Closing Out Q2: April — June 2024

Highlights from matching, NY Tech Week, and more!

As we hit the halfway mark of 2024, we’re excited to share some incredible milestones with you!

This year, we had an impressive retention rate with 96% of our Fellows continuing their career journey with us. Additionally, 87% of Fellows secured internships in Boston and New York City!

We also had an incredible debut at NY Tech Week, where we welcomed over 75 attendees to our event, “Hiring for the AI Generation of Tech.” The event featured industry leaders including Daniel Nissani from Salesforce, Ramya Kamalanathan from Cushman & Wakefield, Cheraé Robinson from Flybridge Capital Partners, and Luis Jorge, a Software Engineering Fellow.

Check out our full Q2 in Review to read more highlights.

“College prepares you for the theoretical aspect of computer science, but not the realistic approach of getting into these careers as a software engineer or web developer… I was the first person in my family to even pursue this kind of career. There was no roadmap… [Hack.Diversity] broke it down to a science so that you can be as successful as possible with these interviews.” — Tilon Bobb, 2023 Alum

Reflecting on Q2, the top priorities for the Fellow Success team included:

• Career Readiness for Fellows: Hosting workshops and learning labs designed to enhance Fellows’ career readiness. Topics include interview preparation, internship readiness, (including strategies for navigating imposter syndrome, developing growth mindsets, and fostering a sense of belonging), and compensation negotiation.
• Retention & Support: 96% of the Cohort are continuing their career journey with us. Our commitment to our CARE values — community, advocacy, resiliency, and empathy — ensures that Fellows feel deeply connected and supported.
• Internship Matching: 87% of Fellows secured internships in Boston and New York City. Despite the economic challenges and tech layoffs, we remain resilient and are providing alternative upskilling opportunities for a small number of Fellows who were not matched.

As we move into the third quarter, we’re excited to see our Fellows contribute to their Host Companies’ projects and company cultures, while gaining valuable experience to advance in their careers.

Meanwhile, the Hack.Team continues to add wrap-around opportunities for Alumni. Earlier this quarter, we brought together industry experts Antoine Bohannon and Marcy Reyes for a Community Chat. Antoine discussed effective networking strategies, while Marcy explored the psychology of money and its influence on spending habits. And in response to strong interest (and turnout!), the Alumni Leadership Council is increasing its meet-ups from monthly to biweekly — this expansion aims to provide more opportunities for our Alumni to connect, network, and share industry insights.

We transform the tech industry by acting as a talent pipeline and an accountability partner for companies. Host Companies receive valuable feedback and programming, equipping them to invest in their talent pipeline, build inclusive leadership qualities, and create a culture of belonging.

“Hack has been a great partner and I would recommend them to other companies! This has been a great opportunity to learn and grow our diverse talent.” — 2024 Host Company Partner

Reflecting on Q2, the top priorities for the Partner Success team included:

• Streamlining the Matching Process: Supporting Host Companies through rounds of talent evaluation using a new and more equitable evaluation system and managing the matching process between Fellows and Host Companies.
• Mid-Year Progress Summit: Hosting our Mid-Year Progress Summit for 21 Host Companies and 30 attendees. We provided customized quantitative and qualitative Fellow data to highlight perceptions of each company’s culture, communication, and interview processes. By leveraging this feedback, companies gained a deeper understanding of what is working and what can be improved.
• Inclusive Management Series: Executing our May and planning for our July Inclusive Management Summits focusing on onboarding, feedback, and equity in performance and growth.

Congratulations are also in order for Salumeh Companieh from Cushman & Wakefield, Ramesh Razdan from Bain & Company, Michael Tirozzi from Vertex, and Kim Weatherbee from Sensata Technologies for being finalists at the 2024 BostonCIO ORBIE Awards!

Extra, extra, read all about it — Hack.Diversity was in the news!

• Crain’s: This nonprofit has a hack to diversify New York’s tech companies
• Boston Globe: Jeff Bussgang Named Boston Tech Power Player
• VentureFizz: Johnson Ngandjui featured in the Black in Tech series

Break barriers and build access for the next generation!

• Invest in a strategic business priority. Connect with the Hack.Team to explore how to successfully welcome and retain a Fellow onto your teams.
• Support our mission and make a donation! We extend our gratitude to the Herb & Maxine Jacobs Foundation for their continued support over the years, and to Karen Bressler and Scott Epstein for their support this quarter. We’re also grateful to Rapid7 for choosing us to participate in the Boston Bruins 50/50 Raffle.

Here’s to celebrating the close-out of the second quarter of 2024!

Since our quarterly report can’t encompass EVERYTHING we’re doing at Hack — stay tuned to our social media for notable day-to-day updates, events, and community-led recommendations.

Engage with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, our website — and support our work!