Working Nation Feature i.c.stars recently: Creating STEM job opportunities for lower-income adults.
Jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) have outpaced overall job growth, according to the Pew Research Center — a 79 percent increase since 1990. Computer jobs have skyrocketed 338 percent. But when it comes to being a part of that amazing job growth, blacks and Hispanics are lagging behind. Read Article
Founded in 1998, i.c.stars creates opportunities for underserved communities by bridging the gap between resilient young adults and high-growth tech companies. The rigorous four-month leadership and technology training program gives low-income learners close to 1,000 hours of training in preparation for work at leading technology service providers and then supports them for 20 months afterward as they transition to high-paying, full-time employment. Read Article
The tech industry is known for its innovation and progressive solutions to modern day problems. However, one issue that it hasn’t been able to solve is the lack of diversity in the industry, says venture capitalist Freada Kapor Klein.
“Lack of diversity is an enormous problem in the tech industry. And because tech now is part of every business, it means it is a problem throughout the country,” she says. Read Article
The Stand + Together Foundation spent a day with i.c.stars: Recoding The Cycle Of Opportunity Through Tech-Focused Leadership Education
It’s a cold, gusty morning in downtown Chicago, where Rico Bryant shows up for work every day at a non-descript office building. He buzzes himself in under a small black awning, opens the door, and trots up two steps to press the elevator call button. There is nothing fancy about where he is headed—a third floor loft space on Dearborn Street, one block north of the House of Blues. But when he describes this place he lights up and says, “This is where the magic happens.” Read Article
In this episode broadcast live on November 22, 2019, host Melanie Adcock interviews staff members from i.c. Stars, a technology-based workforce development and leadership training program for low-income adults on their 20th anniversary. Featured guests were Paige Brown, Program Manager, Arely Dorsey, Workforce Manager, and Rico Bryant, Recruiter. Listen
Mikell is a high school dropout who learned to code at I.C. Stars, which she turned into a job as a software engineer at Accenture. She later taught coding at Dev Bootcamp. Five years ago, she and Kortney Ziegler launched ZaMLabs, an incubator focused on using tech for economic justice in marginalized communities.
i.c.stars is an immersive technology workforce training and placement program for promising young adults. i.c.stars opened their first office in Chicago in 1999, and opened an affiliate in Columbus, Ohio in 2016. In 2018, i.c.stars opened in Milwaukee after receiving a generous commitment from The Dohmen Company. The sponsorship gives i.c.stars the funding, staff, and location needed to train and put promising adults to work in business & technology roles within Milwaukee companies. Located in Milwaukee’s Third Ward, i.c.stars shares space with Dohmen’s healthcare technology company, Red Arrow Labs. Nationally, the organization has trained hundreds of people to date with a placement rate of 80% for industry-ready graduates. Read Article
The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) announced the 50 landmark industry leaders being recognized as finalists at The 20th Annual CityLIGHTS Awards. i.c.stars has been nominated for the Toast of Chicago Tech award - Presented to an individual or company who after winning an award at CityLIGHTS continued on to make an impact in the Chicago tech community through successfully led companies, development of a new or innovative service, championing for peers and the community as a whole.
