Introducing our Universe Community Partners

With GitHub Universe one month away we are excited to announce our 2017 Community Partners!

We choose Community Partners based on several criteria but the three main questions we ask ourselves when reaching out to potential organizations are:

• Does their work assist in lowering barriers for people from underrepresented backgrounds to enter and succeed in the tech industry?
• Do they have an audience that can benefit from complimentary tickets to the conference?
• Are they making a positive social impact, namely in the geographic region where the conference will take place?

GitHub’s push towards a more diverse, inclusive and accessible Universe is rooted in the fact that bringing together people from disparate backgrounds fosters innovation within our industry. If we’re not working to actively engage people from all walks of life, we’re doing our community a disservice. The more we can bring diverse communities together, the more enriching, educational and valuable an experience we can provide for everyone.

Meet our 2017 community partners at GitHub Universe

With that, we are happy to introduce you to this year’s Universe Community Partners. We encourage you to read ahead in order to learn more about them and the valuable work they do.

Who they are and what they do

• Code Tenderloin’s mission is to remove barriers that keep people from securing long-term employment. They believe that homelessness, prior substance abuse, prior incarceration, or other barriers should not define a person’s future nor disqualify them from securing jobs.
• Economic power is key to breaking the cycle of exploitation among vulnerable communities. AnnieCannons trains survivors of human trafficking to become software professionals. Their holistic program trains and equips survivors to independently support themselves and their families.
• Techqueria is a professional community for Latinxs in tech where Latinx folks can network and advance their careers, offer low-income communities access to tech, and assist in increasing the opportunities for other Latinxs in tech.
• /dev/color helps Black software engineers grow into industry leaders. They ensure Black engineers fulfill the promise of their talents, transform the industry, and use their resulting skills and position to give back to their communities.
• Older Women Coders joined together to empower older coders, especially those who have “aged-out” of STEM. They seek to establish a channel of visibility for older women STEM workers, provide continuing education, and eliminate the stigma of age in tech.
• Code2040 creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities with a specific focus on Black and Latinx people. The Code2040 Fellows Program builds bridges between top, college-level Black and Latinx computer science students and companies who are in need of their talent.
• Operation Code is veteran-founded and led. Their mission is to help the military community (transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses) learn software development, enter the tech industry, and code the future through mentorship, scholarship programs, and community outreach near military bases.
• Telegraph Track is a Hack Reactor community that supports underrepresented students as they go through Hack Reactor’s bootcamp. They offer a safe space, leadership development, mentorship, and networking opportunities to members. Then Telegraph Track connects members with companies that have diversity and inclusion top of mind.

Please follow GitHub’s Community Twitter account for announcements from our Community Partners in the coming weeks.

Written by

Bianca Escalante

@bescalante