I Was Interviewed for Black History Month
Below is a link for a Fox 5 News story that was done on me and my work here in the DC Tech community. The story focuses a lot on the work I have done in the past running the software development firm Clearly Innovative Inc and not too much about the Inclusive Innovation Incubator.
As the CEO of both Clearly Innovative and Inclusive Innovation Incubator I appreciate the opportunity I have to provide opportunity to entrepreneurs, developers and students through our educational programming. I am thankful everyday and every month, not just Black History Month, for the opportunity to make a difference in my community through our work.
Washington Post Quote…
I was recently asked about diversity and inclusion in my hometown Washington DC; I was ask specifically because of the work my team and I are doing with Inclusive Innovation Incubator and our education program which was recently rebranded as In3 Education.
I have been a entrepreneur in the tech ecosystem here for over 10 years and have been doing software development in general for 20+ years. I have seen the issues around lack of people of color in tech for years and I am trying my best to do something about it on multiple levels. You can read more about the work we are doing here on medium and by checking out www.in3dc.com
I was quoted Washington Post in this article talking about progress in DC around a more diverse & inclusive innovation ecosystem #dctech I#diversity #inclusion
See excerpt below
Washington is looking to build its own bridges. Last year, the city launched In3, an incubator offering training programs in tandem with historically black Howard University. D.C. officials regularly tout the city’s ranking as the №1 place in the country for women in technology.
Aaron Saunders, a programmer and entrepreneur who heads the incubator, is also chief executive of Clearly Innovative, the firm that produced mobile apps for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In3 has about 35 members, and Saunders said officials from Amazon Web Services, based in Herndon, Va., have already come to the incubator to make presentations.
Saunders said the challenge for black entrepreneurs in tech is more than getting their foot in the door. It’s also important to provide new hires with mentors and other support staff they can relate to.
“If you’re a person of color or a woman, and you look up and you don’t see someone above you who looks like you, it makes you question where you’re headed,” Saunders said.
Saunders said benefits can flow both ways. If Amazon chose a city such as Washington, the area could become “a gateway for a more diverse Amazon” and, because of Amazon’s reach, tech in general.
“Running a company in a diverse community like this would force them to address some issues that they don’t have to deal with in Seattle,” he added.
See complete story here
