Women in Tech are transforming philanthropy. HYPE Founder, Kristina Newton, joins a panel with leaders from Salesforce and Resilient Coders to talk about the collaboration between technology, nonprofits, women leadership, and philanthropy that leads to local and global impact.

Newton was invited to offer her unique insights on the panel as 1 of 10 Black leaders nationwide selected as grantees of the 2023 Salesforce Catalyst Fund – a $100,000 unrestricted grant to further the cause and mission of HYPE.

Check out the full blog and a replay of the panel here:

https://www.salesforce.com/company/careers/employee-spotlights/women-in-tech-transforming-philanthropy-webinar-recap/

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·       Networking event and panel discussion – Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 8 a.m. in room 307 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building in Atlanta;

·       Legislative Session Day 20 – Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 10 a.m. in the House Chamber Gallery;

·       Award ceremony and lunch – Thursday, February 16, 2023, from 12 – 3 p.m. at the atrium in Atlanta City Hall.

This year’s event will focus on supporting diversity in technology that leads to social impact by raising public awareness and influencing policy for issues affecting the tech ecosystem. The conference will feature a networking event, panel discussions and a lunch with an awards presentation. Participants will also have an opportunity to observe the legislative session from the House Gallery. Rep. Kendrick and representatives from several non-profits will also discuss House Bill 14, legislation which would create a tax credit for employers that hire certified workforce-ready graduates, and House Bill 15, legislation which would create the Broadband Equity Task Force. The following individuals and organizations helped create this legislation: Sterling Johnson, policy lead, Partnership for Southern Equity; Nancy Flake Johnson, Urban League of Greater Atlanta; Richard Hicks, InspiEDU; and Shann Johnson, Generation USA.

This year’s Tech for All awards will be presented to the following individuals/categories: Kristina Newton, K-12 Early Support; Roshawnna Novellus, president/CEO of EnrichHER, Capital Formation & Growth Award; Valarie Mackey, Adult Education Award; Charles Robinson, Investments Award; Dane Bamburry, Cox Communications, Corporate Innovation Award; S. Gordon Moore Jr., Higher Education Award; Maxine Cain, Overall Ecosystem Building Award; and Hamid Arjmand, Workforce Development Award. 

Rep. Kendrick is co-hosting this year’s conference with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Errika Moore; State Senator Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) is an honorary co-chair.

This event is free and open to the public, and advanced registration is required to attend. For more information and to register for this conference, please click here.

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September 27, 2022 (Atlanta, GA): It’s that time of year again, get ready for the 4^th Annual HYPE Night – an evening of fun, celebration, friendly competition and recognition of women and girls in STEM. HYPE Night, is a live game show experience in which young girls and professional women compete against each other in challenging STEM related games. The participants are black and indigenous people of color. HYPE Night is Thursday, October 13, 2022 5:30 – 8:30pm at Tech Square ATL Social Club located on Georgia Tech’s campus.

HYPE Night, created by Hope for Youth, Inc. empowers girls of color to confidently pursue 21^st century careers and opportunities in computers and technology. The nonprofit offers programs and opportunities to young ladies, between 6^th and 12^th grade, to gain technology skills and to establish a pipeline of diverse talent for tech and tech-centered careers.

“HYPE exists to encourage young girls to use their creativity, talent and gifts to compete and solve real-world problems in the areas of tech and STEM,” says founder Kristina Newton. Newton launched the program because women of color were underrepresented in her field. “I left my career as a computer engineer in Corporate America with no Plan B. But I had a passion to pay it forward by helping young women change the face of what a computer scientists looked like,” she adds. This summer Goldman Sachs named Newton one of its “Black Women Impact Leaders.”

According to the National Science Board, women make up 47% of the general workforce. Of the 28% in science and engineering fields, only 5% are women of color. Since 2017 Hope for Youth, Inc. has impacted the lives of nearly 700 young girls. HYPE scholars learn computer coding, skills for website design/creation, algorithms, game designing, networking, and team building. “HYPE taught me the problem-solving aspect of computer science,” says Ajala Horne, a HYPE Alumni and Spelman College Graduate. “I was one of the first students of HYPE and now it’s my turn to pay it forward. For any girl of color who wants to be amongst a cohort of girls who really want to see each other succeed and grow, HYPE is definitely the place for them.”

