Bridging the Gap: 10 Scholarships and Accelerators for Blacks in Tech

These initiatives aim to bring more diversity to the field.

Opportunities to Bridge the Gap - With the gradual unveiling of the dismal workforce diversity numbers behind leading Silicon Valley companies comes the increasing demand for a solution to the high-tech industry’s chronic underrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanics and women. Keep reading to learn more about several coding school scholarships and startup accelerators aiming to prepare talented minorities for successful careers in tech. —Patrice Peck(Photo: Roberto Westbrook/Blend Images/Corbis)

1 / 11

Opportunities to Bridge the Gap - With the gradual unveiling of the dismal workforce diversity numbers behind leading Silicon Valley companies comes the increasing demand for a solution to the high-tech industry’s chronic underrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanics and women. Keep reading to learn more about several coding school scholarships and startup accelerators aiming to prepare talented minorities for successful careers in tech. —Patrice Peck(Photo: Roberto Westbrook/Blend Images/Corbis)

Metis - Metis offers $2,000 scholarships for women and underrepresented minority groups to participate in either a Ruby on Rails bootcamp, a Data science bootcamp or a UX and Front End Development bootcamp. Students are required to attended in-person courses in either New York City or Boston for 9 to 12 weeks.(Photo: Metis)

2 / 11

Metis - Metis offers $2,000 scholarships for women and underrepresented minority groups to participate in either a Ruby on Rails bootcamp, a Data science bootcamp or a UX and Front End Development bootcamp. Students are required to attended in-person courses in either New York City or Boston for 9 to 12 weeks.(Photo: Metis)

NewMe Accelerator - If you’ve seen the CNN documentary Black in America 4, then you’re familiar with the NewME Accelerator that was launched in 2011. If not, just know that the startup incubation program is hard-core. Select entrepreneurs spend 12 weeks living in the same San Francisco home where they focus solely on their tech projects. Big-name mentors like Ben Horowitz, Vivek Wadhwa and Mitch Kapor also provide ongoing insight and advice.(Photo: NewMe)

3 / 11

NewMe Accelerator - If you’ve seen the CNN documentary Black in America 4, then you’re familiar with the NewME Accelerator that was launched in 2011. If not, just know that the startup incubation program is hard-core. Select entrepreneurs spend 12 weeks living in the same San Francisco home where they focus solely on their tech projects. Big-name mentors like Ben Horowitz, Vivek Wadhwa and Mitch Kapor also provide ongoing insight and advice.(Photo: NewMe)

The Nas Fellowship for Blacks and Latinos - Hip hop veteran Nas and tech campus/co-working space General Assembly recently teamed up to ensure that new Black and Latino talent is represented in the future of the tech industry. The Nas Fellowship for Blacks and Latinos awards an $8,500 scholarship to be used towards GA’s rigorous Web Development Immersive program at their San Francisco and Los Angeles campuses.(Photos from Left: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Axe, General Assembly)

4 / 11

The Nas Fellowship for Blacks and Latinos - Hip hop veteran Nas and tech campus/co-working space General Assembly recently teamed up to ensure that new Black and Latino talent is represented in the future of the tech industry. The Nas Fellowship for Blacks and Latinos awards an $8,500 scholarship to be used towards GA’s rigorous Web Development Immersive program at their San Francisco and Los Angeles campuses.(Photos from Left: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Axe, General Assembly)

Alexis Ohanian Fellowship for Women of Color - Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of the widely popular social news website Reddit, also partnered with General Assembly to introduce the voices of women of color into the tech industry and help them make their professional mark. Available only at the GA New York campus, the Alexis Ohanian Fellowship for Women of Color awards a scholarship of $8,500 to be used toward the Web Development Immersive program. Additional fellowships in General Assembly’s Opportunity Fund offer scholarships to veterans and women of all backgrounds.(Photos from left: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Webby Awards, General Assembly)

5 / 11

Alexis Ohanian Fellowship for Women of Color - Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of the widely popular social news website Reddit, also partnered with General Assembly to introduce the voices of women of color into the tech industry and help them make their professional mark. Available only at the GA New York campus, the Alexis Ohanian Fellowship for Women of Color awards a scholarship of $8,500 to be used toward the Web Development Immersive program. Additional fellowships in General Assembly’s Opportunity Fund offer scholarships to veterans and women of all backgrounds.(Photos from left: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Webby Awards, General Assembly)

