Laura Weidman Powers is trying to change the face of tech. Her goal: To make sure minorities are fully represented in the tech workforce by the year 2040.
Laura Weidman Powers is closing the employment gap for minorities in tech by the year 2040
Weidman Powers is No. 34 on the Recode 100.
code2040
Laura Weidman Powers is closing the employment gap for minorities in tech by the year 2040
Weidman Powers is No. 34 on the Recode 100.
Shirin Ghaffary was a senior Vox correspondent covering the social media industry. Previously, Ghaffary worked at BuzzFeed News, the San Francisco Chronicle, and TechCrunch.
Powers, who launched Code2040 in 2012, wants to make that happen by connecting emerging computer science students of color with leading tech companies in the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland and, beginning next year, New York City. The organization runs a 10-week program that places black and Latino/Latina college and graduate students in tech internships while offering additional career-building sessions on nights and weekends.
This year, Weidman Powers, who previously served as a senior policy adviser in the Obama administration, didn’t let the changing political tide slow her down. Her organization closed a $5.6 million funding round, and graduated 200 students — their largest class yet.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
