Closing the Digital Divide at Tech Inclusion 2015

Yesterday, popular project management app Slack released their first Diversity Report in effort to join a group of tech companies aimed at bringing diversity to Silicon Valley. Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield, who spoke  at a recent Hack the Hood graduation, said during a series of tweets  that Slack hopes to set an example in the tech industry by hiring underrepresented minorities to the growing startup. 

By adopting workplace policies that foster inclusion and continuing to support organizations that work with underrepresented communities like Hack the Hood, Slack and other companies focused on tech diversity are reshaping the tech industry.  At HtH, we couldn't be more excited to know that future web developers that go through our program will have a level playing field in the growing tech industry. 

On Friday, HtH Founder and Executive Director Susan Mernit will be among the 150 speakers at this year'sTech Inclusion Conference, hosted by Galvanize and Change Catalyst. There, Susan will be participating in a panel discussion on ways to repair the STEM Pipeline and make opportunities in tech accessible to all, regardless of race, income or gender. Also representing the HtH team will be  Ishmael Rico, our HtH summer 2015 graduate who realized he wanted to become a software engineer after going through one of our Boot Camps. 

Other speakers at Tech Inclusion 2015 working to close the digital divide through STEM education include:

 Karla Monterros  VP  of Student Programs at Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates programs that increase the representation of Blacks and Latino/as in the innovation economy.

Kalimah Priforce, CEO  of Queno Labs, bringing STEM education to youth in low-opportunity communities, through mentorship programs like  Hackathon Academy, which teaches  students how to design and build a web  mobile apps.

Dr. Chad Womack, National Director of the United Negro College Fund,  where he leads the organization’s strategic direction to address unmet educational needs in STEM college and career pipeline for African American students. 

Monique Woodard Founder & Executive Director of Black Founders, which offers programs like their  HBCUHacks, a weekend long hackathon giving students at HBCUs the opportunity to build their coding skills and connect with tech companies that are currently hiring. 

Christina Lewis Halpern, Founder & Executive Director of All Star Code, a non-profit initiative that prepares qualified young men of color for full-time employment in the technology industry by providing mentorship, industry exposure, and intensive training in computer science.

  Jessica Rose, Co-Founder of Trans*Code, an organazation focused on visibiling issues within the trans community and  offering  hack workshops  from community members not currently working in technology. 

Audrey Cheng, CEO & Co-Founder of the Moringa School, a coding school training people across Africa to learn to code, bridging the gap between the Western world and emerging markets. 

See the rest of the lineup here.

 Together, we can achieve an inclusive tech industry by focusing on real solutions to closing the digital divide, such as advocating for STEM education in underrepresented communities in tech. Find out how you can help Hack the Hood's mission of inspiring low-income youth of color to careers in tech while supporting small businesses in their own communities.