HYPE Night 2022 is sponsored by Coca-Cola Women in STEM, AXR Edge, Ernst and Young, Alston & Bird, Delta Community Credit Union, Slalom Consulting and LexisNexis Risk Solutions. Professional female participants for the night include Fabiola Stokes of Google, Ashaki Wilham of Coca-Cola and Alisha Searcy, State Superintendent candidate. Don’t miss the celebration, Thursday, October 13, 2022 at Tech Square ATL Social Club, 848 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30308 (lower level).

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Hope For Youth, Inc. (HYPE) is a thriving Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that is empowering middle and high school girls of color to become future leaders in tech!

Through our interactive coding camps and programs, high school internship placement, International teaching experiences, college and career readiness training, and women in tech conferences and roundtables, HYPE:

• Addresses early disparities in K-12 education that limit opportunities for girls of color to enter the tech workforce
• Inspires girls of color to confidently pursue technology careers and opportunities
• Supports retention of women of color in tech by building community and increasing representation
• Helps develop career readiness, technology, and leadership skills; thereby establishing a pipeline of diverse talent for tech-powered and tech-enabled careers

Since 2017, we have served more than 500 students with more than 70% of them joining since 2020. Our goal is to serve more than 2500 students by the end of 2023.

Our Mission

To plug the leaky tech pipeline problem for women and girls of color by building a talent network through intentional exploration, education, and empowerment

Our Vision

We aspire to achieve equitable representation of women of color in the tech industry.

Our Purpose

HYPE exists to inspire every girl to believe she can use her creativity, talent, and gifts to solve real-world problems and make valuable contributions to the world of technology.

Project Description

Over the past 5 years, HYPE has experienced significant growth and name recognition based on successful programming and prior relationships and connections. As we look to scale and attract new revenue streams and recruitment sources, we need a brand that can clearly communicate to new and unfamiliar audiences who we serve and what we do. We want a brand story that celebrates our accomplishments within the communities we serve.

Additionally, as we’ve grown to know our primary beneficiaries better (girls and young women of color ages 11 – 17), we also want our brand to reflect and resonate with them.

We are looking to accomplish a brand refresh that elevates and enhances who we’ve grown to be in a way that brings new attention and energy to the organization as a whole.

We would like to start the brand refresh project by the first week of November with an expected completion date no later than January 31, 2023.

Project Scope of Work 

Deliverables

• Brand Naming: Agency to lead the process of finalizing a new organization name.  The ideal organization will have prior experience facilitating organization naming and spearheading a methodical process for gleaning staff/stakeholder/key audience insights, as well as industry/nonprofit marketing trends, to propose the most effective and strategic permanent name for the organization’s future. 
• Brand Logo Refresh: Agency to develop formal recommendations for an official design of a refreshed organization logo to align with the new organization name and updated brand strategy. 
• Brand Message Framework: Agency to develop a message framework with key messages for providing key information about and positioning the organization within the new brand strategy. 

• Brand Identity Refresh: Agency to develop a comprehensive brand identity book reflecting the new brand strategy, including the proposed color palette, fonts, photo guidelines, etc. Agency to also provide creative concepts for an updated campaign web page reflecting the new brand identity within the existing templates/website format. 
• Change Management Plan: Recommended marketing and communication plan for rolling out the new brand name, logo, and identity to key audiences and stakeholders, including internal audiences, organization partners, youth, and external donors/consumers. 

Project Budget

The above deliverables should be completed during the November 2022 – February 2023 timeframe, with plans to roll out the new brand identity in March 2023. 

Interview Requirements for Agency

HYPE is extending limited invitations for marketing agencies to participate in informational interviews to further discuss collaboration opportunities.  During this 60-minute interview, the agency prospects should be prepared to share: 

• Case Studies/Examples: Examples of when the agency has provided similar deliverables for other clients and/or has provided marketing support to other nonprofit organizations – explaining their proposed process and approach. 

• Proposed Project Team: Overview of key agency talent/team members who would work on this project if the agency is selected 
• Proposed Project Budget Estimate: High-level estimate of the proposed project budget (including any key caveats or conditions).  The ideal prospect will donate 20% – 30% of the total budget estimate as pro bono services.   

Following the interview, the agency should be prepared to share the slides/PDFs including all of the above-outlined bullets as presented during the interview. 

