Per Scholas Celebrates $20 Million Investment from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Transformational Investment Propels and Positions Tech Skills Nonprofit for National Future Impact

BRONX, New York (September 28, 2023) – Per Scholas, a national nonprofit committed to advancing economic mobility and unlocking potential through technology career training, today announced a $20 million investment from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Receiving this transformational investment from MacKenzie Scott, one of the most dynamic philanthropists in modern times, is a testament to Per Scholas' impact over our nearly 30 year history. As we've evolved from a computer recycler in the South Bronx to a technical skills trainer in 22 cities and counting across America, we are so grateful for this $20 million gift – the largest, unrestricted funding our organization has ever received. This investment will propel Per Scholas for even greater national impact well into the future, centered on growth and innovation and ensuring our alumni achieve a thriving wage through our Career Accelerator. — Plinio Ayala, President & CEO, Per Scholas

To date, Per Scholas has prepared more than 20,000 individuals across the U.S. for high-growth careers in technology by offering tuition-free, rigorous, 12- to 15-week training in the nation’s most in-demand tech skills. The evidence-based Per Scholas model has been proven in multiple gold-standard research studies, and on average, Per Scholas-trained technologists go on to earn three times their pre-training wage in their first job following graduation. All told, Per Scholas graduates have earned more than $2.4 billion in their post-Per Scholas careers, powering economic advancement in communities across the nation.

Per Scholas connects graduates to high growth careers through our network of 850+ employer partners, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, and supports alumni through the organization’s latest innovation, the Career Accelerator, which provides Per Scholas alumni short-term upskilling opportunities, in turn propelling careers. As a result, every dollar invested in Per Scholas results in at least $8 in net economic return.

I'd like to express my most heartfelt gratitude to Per Scholas staff, funders, employer partners, and supporters, who have believed in our mission to advance economic equity and increase opportunity through America's hottest sector - technology. While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life in ways previously unimagined, it presented the opportunity for Per Scholas to innovate a new delivery model, which proved so successful that we were able to scale our impact four-fold. I echo Plinio's gratitude to Ms. Scott - this $20 million investment will certainly position Per Scholas well into our next decade of unlocking potential. — Lewis Miller, Per Scholas Co-Founder and National Board Chair

Today, Per Scholas operates in 20+ U.S. markets including Atlanta, Baltimore, Greater Boston, Chicago, Greater Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. This investment will enable Per Scholas to continue to expand its training and talent solutions to additional communities across the United States, with the goal of training 10,000 learners per year by 2026.

About Per Scholas
For more than 25 years, Per Scholas has been advancing equity and increasing opportunity across America. Per Scholas unlocks potential for individuals, communities, and employers through rigorous training for careers in tech. Partnering with dynamic employer partners, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we are building sustainable and diverse talent pipelines, together changing the face of tech. With national remote training and campuses in 20+ cities and growing, Per Scholas offers tuition-free training in the most in-demand tech skills, including Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more.

To date, more than 20,000 individuals have gained the skills to launch high-growth tech careers, earning three times their pre-training wage. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is in our DNA: 85 percent of Per Scholas learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half have a high school diploma as their highest education credential. Visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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Meet Esther, Per Scholas Dallas Graduate & Technologist 

Esther is just one of Per Scholas’ 20,000+ alumni. She’s a proud Per Scholas Dallas IT Support graduate and successful career switcher, living her dream of working in tech. Click below to hear her story and how she’s benefitting from the Career Accelerator – earning more stackable credentials to propel her tech career! 

Per Scholas was humbled to welcome Jim Shelton, President & Chief Investment and Impact Officer at Blue Meridian Partners to deliver the commencement address for a recent IT Support Graduation at Per Scholas New York!

