The tech industry has generated unprecedented wealth in the Bay Area but many residents aren’t benefiting from the boom. Instead, they are being pushed out of the region altogether. Not only do some communities of color lack access to the tech economy, skyrocketing housing costs are big contributors to what the East Bay Express calls the ‘de-blackening’ of Oakland. This shift is already well underway in San Francisco.
Through their efforts to ensure that everyone has equal access to economic opportunity and a safe and affordable home, The San Francisco Foundation identified a need for more inclusivity in the sector.
In 2015, The Foundation launched Bay Area Codes, an exciting multi-year cohort of eight tech-related organizations working to increase economic equity in the Bay Area region. These organizations seek to give low-income and youth of color access to an inclusive tech ecosystem, featuring culturally-competent computer science curriculums, mentorships, leadership development, and access to professional networks and job opportunities.
Three years into this program, what is the status of Bay Area Codes? What progress has been made and what do we know that can help guide our efforts to bring some equity to the region’s prosperity? The briefing will showcase the development of the Bay Area Codes cohort, its progress to date, and an evaluation of the three-year tech cohort model.
Join Us To:
- Learn about the current landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech and entrepreneurship sectors.
- Hear how computer science education can be leveraged for youth development and nonprofit stabilization.
- Review the development of the framework, grantmaking process, and technical assistance required to support a multi-year cohort model.
- Explore the collaborative impact of and the lessons learned from the Bay Area Codes cohort.
Speakers
Olivia Cueva, Program Director at David E. Glover Education and Technology Center
Olivia Cueva is a Creative Technologist working at the intersections of storytelling, design, engineering, and education. Her work focuses on developing creative solutions to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable communities. Prior to her work with the David E. Glover Education and Technology Center, she spent 10+ years working in youth development and engagement with organizations like Youth Radio, BAMFA, and StoryCorps. She received her Master's from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU Tisch where she invented products ranging from wearable technology, augmented reality apps, video games, and interactive installations. She is excited to return to her hometown to develop a communal space of innovation, putting the power of making and engineering back into the hands of our communities.
aManda Greene, Co-Founder and Co-Director at Youth Impact Hub
aManda was raised between the Bay Area and Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Her bi-cultural upbringing has had a strong influence in her believes, values and how those manifest through her work in the world. This led her to spend a decade between Santa Fé New Mexico, Oakland, Bahia Brazil and Southern India working on various arts and ecological development projects. It was during this time that she saw one can’t address long-term sustainable development without first addressing short-term economic development. In 2013 she received a gMBA in Social Enterprise driven by the belief that the current paradigm of ‘development’ can be transformed into one that is valued based on ecological regeneration and social equity.
Since 2009 she has been engaging with young leaders to address the problems in their own communities by supporting the development of youth-led social enterprises. Responsible for the Youth Hub programming, she works to translate MBA level content into culturally relevant curriculum. She currently serves on the board of The Hood Incubator & is a Steering Committee member of Oakland’s Youth Ally Alliance.
Zakiya Harris, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Hack the Hood
Zakiya Harris is a Cultural Architect, Artist and Educator working at the intersections of entrepreneurship, 21st century education and creative transformation. Zakiya is a co-founder of nationally recognized projects Impact Hub Oakland, Grind for the Green and a Fellow of Green For All and Bold Food. Currently, she is the Chief Innovation Officer at Hack the Hood a technology program for low-income youth of color. Recently, Zakiya published her first book Sh8peshift Your Life: The Creative Entrepreneurs Guide to Self Love, Self Mastery and Fearless Self Expression. When she is "off the clock" you can find her singing her heart out onstage, reading Octavia Butler or cooking with her 12 year old daughter.
David Kim, Program Coordinator for Anchoring Communities at The San Francisco Foundation
David was born in Austin, TX, raised in Seoul, South Korea, and making the Bay Area his new home. He is a graduate from Colgate University with a double concentration in Neuroscience and Educational Studies. With his previous work experience in vascular biology laboratories at the National Institutes of Health and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, he aims to bridge data-driven methodologies with philanthropic grantmaking. As Program Coordinator, David provides technical assistance and grantmaking support for $32 million of community benefits in District 10, project and event management for Bay Area Codes, and data analytics/visualization and strategy development for Anchoring Communities. His passion lies at the nexus of social justice, data science, and neuroscience, and he aspires to empower and advocate for local equitable development in underserved neighborhoods.
Brandon Nicholson, Founding Executive Director at The Hidden Genius Project
An Oakland native, The Hidden Genius Project's Founding Executive Director Brandon Nicholson has always felt a deep sense of commitment to promoting equity in the public realm, particularly in the education space. Prior to joining The Hidden Genius Project, he conducted research, evaluation, and analysis across a range of key social policy areas. Brandon has conducted substantial research in the areas of education and youth development, with a particular focus on issues of equity and access in K-12 education for underserved populations. He has considerable experience investigating linkages among race, class, and youth development.
Gino Pastori-Ng, Co-Founder and Co-Director at Youth Impact Hub
Gino was born and raised in East Oakland, California, a city that provided profound life lessons on culture and social justice. The powerful connection between the former and the latter was illuminated at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, where he spent a sizable portion of his childhood and now serves as a board member. His formal education took place at UC Santa Cruz, where walks through the forest cultivated a passion for environmental stewardship, and a summer abroad in Barcelona inspired an insatiable appetite for international exploration. After completing a B.A. in psychology, Gino spent 2 years in South America and Asia, teaching English, learning Spanish and Portuguese, attempting to learn Mandarin, and photographing everything in between. Back in his hometown, he supported the launch of a new elementary school in East Oakland and educated thousands of California voters about environmental legislative action before finding his calling in youth-led social entrepreneurship. Based on the belief that the people most impacted by the problems are the ones best equipped to create innovative and sustainable solutions, he has spent most of the last 7 years supporting Bay Area youth to launch their own social enterprises.
Landon Williams, Senior Director for Anchoring Communities at The San Francisco Foundation
Landon is a Bay Area with more than 30 years of experience in the community economic development field. He has served as an Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Berkeley, responsible for the revitalization of its South Berkeley neighborhood, and directed housing and small business recovery programs for a Louisiana-based foundation in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Landon directed The San Francisco Foundation’s FAITHS Initiative for six years from 2000 through 2006 when he left to assume his position in Louisiana. He returned to The San Francisco Foundation in 2013 as Program Officer for Community Development, and currently serves as Senior Director for Anchoring Communities. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from UC Berkeley and the Goldman School for Public Policy. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the South Berkeley Neighborhood Development Corporation.