Important Milestones and Dates

• October 7: HYPE to confirm list and scheduling interviews with interested marketing agency prospects 

• October 14: HYPE to finalize briefing slides for agency prospect interviews. 
• Week of October 17: HYPE to conduct interviews with agency prospects 
• October 28: HYPE to make a final decision about the agency award and notify agency prospects of the final decision 
• Week of November 14: HYPE and newly selected agency to conduct official project kickoff meeting. 

Additional Information

• Minority and women-owned businesses encouraged to submit
• We welcome pro bono or discounted services
• We expect vendors to provide an explanation of their strategy/methodology for engaging with key stakeholders to develop outcomes set out in the RFP
• Schedule/LOE expected from our stakeholders to engage in this project
• Provide a portfolio of previous work and client references
• Non-profit experience preferred
• Feel free to include any information regarding the diversity of your team/organization
• Remote engagements are preferred. Onsite required engagements will need additional discussion.
• Resumes and bios of staff who will conduct the engagement should be provided

The post HYPE Rebrand RFP appeared first on HYPE.

Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Announces 50 Recipients of Black Women Impact Grants to Scale Black Women-Led Nonprofits

One Million Black Women is proud to invest $10 million through our Black Women Impact Grants, a multi-year grant program, scaling the efforts of nonprofits that are led by Black women and narrowing opportunity gaps at pivotal moments in a Black woman’s life.

In partnership with members of the One Million Black Women Advisory Council, Philanthropy Leaders, and One Million Black Women Ambassadors, from more than 800 eligible applications, 50 Black-women led nonprofits from across the country were selected – including HYPE Founder and Executive Director, Kristina Newton.

With this grant, HYPE will have access to unrestricted, multi-year funding to scale our efforts to empower girls of color with technology skills and prepare them to become future leaders in tech careers, cultivating a pipeline of diverse talent for the tech industry⁠
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We are so thankful for their belief in our mission and look forward to building on this⁠ partnership to improve the lives of Black women everywhere. Read more about the grant and other well-deserving recipients in the full press release found here.

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The post HYPE Awarded $50,000 STEM Education Grant from F5 Global appeared first on HYPE.

HYPE Founder and Executive Director recently sat down with Hypepotamus contributor, Lexie Newhouse, to talk about how her personal connection to the problems that exist for Black women in tech have informed the solutions offered by the HYPE team.

For HYPE founder and recent finalist for the Women in Tech’s Woman of the Year in STEAM Education award Kristina Newton, it’s personal.  

“Despite all my potential and capabilities I had in the tech workforce, I felt alone. I didn’t see myself represented in leadership anywhere,” said Newton. “But my experiences as a Black woman in tech and the corporate workforce weren’t unique.”  

With only 3 percent of computing-related jobs held by Black women, Newton experienced firsthand the challenges that so many minority women continue to face. “There really is not a reason why I shouldn’t be an executive or like a senior leader in a tech company today,” said Newton as she reflected on her trajectory through middle school, high school, college, and even into her seven-year career in technology.  

Due to that lack of opportunity and representation, Newton left her role as a consultant for Accenture in 2013 to find her place of belonging, which led to her launching HYPE in 2017.  

HYPE, which stands for Hope for Youth through Providing Education, empowers girls of color for careers in tech by providing computer science education, significant leadership, and learning experiences, and technology career exposure.  

“I began to understand and learn more about other women’s stories in technology and the reasons why girls are not choosing a tech career path,” said Newton. “I wanted to intentionally address those barriers that young black and brown girls face.” 

Kristina Newton, Hope for Youth through Providing Education (HYPE) Founder & President

And Newton knows all about creating opportunities in STEM education. She created her own computer engineering program during her time as an undergraduate student and was the first to graduate with that degree from her university in 2006.  

She also recognizes the need for essential life skill development, where HYPE also prepares students for interviews and resume writing while providing a safe space to talk about these challenges and establish confidence – Skills that Newton has continued to refine herself through programs like the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) and Center for Civic Innovation (CCI). 

EXPANDING HYPE

While the COVID-19 pandemic forced the program to go virtual for 2020 and into 2021, it has only allowed HYPE to expand its reach beyond Georgia and into new schools in states like Texas, Alabama and Florida.  

As a result of her work, major corporates and foundations are recognizing the need for more inclusive STEM training, especially as a pipeline of diverse talent into their organizations.  

