The 2nd Annual Toss for Techs Fundraiser kicks off this April! Buy your ticket here to get yourself on a tournament team! To get involved or to learn more about how to be a sponsor, please reach out to Paul Cashen at pcashen@perscholas.org

WHEN: Tuesday April 25, 5:00 – 8:00PM

WHERE: CityLink Center – 800 Bank Street, Cincinnati, OH 45214

WHAT: 

• Competitive corn hole tournament, officiated by Frank Geers, American Cornhole Organization

• Food, drinks, and fun for all non-competitors and competitors alike

• Celebrate with business leaders from the tech industry

• Meet extraordinary Per Scholas students & graduates

• Invest in the future of the Cincinnati tech economy

• Sponsors have a bigger impact because your donation goes directly to fund careers in tech

Buy your tickets here! 

Sponsorship Levels

Last year, 15 teams from the Cincinnati community rallied together for an intense cornhole tournament, headed by the American Cornhole Organization. Teams representing Cincinnati’s tech and business sector, as well as Per Scholas employer partners and alumni battled it out in hopes of being crowned the winner of the first ever Toss for Techs tournament. E.W. Scripss Company ultimately were crowned the winners after going head to head with CityLink in the finals. 

With a whirlwind of a tourney bringing the community together, attendees were treated to an endearing speech by Per Scholas alum Aaron Mingo, who shared his story of working as a server in a restaurant for 12 years before finding Per Scholas. The audience became entranced with Aaron’s commitment to seek better opportunities, and exploded with applause knowing that he’s able to better support his family with his new career in technology. 

By nights end, Per Scholas was able to raise more than $12,000 to support more students like Aaron and help them launch careers in technology. 

Per Scholas is joining General Assembly at it’s first ever Career Lab events in New York, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta on February 11. Career Lab is a one-day event in cities across the country with leaders in tech to help start or advance individual’s careers in top tech fields. Professionals at all experience levels can explore new paths to success in the competitive fields of web development, data, user experience design, digital marketing, and product management.

In all cities, participants will hear about opportunities in tech, take a career aptitude test and a career next step class, learn about data science, digital marketing, coding, visual design, JavaScript, UX Design, and more. The full day event will include networking opportunities and a chance to hear from experts about the region’s tech ecosystem. No matter an individual’s current role or field, this career event will arm participants with the motivation and tools needed to find or pursue their passion.

Reserve your spot today in Washington, D.C., New York, and Atlanta.

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.

Per Scholas is joining General Assembly at its first-ever Career Lab events in New York, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta on February 11. Career Lab is a one-day event in cities across the country with leaders in tech to help start or advance individual’s careers in top tech fields. Professionals at all experience levels can explore new paths to success in the competitive fields of web development, data, user experience design, digital marketing, and product management.

In all cities, participants will hear about opportunities in tech, take a career aptitude test and a career next step class, learn about data science, digital marketing, coding, visual design, JavaScript, UX Design, and more. The full day event will include networking opportunities and a chance to hear from experts about the region’s tech ecosystem. No matter an individual’s current role or field, this career event will arm participants with the motivation and tools needed to find or pursue their passion.

Reserve your spot today in Washington, D.C., New York, and Atlanta.

On Tuesday, December 13, 2016, Per Scholas and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) hosted the second Diverse by Design, a conversation series about building diversity and inclusion in the workforce. The event, hosted at Google’s headquarters in D.C., included nearly 150 guests comprising of C-Suite individuals, employer partners, public servants, and leaders from nonprofits and foundations, who elevated best practices and partnerships to build an inclusive and diverse workforce.

The afternoon was kicked off by Damien Howard, VP of Social Ventures at Per Scholas who got attendees fired up and ready to go and reminded us all, “smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” Shortly thereafter, Melissa Stallings, Managing Director of the National Capital Region with Per Scholas shared some local insights, elevating pipelines and partnerships in the D.C. region. Melissa shared the story of a recent Per Scholas graduate, Renique King, who had this to say about her time at Per Scholas: “During my studies, I embraced the culture, staff, my instructor, my classmates, and each day of lessons. Every day I learned something new about IT and myself.” Melissa set the tone for the rest of the afternoon with this quote: “Let today’s event be what spurs you into action to put into place or further develop strategic and thoughtful initiatives that create and sustain an inclusive, equitable, and innovative tech ecosystem.”

