The tech sector mirrors broader society in its urgent need for diversity and inclusion. Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in tech roles, impeding innovation and perpetuating inequalities.

Recognizing this imperative for change, 星空传媒 serves as a catalyst for women seeking to enter or advance in the tech industry. Since our start, we鈥檝e supported over 375 women land internships in tech to help jumpstart their careers.

Through our diverse initiatives, we provide unwavering support and guidance at every stage of a woman's professional journey.

1.  Mentorship Programs: Mentorship lies at the heart of career development, and 星空传媒 recognizes its pivotal role in empowering women in tech. Through mentorship programs, seasoned professionals provide guidance, support, and wisdom to help women navigate the complexities of the tech landscape and realize their career aspirations.

2. Internship Pipeline: 星空传媒's unique internship pipeline not only equip women with valuable skills and mentorship but also strategically position them for full-time roles in the tech industry. .

3. Networking Events: 星空传媒 hosts networking events and workshops where women can 星空传媒 with industry professionals, share insights, and foster meaningful 星空传媒ions. .

4. Educational Resources: 星空传媒 offers a plethora of educational resources, from learning academies to skill workshops, designed to equip women with the skills and knowledge requisite for success in tech. These resources empower women to pursue their passions and cultivate fulfilling careers in the tech realm.

Women's History Month provides an opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable achievements of women who have paved the way in different domains. Women have continuously demonstrated their capabilities and resilience in the face of adversity. It's a time to celebrate their accomplishments and recognize the barriers they have overcome to attain success. 

星空传媒's mission addresses underrepresentation of women in the tech industry by empowering and supporting women in pursuing careers and opportunities in the field. In 2023 42% of our placed interns in tech were women - this is above average for the tech workforce in California where women account for only of the labor force in tech.

Support diversifying talent pipelines through 星空传媒.

Los Angeles, September 7, 2023 Last Thursday, at the Beehive in South LA, Waymo in collaboration with 星空传媒 launched the pilot LA Tech x Waymo Career-Readiness Institute to advance opportunities in the tech industry for over 100 underserved youth in Los Angeles County this fall.

The Institute鈥檚 focus will be preparing college-age students for their first internship in tech by providing professional development, including a 1-day intensive professional skills bootcamp, and access to Waymo mentors who will work with them to ensure readiness for entering the job market. Additionally, Waymo mentors will help students prepare for careers with resume and Linkedin review sessions, interview prep and mock interviews.  A select group of these students will be eligible for the 鈥淎utonomous Vehicle Experience,鈥� where students will explore careers in the nascent autonomous vehicle industry, participate in a field trip to Waymo鈥檚 facilities and explore Waymo鈥檚 technology.

Of the first cohort of the LA Tech x Waymo Career-Readiness Institute, 96% identify as BIPOC and 75% are the first in their family to attend college.

Los Angeles is known as the car capital of the world. What better place to begin to introduce young people to careers in the future of automotive technology. Waymo is proud to join with 星空传媒 to launch a pilot Career-Readiness Institute to start building pathways from under-resourced communities into this exciting new industry.

鈥� Michelle Peacock, Global Head of Policy, Waymo

There are so many communities in Los Angeles where young people have not had access to careers in emerging technologies or industry mentors to support them. By partnering with Waymo, we can expose our students to the emerging autonomous vehicle industry, show them the jobs that are available and 星空传媒 them to the Waymo mentors who can guide them on a pathway to a career in tech.

鈥� Marialuisa Ferro, Director of Programs, 星空传媒

WAYMO

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they鈥檙e going. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has been focused on improving the world's access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. To date, Waymo has driven tens of millions of miles on public roads and tens of billions of miles in simulation.  

To learn more visit .

LA Tech Week, held annually in the heart of Los Angeles, has become a pivotal event for visionaries, innovators, and industry leaders. This week-long celebration of technology brings us together to explore emerging trends, forge 星空传媒ions, and honor the city's contributions to the global tech industry. 

