CODE2040 — Helping Solve the Tech Industry’s Diversity and Inclusion Problem
It’s no longer a secret that there’s a diversity and inclusion problem in the tech industry, especially since Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Apple, Facebook, and Twitter started releasing their diversity statistics last year. Anecdotally, as a black guy that’s been working in the tech industry here in San Francisco for more than two years, I can tell you that I don’t see many fellow people of color at tech networking events or on the beaten paths into Palo Alto or SoMa, where many startups are found. It’s something that’s been bugging me for a while.
The diversity and inclusion problem is a complex one, and there are multiple approaches, all of which are valid and important. One approach is to combat biases in hiring practices. Google has been public in its efforts to use the scientific method to do that. Another strategy is getting girls and minorities interested in math, science, and technology at an early age. Yet another way is supporting college engineering students throughout their time in school. I’ve seen first hand how organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) can do that. Then there’s coaching those college students as they transition into their careers. That’s how CODE2040, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization, is tackling the problem.
CODE2040's mission is to create “access, awareness, and opportunities for top Black and Latino/a engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy.” This mainly happens through its fellows program, which places students into tech summer internships around the Bay Area, assigns them mentors, and provides them with career-oriented programming throughout the summer.
My involvement with CODE2040 started as a career coach for its Technical Applicant Program (TAP). TAP includes a weekend-long retreat with coaching sessions, mock interviews, and workshops about challenging topics such as the imposter syndrome. Shortly after the TAP retreat, I was accepted as a mentor for the fellows program. And two weeks later, I found myself at the mentor training session meeting my super-cool mentee, Keheira, for the first time.
Since I started volunteering, I’ve been happy to see that the program is well-organized and comprehensive, the staff is great and fully engaged, and the mentors bring diverse background and skills to share. I’ve been impressed with the current fellows as well as program alumni who are eager to give back and continue to be involved through CODE2040's alumni committee. They all show commitment and enthusiasm that seems to go well beyond the summer. In fact, that alumni committee was the brainchild of an alumnus who took the initiative to create it.
Overall, CODE2040's making a difference in the lives of many young engineers, and I’m excited to be a part of it! It’s one step towards a tech community that’s more representative of the general population, and that’s a very worthy goal. My hope is that getting closer to that goal will lead to more products, services, and solutions that serve markets not well served by technology today.
For more information on CODE2040, check out its website, Twiiter, and Facebook!
Originally published at flinteresting.squarespace.com.