Co-Chairs of the National Working Group, Toacca Rutherford, Chief Development Officer, Consumer Business Banking and Auto IT, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Gene Waddy, CEO at DIVERSANT took the stage to share stories from their careers and continued investment in the Diverse by Design movement. Toacca emphasized the need to create pathways for untapped talent and hopes that one day, “#diversebydesign” will be a verb like “Google.”

Chair Jenny Yang, of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charged the audience to increase diversity by embedding equality, broadening networks, and evaluating benefits, she shared an awesome resource: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Action Grid on how to promote diversity and inclusion in the science and technology workforces.

Dr. Talmesha Richards, Chief Academic and Diversity Officer, STEMconnector and Million Women Mentor, was the 1st of two Ignite presentations scheduled for the afternoon. Her harrowing tale involved a fellow student explaining that she would never win a math competition because she was “a girl.” The audience learned, not only did she win the competition but she continued on a multi-year winning streak and brought the entire audience to a round of applause. She ended her speech firmly stating “With STEM mentoring everyone wins. With #Diversity, EVERYONE wins.”

The momentum from Dr. Talemsha Richards, carried over into a powerhouse panel, introduced by Errika Mallet, led by Terrance Bowman, JPMorgan Chase & Co. On stage, D.C. Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden, Jamika Burge, Capital One, Chanelle Hardy, Google, Marty Rodgers, Accenture and Nicole Cozier with the Human Rights Campaign discussed cross-cutting and collaborative partnerships between private and public spheres. The panel also emphasized success stories from their own companies. Chanelle Hardy was able to share that a Mexican American employee at Google attributed his idea for a blue colored phone to his heritage and the result was millions in revenue for Google. The panelists agreed that in order for a company to succeed in their diversity efforts, leadership needs to have the “tough conversations.” Some choice quotes from the panel include:

• “Diversity is like being invited to the party and inclusion is being asked to dance”- Jamika Burge, Capital One
• “Talent is ubiquitous, but opportunity is not. Looking for untapped talent? Go to where the untapped talent is.” – Courtney Snowden, DC Deputy Mayor
• “When you’re in that power seat, ask the hard questions” – Chanelle Hardy, Google

Per Scholas’ Kenneth Walker, VP of Operations introduced the Keynote conversation between Michael Bennett, Executive Vice President at Evan & Chambers Technology and Viola Maxwell-Thompson, President at ITSMF.

During the conversation, Michael Bennett walked through his decision to shift from a career in law to tech. His efforts to promote diversity focused on being intentional and ensuring that he hired “someone who sees the world a little differently” When looking at current diversity efforts by organizations, Michael pointed out, “the pipeline does not matter if the organizational chart stays the same. He shared five leadership principals with the audience that he believe are necessary to building diverse and inclusive workplaces. They include:

• Authenticity
• Carefully Weighted Decisions
• Integrated Thought Leadership
• Trust Your Gut
• Servant Leadership

The final Ignite presentation from Tonia Wellons, VP for Community Investment with The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, focused on her career and journey embracing culture and inclusion as pillars within her work.

Viola Maxwell-Thompson of ITSMF closed us out but asked the audience to remain engaged with Diverse by Design as we continue to elevate and model real solutions creating impact on diversity and inclusion numbers across our nation’s workforce.

“Thank you to all who attended,” Kenneth Walker of Per Scholas shared, “Thank you to each of our guests for joining us in a dynamic and intentional conversation. Collaboration and partnership are the keys to our success and we are fortunate to be learning alongside industry leaders in both public and private spheres and hope to carry this momentum forward into 2017.”

Here is how you can keep the momentum going!

• Continue to use #DiverseByDesign on your social media platforms when talking about diversity and inclusion. Tag @PerScholas and @itsmfonline!
• Encourage a colleague or friend to join our Diverse by Design mailing list by clicking here. 
• Diversity Leadership Action Grid referenced by EEOC Chair Jenny Yang and the Pathways to Inclusion report produced by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser.
• For more information

To learn more about our panelists and speakers, visit our speakers page here. Many thanks to our  partners at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Google for their generous support of Diverse by Design.

National Leaders in Business, Technology, and Philanthropy Form Cross-Sector National Working Group to Bridge the Gap Between Underrepresented Populations and U.S. Tech Jobs

Per Scholas and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) hosted the second Diverse by Design on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 in the nation’s capital.