“They understand the impact that they can have on a young person’s life during their formative years that carries forever,” said Newton. 

To date, HYPE has received over $135,000 in grants from organizations like The Blank Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, Microsoft and MailChimp. It has also secured partnerships with companies like State Farm, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Georgia Power and BlackRock.  

With Georgia recently passing legislation that all high schools will have to offer computer science by 2024, Newton recognizes that the majority of the low-income schools don’t have the curriculum or support to effectively offer such needed STEM training.  

“You can’t have a one size fits all approach. You really have to understand the barriers, the obstacles, and the landscape of the communities that you serve.”  

 Now entering another semester of tech training, HYPE is in the process of developing its own learning management system designed specifically to better serve the next generation of BIPOC female STEM leaders. 

Get news like this delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for the Hypepotamus newsletter!     

HYPE is currently accepting applications for its Leadership Academy until September 10, 2021. This 10-week program is designed to equip high school students with workforce ready skills for 21st century opportunities. Register today! https://gethype.org/programs/#leadership-academy  

You can find the full article organizations featured on Hypepotamus Feature blog page.

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As a grant recipient of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, we are honored to be featured in their 2021 Women’s History Month blog celebrating women-led organizations working diligently to empower women of varying ages to not only survive during this time but excel.

Hope for Youth, Inc. (HYPE) provides 21st-century skills and tech training to girls of color. Through computer science education, significant leadership and learning experiences and technology career exposure, HYPE Scholars grow in civic-mindedness & global awareness while preparing for careers of the future.

The HYPE Project partners with schools, school districts and other youth-serving nonprofit organizations to provide access to 21st century skills-building education and exposure to technology careers for and from individuals who are currently underrepresented in tech. During the COVID pandemic, they’ve been engaging Black and brown girls in middle and high school in community-driven and culturally relevant computer science education through a virtual after-school coding program. Their efforts not only help them to connect students during this time, but teaches them a critical skill in a subject that is missing in over 50% of our high schools, and helps them develop as leaders and problem solvers. HYPE’s Founder and CEO Kristina Smith-Newton states, “Women empowerment is important in and of itself, and we’ve seen on numerous occasions that to empower women means empowering generations and ultimately changing the world. However, women empowering women is not only important, it’s special and powerful. When a woman uses her influence and position to empower and uplift other women, it is an intentional act, it carries a special meaning, and it reverses years of dangerous and incorrect thinking that women should be in competition with one another. When we choose to celebrate instead of compete, everyone wins – and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.”

You can find the full feature along with the other 2 women-led organizations featured on the Foundation’s blog page.

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ATLANTA (Nov. 18, 2020) – The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI), a program of Invest Atlanta and the City of Atlanta, will launch a social media campaign featuring more than 25 women entrepreneurs called It’s Her Turn Now ATL on November 19, 2020, to commemorate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.

The campaign pairs entrepreneurs from the 2020 Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative Cohort with other Atlanta-based as well as nationally recognized entrepreneurs for a social media takeover. On November 19, 2020, WEI cohort members will post throughout the day about their business offerings on the partner’s social media feeds to make connections and increase exposure of both leaders and brands.

“Female entrepreneurs, including women of color, continue to outpace their male counterparts in starting a business but face more challenges accessing resources to be successful,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative is another way we are working to make entrepreneurship equitable in Atlanta and open doors to a diverse small business community. I am proud to stand alongside the women of WEI and female business owners everywhere as we celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.”

The entrepreneurs participating in It’s Her Turn Now ATL include:

