SAN FRANCISCO — Dec. 10, 2015 — CODE2040, a nonprofit that seeks to build a stronger, more inclusive innovation economy by closing the diversity gap in tech, will expand its training and entrepreneurship development programs with $1.2 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

While black, Latino and Latina students earn nearly 20 percent of computer science degrees, they make up only 9 percent of the technology industry and less than 1 percent of technology company founders. CODE2040 aims to ensure that these groups are proportionally represented in all facets of the innovation economy by 2040 by creating pathways to success for them in the tech sector. This includes helping companies make diversity part of their day-to-day operations by connecting them to a broad pool of qualified people and building inclusive, thriving tech entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems around the country.

To this end, Knight funding will reinforce its previous support of Code2040 as a 2014 winner of the Knight News Challenge on Strengthening the Internet and help expand CODE2040’s innovative signature programs, which include:

● Fellows Program: CODE2040’s flagship program launched in 2012. The Fellows Program places high-performing black, Latino and Latina software engineering students in internships with top tech companies while providing mentorship, leadership training, speaker series, career coaching, skills-building and network development through connections with industry leaders.

● Technical Applicant Prep (TAP): A large-scale program that prepares students for careers in tech through career coaching, leadership training and entrepreneurship via mentoring, retreats, workshops and online toolkits. The program has a nationwide impact and helps students prepare for and connect with jobs in tech.

“We are very proud of our continued partnership with Knight Foundation to create access, awareness, and opportunities for black Latino and Latina engineering talent. This transformative investment allows CODE2040 to build the capacity needed to rapidly increase our impact on diversity in tech,” said Laura Weidman Powers, CODE2040 cofounder and CEO.

“More and more, people are relying on technology for their information needs. To create stronger, more knowledgeable communities it is important that the individuals who are building the technology we use represent our wide diversity,” said John Bracken, Knight Foundation vice president for media innovation. “CODE2040 is doing just that by working to ensure that people from all backgrounds are able to participate in and benefit from the innovation economy.”

Since its launch in 2012, the CODE2040 Fellows Program has graduated more than 80 fellows who are now working for companies such as Facebook, Google, Oracle, Uber, Intuit, Jawbone and Foursquare. For the 2016 Fellows Program, CODE2040 will partner with 41 industry-leading companies such as Apple, Slack, Lyft, Box, Pandora and Airbnb as hosts for the fellows.  CODE2040 plans on expanding student participation in the Fellows Program by more than 100 percent in 2016. Through its Technical Applicant Prep program, CODE2040 helped more than 3,000 students in 2015 through retreats, workshops, webinars and an online toolkit; the nonprofit plans to expand outreach to more than 5,000 students in 2016. CODE2040 has also received investments from Google, Intel and Andreessen Horowitz.

Companies and potential applicants that would like to participate in CODE2040 can learn more at code2040.org.

###

About Code2040

CODE2040 is a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities with a specific focus on Blacks and Latino/as. We currently accomplish this through four programs, including our flagship Fellows Program, Technical Applicant Prep, CODE2040 Residency, and the Alumni Program.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more information, please visit knightfoundation.org.

Contacts:

Rocky Beach, Director of Partnerships and Development, CODE2040, [email protected]

Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2646, [email protected]