The event was hosted at Google and brought together nearly 150 c-suite executives, employer partners, public servants, and leaders from the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors to discuss the role and impact of public-private partnerships in building an inclusive and diverse tech workforce. Damien Howard, VP of Social Ventures at Per Scholas opened the afternoon by highlighting the need for crosscutting collaborative solutions to drive progress toward creating a truly representative tech workforce.

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

• Damien Howard, National Vice President, Social Ventures, Per Scholas
• Melissa Stallings, Managing Director, Per Scholas
• Toacca Rutherford, Chief Development Officer, Consumer Business Banking and Auto IT, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Gene Waddy, CEO, DIVERSANT

STATE OF THE NATION

• Chair Jenny Yang, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Jenny Yang shared insights from her career working to ensure fairness and equal opportunity in the workplace and charged the audience to think about and act on ways they can embed equality, broaden networks, and evaluate benefits to attract and retain diverse talent within their organizations. Yang provided attendees with copies of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Action Grid on how to promote diversity and inclusion in the science and technology workforces.

IGNITE PRESENTATION

• Talmesha Richards, Chief Academic and Diversity Officer, STEMconnector and Million Women Mentor

Dr. Richards shared a harrowing tale of how she overcame criticism and doubts from peers who didn’t think she could succeed in math and science because of her gender and her race. She discussed the importance of mentorship and the role it played in helping her achieve her goals, including receiving a Ph.D. in Cellular & Molecular Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, serving as a NFL Cheerleader where she helped to challenge stereotypes and encourage young people to pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering and math.

PANEL: EXAMINING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES

• Presented by Errika Mallett, VP of Member services & External Affairs, ITSMF
• Moderated by Terrance Bowman, VP and Diversity Lead, Global Technology Recruiting, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Courtney Snowden, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity
• Nicole Cozier, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Human Rights Campaign
• Dr. Jamika Burge, Senior Manager, Research, Curriculum, and Outreach, Capital One
• Chanelle Hardy, Strategic Outreach and Public Policy Partnerships, Google
• Marty Rodgers, Washington, D.C. Metro Office Managing Director, Accenture

Partnership panel participants shared business success stories that illustrated the organizational culture and bottom line impacts of a representative workforce.

KEYNOTE CONVERSATION

• Presented by Ken Walker, VP, National Site Operations, Per Scholas
• Moderated by Viola Maxwell-Thompson, President & CEO, ITSMF
• Michael Bennett, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Evan & Chambers Technology

During a conversation between Evan & Chambers Technology Executive Vice President Michael Bennett and ITSMF President Viola Maxwell-Thompson, Bennett shared the experiences that led him to leave a career as an attorney to pursue an interest in technology. He discussed the critical need for organizations to be intentional in ensuring that their workforce includes individuals who bring diverse experiences and perspectives in order to move the company forward. When discussing current diversity initiatives and ways to cultivate a more diverse senior staff he pointed out “the pipeline does not matter if the organizational chart stays the same.

IGNITE PRESENTATION

• Tonia Wellons, Vice President for Community Investment, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region

Tonia focused on her career and journey embracing culture and inclusion as pillars within her work.

CLOSING REMARKS

• Viola Maxwell-Thompson, President, ITSMF

The Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York (NPCC) announced Per Scholas as one of three winners of the 2016 New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards. Per Scholas, along with the Jewish Board for Family and Children Services and Neighbors Link, was honored at a special Best Practices Workshop and Awards Presentation on December 2 at the New York Hall of Medicine. The three winning organizations will share $60,000 in prizes and scholarships for the Columbia Business School Executive Education Programs in Social Enterprise. 

The Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York remarked, “we know that strong nonprofits are a vital part of strong communities and share a common commitment to excellent management. NPCC is committed to supporting and recognizing the good work of all nonprofits, and todays ceremony is just one way that we do this.” This award is one of the few that highlights excellent work in ‘how’ nonprofits effectively achieve their mission, and is highly regarded across the nonprofit and philanthropic community. 

Per Scholas President and CEO, Plinio Ayala and Board Chair, Lewis Miller, were joined on stage by the other finalists Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services and Neighbors Link. All three organizations shared best practices and insights into effective and sustainable nonprofit management practices. Specifically, Per Scholas highlighted our investment in data driven outcomes, innovative approaches to talent management, financial sustainability, branding and entrepreneurial spirit. Most importantly Per Scholas recognized the amazing and diverse staff that make it a great place to work.