ADVERTISEMENT
Code2040 - Founded by Tristan Walker and Laura Weidman Powers, CODE2040 provides underrepresented minorities with pathways to educational, professional and entrepreneurial success in technology. The organization’s flagship summer Fellows Program not only places highly skilled Black and Latino computer science students in internships with top tech companies like Facebook and Foursqaure, but also supplies mentorship, leadership training and network development.(Photo: Code2040)

6 / 11

Code2040 - Founded by Tristan Walker and Laura Weidman Powers, CODE2040 provides underrepresented minorities with pathways to educational, professional and entrepreneurial success in technology. The organization’s flagship summer Fellows Program not only places highly skilled Black and Latino computer science students in internships with top tech companies like Facebook and Foursqaure, but also supplies mentorship, leadership training and network development.(Photo: Code2040)

88 MPH - If your entrepreneurial aspirations involve markets in Nairobi, Cape Town or Lagos, then you might want to check out 88mph. Since starting in Kenya in 2011, the startup accelerator has funded dozens of companies through its three-month “Startup Garage” programs in the three African cities.  (Photo: 88mph)

7 / 11

88 MPH - If your entrepreneurial aspirations involve markets in Nairobi, Cape Town or Lagos, then you might want to check out 88mph. Since starting in Kenya in 2011, the startup accelerator has funded dozens of companies through its three-month “Startup Garage” programs in the three African cities.  (Photo: 88mph)

DigitalUndivided - DigitalUndivided describes itself as "a social enterprise that develops programs that increase the active participation of urban communities, especially women, in the digital space.” Determined to increase wealth within urban communities through engagement in the tech space, the company holds conferences, events and workshops throughout the year, including the annually anticipated Focus100 Conference.(Photo: Digital Undivided)

8 / 11

DigitalUndivided - DigitalUndivided describes itself as "a social enterprise that develops programs that increase the active participation of urban communities, especially women, in the digital space.” Determined to increase wealth within urban communities through engagement in the tech space, the company holds conferences, events and workshops throughout the year, including the annually anticipated Focus100 Conference.(Photo: Digital Undivided)

ChickLabs - ChickLabs, a full-service incubator and growth accelerator, specializes in launching female-led companies and new businesses targeting the female demographic. Depending on the stage of the company, participants can expect everything from public relations services to collaborative workspace and mentorships.(Photo: Chick Labs)

9 / 11

ChickLabs - ChickLabs, a full-service incubator and growth accelerator, specializes in launching female-led companies and new businesses targeting the female demographic. Depending on the stage of the company, participants can expect everything from public relations services to collaborative workspace and mentorships.(Photo: Chick Labs)

Driven Accelerator - The aptly-named Driven Accelerator strives to provide a platform for underrepresented groups in business by promoting equal opportunity access and resources, such as start-up capital, mentorship and networking. "We believe talent and innovation are urgently needed to disrupt the status quo,” said founder Tamar Melissa Huggins. "Our commitment to educating future leaders extends to the under-represented and unconventional risk takers that have the drive to build transformative technology companies."(Photo: Driven Accelerator)

10 / 11

Driven Accelerator - The aptly-named Driven Accelerator strives to provide a platform for underrepresented groups in business by promoting equal opportunity access and resources, such as start-up capital, mentorship and networking. "We believe talent and innovation are urgently needed to disrupt the status quo,” said founder Tamar Melissa Huggins. "Our commitment to educating future leaders extends to the under-represented and unconventional risk takers that have the drive to build transformative technology companies."(Photo: Driven Accelerator)

The Flatiron School - While the cost for the Flatiron School’s 12-week, full-time Ruby on Rails program is $12,000, grants and scholarships are available for students from underrepresented groups. The goal of the intensive course is to turn students into full-stack developers, ready for entry-level positions.(Photo: Flatiron School)

11 / 11

The Flatiron School - While the cost for the Flatiron School’s 12-week, full-time Ruby on Rails program is $12,000, grants and scholarships are available for students from underrepresented groups. The goal of the intensive course is to turn students into full-stack developers, ready for entry-level positions.(Photo: Flatiron School)