March 2023 - i.c.stars

My AfroTech Experience
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My AfroTech Experience
AfroTech, Milwaukee, National, workforce

My AfroTech Experience

Elizabeth Ferruelo2024-08-05T09:54:52-05:00March 29th, 2023|AfroTech, Milwaukee, National, workforce|

Life changing. That’s how I’d describe my experience at the 2022 AfroTech Conference. It was inspiring and energizing, yet also evoked feelings of familiarity similar to coming home for the first time in a long while. Northwestern Mutual invited four of their community partners, including i.c.stars Milwaukee to take part in a booth takeover on the expo floor.

Our goal was to represent the Milwaukee tech eco-system with pride. It was an opportunity to communicate the values and spirit of i.c.stars while also assisting Northwestern Mutual in sharing their vision with potential black and brown employees.

The conference was held in Austin and attended by more than 26,000 industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and Black tech professionals. Top tech recruiters were there, from companies like Apple, Tesla, Nike, Amazon, Visa, Salesforce, Shopify, National Basketball Association and GAP clothing. Many were hiring, and others came to demo products and discuss emerging trends. These companies showed […]

Bridging The Gap Between Training & Career
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Bridging The Gap Between Training & Career
Alumni Support, Milwaukee, National, workforce

Bridging The Gap Between Training & Career

Elizabeth Ferruelo2024-08-01T15:16:46-05:00March 16th, 2023|Alumni Support, Milwaukee, National, workforce|

by Koyoua Vang
i.c.stars Milwaukee Graduate

BEYOND BOOTCAMP
I am a graduate of i.c.stars, working for Northwestern Mutual as a technology operations specialist– the youngest on the team. It’s a job I love, with a company I respect, in a career that can grow. I.c.stars’ technology boot camp prepared me for the technical part of my job. But the i.c.stars residency that followed added something more, something you won’t find in standard tech training curricula. It gave me a safe place to ask questions, gain confidence, find mentors, and make friends.

The i.c.stars residency bridged the gap between technology classes and practical applications. It’s one of the reasons that i.c.stars graduates remain in a tech field and advance faster than those coming from a conventional academic track.

GETTING STARTED
When Blanca Gonzales, executive director of i.c.stars Milwaukee, asked me to help formalize their residency program, I was thrilled. The Milwaukee office was new—just two years old—but […]