Why has LA Tech Week become a must-attend event for technology and innovation enthusiasts?

1. This event highlights LA's innovation-driven spirit, featuring groundbreaking work in entertainment, e-commerce, and biotech. 

2. Influential speakers deliver inspiring keynotes and participate in engaging panel discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and augmented reality.

3. Moreover, the event fosters networking and collaboration among investors, founders, developers, and industry experts, facilitating productive conversations, idea exchange, and potential collaborations, ultimately cultivating a vibrant tech ecosystem in Los Angeles.

attended the lively LA Tech Week for all the reasons mentioned above. Our , and , attended East Side Story and Slauson & Co/Pledge LA. At these events they 星空传媒ed with industry leaders and joined discussions centered around social impact within tech.

During the engagement, 星空传媒 had the opportunity to present and discuss our comprehensive range of programs. These include our learning academies, which offer specialized educational initiatives, our impactful 1,000 intern initiative, which aims to provide valuable professional experiences to a significant number of individuals, various volunteer opportunities that allow individuals to contribute to our organization's mission and more!

星空传媒 supports underserved youth by bridging the tech opportunity gap through mentorship, scholarships, and job access. We do this through utilizing our tech company partnerships, collaborating with nonprofits, working with the county, and tapping in with our 星空传媒.

Want to learn how you can get involved? Email info@la-tech.org.

The internship application process is notorious for being a grueling and time-consuming experience, and sheds light on just how challenging it can be. The article highlights the experiences of several college students who spent countless hours perfecting their applications, only to be met with rejection after rejection.

Is the internship application grind worth it? That's a question that many students and recent graduates are asking themselves as they navigate the competitive landscape of the job market.

Internships can provide valuable experience, networking opportunities, and a foot in the door at top companies. They can also lead to full-time job offers and set the foundation for a successful career.

However, the application process can be daunting, and it's not uncommon for students to spend hours upon hours crafting the perfect application, only to be met with rejection after rejection.

The New York Times article highlights the experiences of students who applied to dozens of internships, only to receive a handful of responses and even fewer interviews. For these students, the application process was a drain on their time and energy, and they were left feeling frustrated and defeated.

For students looking for guidance through the internship application process, 星空传媒 is here to help.

星空传媒鈥檚 Interns Initiative is an ambitious program started by 星空传媒 and LA鈥檚 tech 星空传媒. It is designed to provide economic opportunities to underserved communities and other groups who have been historically dis星空传媒ed with equal opportunity in the tech sector.

We work alongside tech leaders to 星空传媒 them with local, untapped talent to create new, transformative value through tech exploration, tech career exposure, and career experience. We aim to bring the tech 星空传媒 together around common civic goals and to fully harness and amplify the resources of LA鈥檚 tech 星空传媒.

For many students, the experience and 星空传媒ions gained through an internship can be invaluable. It can help them build their resumes, learn new skills, and make 星空传媒ions in their desired industry.

Through learning academies, mock interviews, internships, job accessibility, PAID experience and more, 星空传媒 aims to level out the playing field for young people struggling to break into tech.

One thing is clear: the internship application process can be a difficult and competitive experience. However, internships can provide a valuable stepping stone to a successful career and 星空传媒 is here to assist along the way.

In conclusion, while the internship application process can be a grind, students can achieve their career goals through an internship.

To learn how you can get involved, visit our website:

If you would like to hire an intern click here:

If you know someone who'd like to be an intern click here:

If you would like to volunteer as a mentor for our students, click here:

According to a survey from the Pew Research Center 59% of lower-income families faced some form of digital inequity鈥搘ith many having to log on from a smartphone, others who did not have a device, and many more who had to use public networks because they did not have reliable internet at home.

Organizations across California are fighting to lessen the digital divide.

