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.

The post HYPE Honored at Fourth Annual “Tech for All” Policy Conference, Day of Action co-hosted by Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick and Mayor Andre Dickens 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. 

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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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