Nineteen tenacious, talented individuals walked into our flagship Bronx campus as Per Scholas learners, and left as Per Scholas technologists, including Cohort Valedictorian Victor Garcia and Core Values Winners Erick Smith (Ambition); Chris Hernandez (Integrity); Stephany Mensah (Professionalism); Ariel Rodriguez (Resourcefulness); Eboni Coleman (Perseverance) and Ciara Valentin (Commitment to Service)

During his Commencement Address, Jim Shelton shared 5 Questions that Matter When Doing Something Great, giving all attendees lots of principles and tenants to keep at the core. Many Per Scholas New York and National team colleagues were on-hand to join in the celebration, including President and CEO Plinio Ayala and Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill.

On July 20, Per Scholas Diverse by Design hosted our first-ever Unlocking Potential Summer Concert and Spoken Word Celebration. This hybrid event, produced live from Per Scholas New York and Per Scholas North Carolina and streamed at PerScholas.org/Concert, brought together Per Scholas staff, learners, alumni, partners, advisory board members, and more to rally around our mission to unlocking potential. 

This inspiring event featured talented musicians and poets who work, learn, and partner with Per Scholas, including:

• Deji Adefuye, Per Scholas Dallas Teaching Fellow, who premiered two original songs titled Persevere and You Believe In You
• Melodie Rodgers, Per Scholas Manager of Career Advancement, sharing her original poem, Unlock Your Potential 
• Zaidi Howard, Per Scholas Chicago Teaching Fellow, sharing his original poem, Soul Questions 
• Caprice Green, Per Scholas Detroit Alumna, performing Astonishing from Little Women 
• Mike Terrell, Per Scholas North Carolina Managing Director, performing Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World 
• Omoanatse McCarther, Per Scholas Diverse by Design Senior Director, sharing her original poem, Forged Key 
• Broadway Star Tim Connell, performing Corner of the Sky from Pippin
• Nonprofit Consultant and Leadership Coach Saundra Thomas, performing her original poem, Silver Linings

Hosted by Executive Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Culture Ken Walker, viewers had the opportunity to hear from our EVP of People Montreece Smith, Regional Senior Vice Presidents Noah Mitchell, Jaclyn Boyes, and Robin Nadeau, as well as President and CEO Plinio Ayala. Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill delivered remarks live from the Bronx and introduced the final performances. 

Scores of Per Scholians came together for this exciting event; many thanks to Per Scholas Columbus, Per Scholas Dallas, Per Scholas New York Bronx, and Per Scholas North Carolina for hosting on-campus viewing parties.

In closing, the event showcased just a handful of our brilliant Per Scholas alumni, which you can watch here.  If you missed the Unlocking Potential Summer Concert and Spoken Word Celebration, you can watch the recording here! If you feel inspired and want to help unlock potential, please give at perscholas.org/donate.

Per Scholas New York Managing Director Debbie Roman discussed our tuition-free tech training on NY1, the 24-hour news network dedicated to NYC, with anchor Ruschell Boone. In her interview, Debbie shared information about Per Scholas’ footprint in New York and our accessibility to individuals in all five boroughs through our innovative satellite training model. She also reflected on how diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are at the core of Per Scholas and is reflective of the community and culture that lives in New York City.

The feature was during a Women Wednesday segment, where Debbie was highlighted as a woman leader, and she reflected on her 15-year career in workforce development following her move from Puerto Rico.

Watch Debbie’s interview here!

Bridging The Tech Talent Gap In Upper Manhattan Per Scholas and UMEZ Launch a Tech Initiative Creating Pathways to In-Demand Skills and Thriving-Wage Careers

New York, N.Y. (March 27, 2023) – The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ) has awarded Per Scholas a $200,000 grant to launch the Technology Sector Employment Initiative in Upper Manhattan collaboratively. This initiative aims to increase economic mobility by bridging the technology skills gap for Upper Manhattan residents and strengthening the capacity of community partnerships to support the development of a local tech talent pipeline.

