BOSTON – News about artificial intelligence is everywhere. How it will change our lives; create efficiency and simplify tasks at home and at work. There are also concerns about the dangers of AI misuse. But there’s no doubt that the focus of technology right now is on the next wave of AI tools designed for the masses.
How diverse is the workforce creating these tools? Not a big deal, according to every labor and technology organization with studies and surveys available online. While women make up roughly half of U.S. workers, only 35% of tech workers are women (AAUW) and only 3% are Black women (Women in Tech Network). “We’re not doing technology right if we’re not including women and people of color,” Bridgette Wallace explains. “It creates and maintains that gap in knowledge and experience, that gap in the way we adopt and use technology,” Wallace said. “We want to make sure it’s helpful and useful for everyone, not just a few.”
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Bridgette Wallace is the founder of G(Code), Girls Code, an organization that provides women and non-binary people of color ages 18 to 25 the opportunity to learn tech skills. By education and training, Bridgette is not a ‘techie’. Her expertise lies in the field of housing and urban planning. As a state worker, she helped women and families transition from shelters to stable housing. In Roxbury, she saw firsthand how the neighborhood changed and became less affordable. That only strengthened her case for programs that create opportunities for long-term economic growth.
Inspiration behind G(Code)
The seed for G(Code) was planted when her daughter Madyson showed an interest in technology. “I’ve always been a parent looking for opportunities and resources for my daughter. I’m no stranger to research,” Bridgette said with a smile. They found an enrichment program that gave Madyson an introduction to the tech space, with an emphasis on communication and leadership. Doors started opening. Before graduating from Northeastern University, Madyson interned at TJX Corporation and Intuit. The more she learned about technology, the more excited she was to start her career in a field she couldn’t have imagined years earlier.
The experience also opened Bridgette’s eyes. Madyson had stable housing, access to enrichment programs, a college education and family support. Yet it was still a challenge even for her to find her way into the technical field. Bridgette wanted to help young women who did not have these benefits.
In 2017, she founded G(Code) and is its executive director. With a focus on coding, web design and data analysis, G(Code) offers instruction, training and support. Through an extensive network of donors and corporate sponsors, G(Code) can provide fellows with computers, software, backpacks and more.
Initially, classes were held at the main branch of the Boston Public Library. When the pandemic hit, classes moved and remained online. But G(Code) offers more than just training. The organization’s mission is also to empower young women to believe in themselves and pursue possibilities they thought were out of reach.
300 G(Code) graduates
There are 300 women who have graduated from G(Code) programs. Some moved straight into STEM jobs. Others followed further training or more intensive technical ‘boot camps’. Some graduates now work for G(Code), teaching and inspiring the next wave of women exploring careers in a field that offers professional and financial growth opportunities. Madyson calls it a “niche opportunity” to navigate technology that could be life-changing. “They get the opportunity to feed their families or tell their cousins, friends and communities about technology,” Madyson said. “Their families are starting to see the change.”
Madyson works at Adobe Systems in New York City. She sees a concerted effort among employers to hire a diverse workforce. She says the key — and an ongoing challenge — is helping young people of color, who may not have personal connections to tech companies and organizations, connect with employers trying to fill job openings. Tech companies are using new strategies, she says, to find diverse employees, such as attending HBCUs (historically black colleges) and programs that emphasize diversity and impact.
Another persistent challenge, especially for Black women, is the socioeconomic barriers to exploring technology fields, including food and housing insecurity. During the pandemic, after G(Code) classes moved online, Bridgette discovered that some students were struggling. She contacted businesses for donations to purchase grocery store gift cards and was able to provide thousands of dollars in support.
Future home base in Roxbury
And when a 1900s Victorian home came up for sale in Roxbury, she saw a unique opportunity: a chance to create a “home base” of co-living and learning for 14 future members of the G(Code) community. For the women who will eventually live in the house, the barriers to focusing on studies will be gone; replaced by a safe, supportive environment in a beautiful space. “G(Code) is a place where the lights are always on,” Wallace said. “This house will be that flagship, that symbol, where the lights are always on. There is always a place for young people interested in technology.”
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The building includes a stately main building and a coach house in which the computer lab will be housed. Sasaki, ARUP and Blackspace are all contributing to architectural and design plans for the project. Blackspace member Jasmine Graves explained the group’s design philosophy. The property will feature elements that members of the G(Code) community associate with home. Colours, spaces, textures and furniture will be very consciously chosen with work and living spaces in mind. Jasmine described an example: “I want to have a space big enough when I want to eat communally… but with furniture that allows us to have a moment of solitude.”
Bridgette closed on the house in 2015. Permitting steps still need to be completed before actual renovation work can begin. But as she walks through the house with its original stained glass windows and carved balustrades, she can imagine the energy, the vitality – the possibility – that lies within these ancient walls for women reimagining their future in a supportive community with a track record. of success.