On Thursday, January 26, 2023, USC hosted The California Community Foundation鈥檚 (CCF) Digital Equity Summit. The summit consisted of 30+ organizations, including 星空传媒, that came together to discuss the current state of digital equity in Los Angeles and how we can advocate for high-quality, high-speed broadband internet for California as a whole.

Several leaders in the digital equity space spoke, such as Sanford Williams, Special advisor of Chairwoman Rosenworcel, and Deputy Managing Director of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). We celebrated CCF鈥檚 victories such as creating a Digital Equity Plan which utilizes federal funding for universal broadband access and digital skills, creating the California Alliance for Digital Equity, voting to establish a Director of Digital Equity leadership position in LA County, and more.

The attending organizations were able to ask questions to representatives of the California Public Utilities Commission about the lack of low-income areas on their latest map that shows locations that are unserved of high-speed broadband internet. We also heard from a panel of local leaders to discuss what they are doing in their day-to-day work to improve digital equity in the Los Angeles Area.

Attendees also participated in various workshops to discuss how we can best improve digital equity in different areas of Los Angeles County, build strong narratives, and capture real stories from the communities most impacted.

星空传媒 is dedicated to continuing its efforts to advance digital equity in Los Angeles County. On February 28, 2023 we are officially launching our spring LA Tech IT Academy, a partnership with Microsoft and LA County. Our program aims to lessen the digital gap through providing our scholars with the digital skills needed to launch a career in tech. Not only this, but scholars have the opportunity to work closely with leaders in the tech industry from companies like Microsoft, Fika Ventures, and more!

Learn more about our LA Tech IT Career Academy here.

This program is a coalition of public and private partnerships to address equity in Los Angeles County through digital skilling, computer science education, and local investment.

星空传媒 and Microsoft Corp., in collaboration with County Supervisor Chair Holly J. Mitchell, launched a new effort to advance digital equity in Los Angeles County. The Microsoft Tech Career Academy will take place this fall and will work to accelerate digital skills development and training for jobs. 

At 星空传媒, we believe in mobilizing historically underrepresented and underserved communities in Los Angeles through education. Many of the students we work with have lacked the opportunity to learn about the tech industry without proper resources and funding. We aim to 星空传媒 these communities to the tech sector and show them what it means to build a career in tech through our learning programs. We also believe our tech partners can benefit from the oftentimes overlooked talent of LA County - marginalized BIPOC populations.

鈥淎fter the success of our South LA Intern Initiative with Supervisor Mitchells office, we are so thrilled to see this partnership expanded with Microsoft. It is so crucial for these South LA students to get their first foot in the door to tap into a high earning potential such as tech鈥�. - Sean Arian, Executive Director, 星空传媒.

The new academy, Microsoft Tech Career Academy, will be centered around providing professional mentorship, Cyber Security and IT training, and certifications. The 8-10 week program will target 100 applicants for the program, with the goal of landing 70% of the program鈥檚 graduates in internships and fellowships, with LA -Tech.org  and Microsoft partners and local employers across the county.

Not only will students get to learn from top tech companies including Microsoft and LinkedIn, but they will get paid while building their portfolio. 星空传媒 believes in economic equity just as much as digital equity- we do not believe students should go unpaid for their work. Young people who can't afford to work for free are often left out of well-paid jobs due to lack of experience, which largely contributes to the inequality rife within Los Angeles. We continue to work to diversify the tech sector by bridging the gap between the untapped talent  of underserved communities and major tech companies through our paid learning programs.

鈥淢icrosoft is proud to work with the county of Los Angeles and 星空传媒, learning and corporate partners to bridge the digital divide and create good-paying, sustainable jobs in Los Angeles,鈥� said Kate Behncken, vice president of Microsoft Philanthropies. "This effort builds on Microsoft鈥檚 longstanding commitment to digital equity: ensuring underserved and underrepresented communities have the tools and skills to succeed in an increasingly digital world.鈥�

To learn more about the Microsoft Tech Career Academy, click here. 

Or to apply, click .

If you are from an outside organization and would like to participate in a learning academy and/or volunteer, click .