“With the launch of our Technology Sector Employment Initiative, we are creating an opportunity to advance tech inclusion and bridge tech talent gaps in Upper Manhattan,” said Blair M. Duncan, President & CEO of UMEZ.  “We are proud to partner with Per Scholas and our community partners to connect Upper Manhattan residents to thriving-wage careers in tech.”

Per Scholas will work with community partners through the UMEZ-sponsored Community Partner Tech Fund to identify and enroll at least 65 residents from all neighborhoods of the UMEZ catchment area, covering the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Community Districts of Upper Manhattan, this year. Interested learners can apply for any course Per Scholas New York offers at its Bronx or Brooklyn campuses and its Satellite partner locations, including the Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center at First Avenue and 93rd Streets. 2023 courses offered by Per Scholas New York include IT Support, AWS re/Start, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, and Java Developer. 

“We are so proud to team up with UMEZ and incredible community partners in Upper Manhattan to continue to expand Per Scholas’ reach in our hometown,” said Debbie Roman, Per Scholas New York Managing Director. “Through our innovative Satellite Model, we were able to train New Yorkers from all 51 Districts last year, and now through this intentional partnership with UMEZ, our presence and impact will only continue to grow in Upper Manhattan.”

Interested Upper Manhattan learners can contact our collaborative network of community partners including Community Impact, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), and Urban Upbound to begin the screening and admissions process. If you are a community partner based in Upper Manhattan and interested in participating in the Technology Sector Employment Initiative, please contact Christina Xenos, Per Scholas Director of Strategic Partnerships, at [email protected]. 

Olger Twyner, Executive Director of Community Impact at Columbia University stated, “Community Impact is excited to join this important initiative, which will allow us to partner with UMEZ and Per Scholas to provide life enhancing opportunities to our adult education program participants, as well as other community residents who are upskilling and seeking employment.  The skills and training necessary to join the technology job force are critical. The Technology Sector Employment Initiative will provide those skills and open new opportunities to those who need them most.” 

Maria Lizardo, Executive Director of NMIC shared, “All individuals deserve equitable access to education, and that’s why we are so thrilled about our upcoming collaboration with Per Scholas, made possible by UMEZ. Through this partnership, NMIC will help recruit those who aspire to work in the technology workforce who otherwise might not have had access to the skills training and employer networks required for long-term employment. We know that through this partnership, future leaders of our community will be taught the skills to build fruitful careers in tech and secure prosperous futures.”

“As a leader in the fight to lift New Yorkers out of poverty, Urban Upbound is proud to partner with Per Scholas and UMEZ in creating new paths for Upper Manhattan residents to access the technology job market, a key sector with high-earning entry level jobs. We are committed to advancing our common goal of introducing more women and people of color to tech and bridge the skills gap,” said Bishop Mitchell Taylor, CEO and Co-Founder of Urban Upbound.

To learn more about Per Scholas New York and to view upcoming tech training opportunities, visit www.PerScholas.org/NewYork. 

About Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation

UMEZ is an independent not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to sustain the economic revitalization of all communities of Upper Manhattan through job creation, corporate alliances, strategic investments, and small business assistance.

UMEZ is part of a national Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) network that promotes economic growth by financing businesses, creating jobs, and rebuilding neighborhoods.

UMEZ facilitates economic development in Central, West, and East Harlem; Washington Heights; and Inwood neighborhoods.

About Per Scholas

For more than 25 years, Per Scholas has been advancing equity and increasing opportunity across America. Per Scholas unlocks potential for individuals, communities, and employers through rigorous training for careers in tech. Partnering with dynamic employer partners, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we are building sustainable and diverse talent pipelines, together changing the face of tech. With national remote training and campuses in 20 cities and growing, Per Scholas offers tuition-free training in the most in-demand tech skills, including Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date, more than 20,000 individuals have gained the skills to launch high-growth tech careers, earning three times their pre-training wage. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is our DNA, with 85 percent of learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half have a high school diploma as their highest education credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and following us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

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