• Jewel Burks Solomon, Head of Google for Startups, US & Managing Partner of Collab Capital, and Kristina Smith-Newton, Founder and CEO of HYPE
• Dr. Roshawnna Novellus, Founder and CEO of EnrichHER, and Ariel Lopez, Founder and CEO of Knac
• Jennifer Cooper, Chief Customer Officer of World 50, and Hanni Berger, Founder and CEO of JOYVIAL
• Brittany Thoms, President and Cofounder of See.Spark.Go, and Sarah Marske, Founder and CEO of Saramar Group
• Jody Stephenson, Founder and CEO of SitterTree, and Veronica Woodruff, Founder and CEO of Travelsist
• Ifrah Khan, Founder and CEO of Usit, Inc., and Amanda Farahany and Tamara Lucas, Cofounders of My Panda, My Personal Assistant Next Door App
• Sonia Booker, Chief Visionary Officer of Vault Industries, and Trish Miller, Founder of SwemKids 
• Kitti Murray, founder and CEO of Refuge Coffee, and Akissi Y. Stokes, Founder of WUNDERgrubs
• Jacquelyn Rodgers, Cofounder and CEO of Greentop Gifts, and Evana Oli, Cofounder and President of Beautiful Curly Me
• Nancy Juneau, CEO of Juneau Construction Company, and Amber R. Lawson, Principal of Aspire Construction & Real Estate Consulting
• Mandi Woodard, Founder and CEO of Sleepovers & Co, and Quyionah Wingfield, Founder and CEO of Cool Moms Dance Too
• Raven Strode, Founder of Blacklanta, and Denise Alexis Watkins, Founder of DESIGN-1-1
• Karissa Dean, Founder of Pretty Itty Bitties, and Jamia Ramsey, Founder and CEO of Blendz Apparel
• Evonya Easley, Owner of Love E Image & Design Consulting, and Tanjuria A. Willis, Founder of eKlozet Luxury and Vintage Consignment

“Women entrepreneurs in Atlanta are lifting up other female leaders by saying, ‘It’s her turn now’,” said Monica Delores Hooks, Executive Director, Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative. “By sharing their platforms and giving each other a turn to shine, these 30 entrepreneurs are showing the power of women supporting other women. It’s Her Turn Now ATL shows the deep well of female entrepreneurship in our city.”

Atlanta is home to over 203,000 women led businesses and more than 1,500 women CEOs. WEI is an incubator, empowered by Invest Atlanta and the City of Atlanta, that strives to engage, elevate and empower women through entrepreneurship. Every 15 months, WEI names a new cohort of 15 early-stage, start-up businesses to foster business growth and sustainability.

“As entrepreneurs and business leaders, these women understand how important it is that entrepreneurs support each other,” continued Hooks. “Especially in 2020 with so much economic uncertainty, we need to maximize the potential of everyone–and in particular, women–pursuing business. This campaign is a great example of Atlanta’s culture of innovation and our city’s entrepreneurial spirit.”

It’s Her Turn Now ATL is a local adaptation of a national effort to amplify Black voices, Share the Mic Now, which partnered more than 40 pairs of women, reaching more than 300 million followers.

About Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) is a municipally funded program focused on women and entrepreneurship designed to foster business growth and sustainability. Empowered by Invest Atlanta, WEI names a new cohort of 15 early-stage, start-up businesses every 15 months to engage, elevate and empower women through entrepreneurship. An average of $50,968 in capital investment per business has been committed to each WEI business that has completed the incubator program.

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Media Contact

Chrissie Gallentine

HL Strategy | chrissie@hlstrategy.com

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These grants total $6.511 million and will be distributed to 214 organizations in response to the region’s needs as a result of COVID-19. During this round of grants, BIPOC-led (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) organizations were prioritized and received over 50% of funding. A grand total of nearly $25 million from the Fund has been mobilized to benefit 455 nonprofits thus far. A full listing of today’s grants is detailed below. These, as well as those made in the earlier rounds, are listed on both the Community Foundation’s website and United Way’s website.

Individuals who wish to contribute to supporting our region’s nonprofits can donate to the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund here. Support funds will be released on a rolling basis throughout the outbreak and recovery phases of the crisis.

Hope for Youth, Inc was selected to receive a $15,000 grant for its work in the STEM Education as part of the grant’s Education-focused Interventions Grants.

Education-focused Interventions Grants:

Nearly 90,000 students are without access to technology in just seven regional school districts (includes both rural and metro districts), representing technology hardware needs of $43.7 million and internet access needs of $10.9 million. Districts/schools have reduced budgets but an increased need for and a shortage of PPE and cleaning supplies. As 96% of schools reopen with some kind of virtual learning options, many working families throughout the region have no choice but to return to work without safe and licensed options for children to safely learn throughout the day.

As a result of COVID-19 related challenges, thousands of students may not return to college, which will have a residual impact on Georgia’s economic mobility due to a decrease in our talent pipeline.

Read more about the United Way of Greater Atlanta and Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta COVID-19 response grants here.

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