“We’re honored to have been selected as a recipient of The New York Community Trust’s Nonprofit Excellence Awards,” said Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala. “Since our inception, we’ve remained committed to improving the lives of those we serve and communities in which we operate, and we believe lasting impact on communities is best achieved through an intentional and reflective approach to organizational management.”

NPCC created the New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards in 2006 to teach, recognize and encourage outstanding management practices among New York’s large and diverse nonprofit community.

The Awards highlight the enormously important roles played by thousands of New York’s nonprofit organizations in improving our lives and communities. The program helps nonprofit leaders by spotlighting excellent management practices that enable nonprofits to better serve their communities and achieve their missions. This award is the only of its kind recognizing excellence in nonprofit management among nonprofits in the five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester.

The Nonprofit Excellence Awards has attracted 750 applications from across New York City, Long Island and Westchester over its first ten years. The program is produced in collaboration with The New York Community Trust and Philanthropy New York. WNYC and JPMorgan Chase sponsor the program. Additional financial and in-kind support is provided by The Clark Foundation, Ford Foundation, RSM US LLP, and Columbia Business School Executive Education Programs in Social Enterprise. To read the official press release for the event, click here. 

This month, Per Scholas was among 33 organizations offered an opportunity to present at the White House at the My Brother’s Keeper What Works Showcase.

In this science-fair style event, select organizations from across the country presented interventions that address MBK’s goals and key tenets: 1) Getting a healthy start and entering school ready to learn: 2) Reading at grade level by third grade; 3) Graduating from high school ready for college and career; 4) Completing postsecondary education or training; 5) Successfully entering the workforce; 6) Keeping kids on track and giving them second chances; 7) Empowering parents and engaging caring adults and mentors.

Per Scholas addresses the fifth goal, successfully entering the workforce. We were one of only three organizations recognized as having a strong level of third-party evidence and verification, and the only workforce organization with this recognition. As such, Plinio was asked to give a “lightening talk” about the Per Scholas model in a sit-down program held before the exposition.

We are excited to inform you that Monday morning, October 17th, our CEO, Plinio Ayala presented on-stage at the White House. Plinio was invited to speak at the White House My Brother’s Keeper What Works Showcase in Washington D.C. My Brother’s Keeper is an initiative launched by President Obama aimed to “address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.”

Plinio spoke about Per Scholas’ innovative employer-driven approach amongst thirty of the nation’s premier programs and interventions. Plinio’s presentation at the White House starts at 1:49:00 and can be viewed below:

On Monday, October 17th, 2016, Per Scholas is invited to the White House My Brother’s Keeper What Works Showcase in Washington D.C. My Brother’s Keeper is an initiative launched by President Obama aimed to “address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.” We are excited to share Per Scholas’ innovative model amongst thirty of the nation’s premier programs and interventions. The Showcase will highlight providers who have demonstrated “rigorous evidence of impact” and here, at Per Scholas, measuring our impact is something we take very seriously.  

In both 2010, and again in 2016, Per Scholas participated in two Randomized Control Trials (RCT) that demonstrated significant impacts related to income, overcoming material hardship and overall well-being. To quote the most recent RCT 2016 MDRC report, “[it] is unusual to see such a consistent pattern of impacts across so many domains…These large impacts on secondary economic measures reaffirm the overall effectiveness of the WorkAdvance program at Per Scholas.”

President Barack Obama addressed the intent of ‘My Brother’s Keeper,’ “Helping more of our young people stay on track. Providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future. Building on what works – when it works, in those critical life-changing moments.” The White House plans to livestream the morning event. Our CEO, Plinio Ayala, has been asked to feature Per Scholas during a lightning presentation and we encourage you to check out Per Scholas and a number of other programs at the White House on Monday, October 17th from 9:30 am – 12:15 pm ET here.

The event will take place at the White House Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Per Scholas CEO, Plinio Ayala, will be accompanied by Wayne Kunow, Global Head of Information Risk Management for Barclays Investment Bank along with Jonathan Pena,  a Per Scholas graduate and Information Risk Manager at Barclays Investment Bank. All three will participate in a seated morning program before the afternoon’s showcase that will invite 150-200 people to visit with our CEO Plinio Ayala, a student representative and one of our employer partners. The audience will include White House officials, Federal agency representatives, foundations nonprofits, private sector partners and other My Brother’s Keeper stakeholders as well as members of the media. Event hosts include the White House Office of Social Innovation, My Brother’s Keeper, US Department of Education, Campaign for Black Male Achievement, Laura and John Arnold Foundation and Results for America.