When a woman of color approached a white investor about her tech start up, he handed her his plate, mistaking her for the event’s cleaning crew. This type of racism is reflective of what entrepreneurs of color face when trying to build a tech company in a predominately white business sector. Milwaukee Business Journal dives deeper into the impact that a $50 million fund for divers founders could accomplish for Milwaukee’s tech. Read Article
The business leaders of Milwaukee say that mentorship, inclusivity, and location will improve diversity in the workforce.
Sarah Dollhausen-Clark, executive director of i.c.stars Milwaukee, admits that it is hard to pin-point just one thing that can benefit Milwaukee’s lack of diversity in the workforce, as there are many that stem from the raw statistics of the minority communities. However, she offers one large critique for companies who are shifting their focus to diversifying their staff. She proceeds to offer some of her own ideas to ensure this this transformation can begin happening in Milwaukee’s workforce.
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CHICAGO – JUNE 12, 2020 – i.c.stars announced today its partnership with TechReady Illinois, an effort launched this week by P33 and Discovery Partners to help Illinois residents hurt by COVID-19 gain new digital skills.
More than one million Illinoisans filed for unemployment in the first nine weeks of the COVID-19 crisis, more than five times the same period of the Great Recession. The pandemic has further exacerbated the health and economic disparities among residents of underserved communities.
“For TechReady to advance inclusive tech growth, and to deliver tech-career opportunity to those who have historically been underrepresented in the digital economy like our Black and Latinx residents, we need partners who have a history and expertise working with these populations successfully,” said P33 Senior Vice President of Workforce Innovation Matthew Muench. “i.c.stars is a Chicago gem that […]
Two Chicago organizations that have gained attention for missions to expand and strengthen Chicago’s tech industry launched a new program to help provide inexpensive
computer science education to Illinoisans. P33, an effort by Chicago’s private-sector leaders to boost the city’s tech reputation, and the Discovery Partners Institute, a network of
research and innovation hubs in the South Loop, announced the initiative, called TechReady Illinois, on Monday.
CHICAGO — Black communities across Chicago are struggling. Still suffering through the coronavirus crisis, neighbors now are also coping with the trauma of police violence
against Black men and destruction to their neighborhoods in the aftermath of widespread demonstrations protesting George Floyd’s killing. Groups on the ground in neighborhoods
are stepping up to make sure residents are can meet their basic needs, mobilizing vast resources to help Black communities access food, health care, personal protective equipment,
transportation and legal aid.
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