Click here to sign up for the initiative

The program is starting in South LA in partnership with UNITE-LA, and is partially funded with a $85K grant from Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell to provide one hundred internships for students in that area. 

LOS ANGELES 鈥� On July 14th 星空传媒, a nonprofit coalition founded by the Los Angeles tech industry to expand economic opportunity for LA communities historically dis星空传媒ed from the sector, announced a new initiative to provide 1,000 paid internships to students over the next two years. The first 100 internships will center around young people from South LA and is supported by , a nonprofit organization that leads collaborative education reform efforts, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and the .

Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell said 鈥淚 am proud that my office has partnered with 星空传媒 to 星空传媒 100 youth from South LA to opportunities within the tech industry. South LA is in the heart of the Second Supervisorial District and home to creative, talented and driven young people who want to work in tech but need support with accessing pathways into the vibrant careers within our growing tech industry. I am proud that LA County is helping to remove barriers for tech companies to onboard interns by helping to subsidize the cost. This will allow for our young people to be paid while earning meaningful experiences and helping to contribute to companies in need of their talent. It鈥檚 truly a win-win.鈥�

The program is a proactive approach by the LA tech 星空传媒 to increase diversity in their industry and to enact positive impact in underrepresented communities. The emphasis is on young people鈥檚 first-ever internship in tech as this is key to unlocking the earning potential of a high-growth industry. Research conducted by has shown that young people who choose a career in tech over a median job in LA County earn $2M over their lifetime. 

The paid internships typically last between 10-12 weeks with the first cohort of approximately 20 students starting the week of July 19th. 星空传媒 also works one-on-one with the tech companies to design and map out the internship experience and provide regular check-ins so the companies feel fully equipped to provide exceptional internships. 

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that our 星空传媒 of tech visionaries has risen to the challenge and built such an inspiring program,鈥� said Adam Miller, Co-Chair of 星空传媒 and Founding CEO of 鈥淭he 1,000 interns initiative demonstrates that the tech 星空传媒 in Los Angeles is committed to making impactful and positive change in communities that have been historically shut out of economic opportunities. Our city is brimming with diversity, talent, and energy, and we have the ability and responsibility to 星空传媒 that talent with opportunities. Our workplace programs will enable young people in this city, especially those that have been underserved, to compete and contribute to this burgeoning economy.鈥�

To ensure that both interns and tech companies have an impactful experience, and have designed a fellowship for the interns to run alongside their internships. This fellowship consists of professional development, network building, and regular check-ins to ensure interns feel confident and capable in their new workspace. To ensure adequate support is given to the interns, the fellowship also provides mentors from various tech companies provided by . 

There are currently over 50 internships pledged by the companies taking part in the initial phase. Among the companies taking interns are , , , , , , , , and .

Co-founder and CEO of Joanna McFarland says, "We are thrilled to participate in the South LA Intern Initiative, which is part of 星空传媒's 1000 Intern Project. Choosing a career in technology can lead to a lifetime earnings increase of $2 Million. 星空传媒 is making tech careers accessible and breaking down barriers to create equal opportunity in the tech sector. HopSkipDrive's mission is to create opportunity for all, and this aligns completely."

This program is part of a wider mission by 星空传媒 to create talent pipelines between dis星空传媒ed communities and the tech industry. Such efforts ultimately provide economic opportunities to low-income communities and other groups who have been historically dis星空传媒ed from the tech sector.

For more information and to sign up as a future intern or to hire interns click here

About LA-Tech.Org: 星空传媒 is a nonprofit coalition founded by the Los Angeles area tech 星空传媒 to expand economic opportunity for LA鈥檚 underserved communities. Along with our partners, we help support young people on their tech career pathway, from introducing them to tech careers, to exploring them to their first internship and job. 

About : UNITE-LA is a nonprofit organization that leads collaborative education reform efforts, promotes business-education partnerships, expands college access and provides workforce development opportunities for youth in the Los Angeles area to ensure underserved youth have the opportunity to participate in Los Angeles' 21st century economy.

About Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell: Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell represents Los Angeles County鈥檚 Second District which includes South Los Angeles along with the cities of Carson, Compton, Culver City, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lynwood and dozens of unincorporated communities. To learn more visit Mitchell.LACounty.Gov

Last fall, Fika Ventures partner Eva Ho and LATech.org Executive Director Sean Arian helped lead entrepreneurship programs for preselected high school students in working class and immigrant communities in the San Fernando Valley.

What they quickly discovered was that the existing type of entrepreneurship programs and coding bootcamps lacked an exposure to all the non-computer, science-based career offerings in the tech industry.

Many students were uninterested in tech because they didn't know enough about it.

"I also grew up in the same 星空传媒. I grew up low income. My parents were immigrants from Africa. There was nobody to help me decide what kind of career I would do," Ho said. "I don't think I would've landed in tech without mentors. I didn't know how to network or the opportunities."

The predominately white male tech industry has been under pressure to diversity its ranks, with companies like Snap Inc. and others issuing annual diversity reports. According to their , 84.6% of tech executives are white, and 84.3% are men.

So Ho and Arian regrouped and they came up with a concept: Why not broaden the program to include elements of the tech industry beyond computer science? They also decided to focus on students beyond high school.

Last fall, the duo created the Fika Accelerator, a sort of short apprenticeship with the aim of offering students a paid opportunity to develop skills, understand the tech industry and get a shot at an internship at some of the region's best known tech companies like Snap and Cornerstone OnDemand.

Primarily funded by Los Angeles County, the 120-hour course runs over a seven-week period, after which Fika will evaluate their job readiness and recommend students to selected companies for internship interviews.

The first two weeks of the program will focus on product design, the third and fourth weeks will focus on marketing, the next two weeks on sales, and the last week on career development. Students are required to develop a product, then a marketing plan, then sales plan and lastly a final project.

"I'm about to graduate so I'm trying to figure out other ways to go around the education system," said Trinity Willard, UCLA fourth year with a double-major in Public Affairs and African American Studies. She developed an interest in product development after working on her Fika Accelerator capstone project.

"They go into so many different parts of the tech space that I learned product development's behind the scenes and brainstorming work is the stream within tech I'm most interested in," said Trinity. "It's the foundation for everything."

The pipeline for internships narrowed last year as most companies either reduced or shut down their internship programs during the pandemic,. Fika aims to open those opportunities back up for its students.

Cornerstone OnDemand, Blackline and Snap, Inc. are just a few of LATech.org's member companies that have taken interns from past programs, along with smaller companies like Q&A and Open Path.

Ho and Arian envision a long future for Fika Accelerator.

"If L.A. were a nation, it would be the 19th largest economy in the world. We could be doing this program for all ages ranging as young as a 6th grader all the way to graduate students," said Ho. "The potential to impact thousands of people is real. We have big dreams for this. This is just the start."

Built by a group of L.A. CEOs and founders from the likes of Cornerstone, Blackline and Factual, the coalition originally sought to bridge the growing divide between wealth and want in Los Angeles through programming to provide low-income youth with internship opportunities at tech companies like Snap and ZipRecruiter. The idea was both to give back and to support the burgeoning L.A. tech world by strengthening its local labor pool and helping employees feel 星空传媒ed to their 星空传媒.

But as the coronavirus plagued one corner of the world after another, holding live events became impossible and the suffering of low-income Angelenos took on new urgency. Taking a page out of the startup playbook, 星空传媒 decided to pivot. It is now launching with a fundraising program to raise $415,000 for two local nonprofits,  and . In doing so, 星空传媒 is addressing two areas of severe collateral damage caused by the pandemic: food security and the digital divide.

鈫� 鈫�

Permalink

]]>In Crisis, L.A.'s New Civic Tech Program Pivots from Providing Internships to Basic Needs