. What do you appreciate about today’s’ technology? The ability to share and connect with people. We’re more efficient as humans. At the same time, I struggle with technology and how it impacts jobs for people. For example, I wonder how AmazonGo is going to change the job market in Seattle and what trend that will create in retail stores elsewhere. To me, technology really is a double edged sword. When I’m not contemplating the double edged sword, I’m mostly using Whatsapp and FB Messenger…no matter where we are in the world, we can connect immediately. 12. What type of technology do you wish you had, but hasn’t been invented yet? You know how on email you can set an auto-responder…I wish there was a way of creating an auto-responder for text messages! If there are any engineers from Apple, Samsung, or Android reading this...you heard it here first! 13. What would be your dream job? What do you want to be when you grow up? I would love to have my own food business – serving Filipino and Creole food…I’ve been taking a lot of business classes, following La Cocina, and honing my photography skills so I can take photos of the food I plan to sell (and of course of my travel adventures).  Hack the Hood is turning five this year, and to celebrate this milestone we are highlighting the young people who have brought their skills and passions to our program. We'll be profiling a different young leader each month, starting with Nailah! We had a conversation with Nailah last week and found out more about her ambitions.   1. What made you decide to join Hack the Hood (HtH)? When did you start with HtH? My cousin, Jalina, heard about Hack the Hood from her workplace and she really encouraged me to apply because it would give me something to do and in the process I’d learn about coding, while earning some cash. Initially it was something to do to pass time, but then I unexpectedly fell in love with coding. When I heard I got into the Summer 2017 Bootcamp with RC [HtH’s Lead Instructor], I was super pumped! I felt empowered to learn about coding and how tech companies work. Being a part of Bootcamp was like being a part of a community - we were all bonding, joking, and having fun together. Through the Bootcamp business trip, I got a really special inside look at Pandora - I was surprised to see how happy and relaxed people were there. I loved that so many Pandora staff had the time to stop by and say hi - it showed me that they were treated like humans, not machines. When Bootcamp came to an end, I didn’t want to leave! 2. What did you learn, that was unexpected? Was there anything that surprised you about the program? I learned how to write Javascript, HTML, and CSS. I didn’t expect to learn how to make websites and I honestly didn’t think I could make a website. In the process of building a website, I learned how to deal with clients and how to be professional by greeting clients, talking with them, and scheduling meetings. I designed my own website: www.nailahneely.tech and another for a small business owner - whose website isn’t live yet, because they’re waiting for all their products to come in, but it’s a website that provides environmentally friendly feminine products and feminine health education to black women. I was pleasantly surprised by how warm and caring the instructors were. Their warmth and care really showed up when my instructors, RC, Somsak, and Daniel, got emotional at Bootcamp graduation, making HtH even more special to me. 3. What are your favorite foods? I don’t really have a favorite food, but I definitely enjoy trying foods that are new to me. Recently I ate at Curry Up Now on Telegraph - I ordered the Naughty Naan and it was so delicious, I can’t wait to go there again! 4. What do you do for fun? When I have some free time, I’m spending quality time with my family - with my little brothers, sister, and Mom, who I love dearly. When we’re together we have game night where we play Sorry, Uno, and The Game of 49…’Sorry’ is my favorite because I win! If we choose to mix it up a little, we’ll host movie night. My favorite movie to watch is The Great Debaters. 5. What’s your favorite TV show? Favorite TV Show hands down is Stranger Things - first season was amazing, second season was a bit predictable, but still really good...I can’t wait for them to come back for Season 3...which I hope there will be, otherwise, I might need to send a letter to Netflix! 6. What are three places you enjoy visiting in Oakland? Jack London Square, especially Regal Cinema; Lake Merritt - I love walking around there; and my Mom’s house!  7. Who are your top three music artists? Cardi B, Bruno Mars, and Kem (jazz musician). Cardi B and Bruno Mars’ Finesse is my jam right now! 8. Who do you follow on instagram? My favorite people to follow are: @conscious_empowerment, @renny, and @willsmith! 9. Where’d you grow up? What do you like about Oakland? I’m East Oakland strong and proud! I feel Oakland is one of the best cities because everyone likes to come to Oakland now...we’re famous. I like that Oakland has a strong sense of community and history. When I think of Oakland, I think of my family and the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with thinking of family. I love that Oakland is where the Black Panthers started and that so many other famous people have their roots in Oakland, like Marshawn Lynch, Too Short, Mac Dre, and Keysha Cole. Most importantly I love that when I bump into other people who are from Oakland, there’s this strong sense of pride. 10. What’s something you’d like to see changed in Oakland? What do you want your contribution to that change to be? I want to see rent be more affordable in Oakland. I want landlords to be more aware of the struggle of the people and how many jobs people work to be able to afford Oakland. I want to see homeless people be off streets and want the City to be helping the homeless people more. Unfortunately, what I see happening is the City of Oakland is kicking people out who’ve been here for years (if not generations) and making space for all the people who can afford to live elsewhere, but are choosing Oakland because it’s close to their jobs. My contribution to these challenges is VOTING and passing out food to homeless people. 11. What do you appreciate about today’s’ technology? I really appreciate having access to wifi because it gives me access to information immediately. Even though I’m not a big fan of smartphones, I have one, because it’s really convenient when I’m out and about. Basically information at my fingertips. I love PCs because they’re not complicated to use like Macs are - having a laptop connects me to the world. Plus having a laptop allows me to work on school papers from home rather than going to the library to write my papers. 12. What type of technology do you wish you had, but hasn’t been invented yet? Even though these are being built, I’m very fascinated by self-driving cars because of how convenient they are and how they’ll help people who don’t have a driver’s license. 13. What would be your dream job? What do you want to be when you grow up? Dream job: working at a tech company and continuing to learn about coding. At this tech company, my ideal position would be a Full Stack Engineer or Back-end Engineer. I know I still have a lot to learn, so while I work towards my dream job, I’m going to attend Code Berkeley, watch coding videos on YouTube, and utilize Khan Academy and Treehouse. Next year I want to apply for General Assembly’s Fellowship program.  Photography by: Christine Cueto
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