One firm’s mission to expand the technology-literate talent pool
According to the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility, black individuals only hold 8 percent of jobs in the technology sphere in the United States. One Miami-based nonprofit is hoping to change that by growing a pipeline of 1 million BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and women technologists.
Founded in January 2023 by Microsoft developer Temante Leary and entrepreneur Kwamara Thompson, BITE-CON’s mission is to engage, educate, and expose the black and brown community to emerging technologies. “I work at Microsoft, and I noticed that the BIPOC community was lacking education and access around these emerging technologies like web3, AI, AR, and VR. I thought that if BITE-CON isn’t created, our community is going to get completely left behind,” says Leary.
BITE-CON first launched as a standalone event in 2022 at Florida Memorial University, South Florida’s only historically black college/university. However, after seeing the impact it had on FMU students, Leary went on to form the organization with Thompson. Since its first conference, BITE-CON has expanded, putting on multiple events and offering resources to the BIPOC community. It has also partnered with teaching organizations like Karat’s Brilliant Black Minds and 4Geeks Academy.
One of BITE-CON’s events in April, BITE-CON Week, attracted over 300 attendees and featured more than 60 speakers and founders discussing topics ranging from generational wealth to cutting-edge AI advancements. Aside from networking opportunities, fireside chats, and discussions about emerging tech, the event also included an eSports gaming lounge, where attendees could explore opportunities in that rapidly growing industry. According to the Global ESports Federation, the eSports industry was valued at $1.1B in 2020 and expected to reach $1.6B by yearend 2024. Leary notes that opportunities like these in the emerging tech scene are not as readily available to black and brown communities.
BITE-CON’s partnership with 4Geeks helps provide equitable access to the company’s tech boot camps, which cover skills from coding to deep learning in AI. Scholarships are provided for those who are underemployed and want to pursue a higher-paying career in technology. In addition to 4Geeks, BITE-CON’s Memorandum of Understanding with Karat’s Brilliant Black Minds provides students with free access to interview practice and unlimited feedback from expert interviewers. “We found that there’s a void between students completing their boot camp certifications and being prepared for job interviews. These interviews for tech companies are so technical; this partnership bridges the gap between boot camp graduates and getting a job,” says Leary.
BITE-CON is also impacting Miami’s tech ecosystem by consulting with tech corporations on how to attract BIPOC talent. “Technology companies that have big budgets realize the importance of having diverse talent. And they understand that because they themselves are not diverse organizations, they need to partner with other folks on the ground who can bring in high-quality diverse talent,” says Thompson, BITE-CON’s chief strategic officer.
Greater diversity in Miami’s burgeoning tech scene not only mitigates underemployment in black and brown communities; it also expands the city’s skill-intensive talent pool. This enriched talent base helps retain existing tech companies and attract new ones. Moreover, embracing diversity enhances Miami’s reputation as a global city, attracting international talent and investment.
“When we’re thinking about Miami as an emerging tech city, oftentimes the people who have been here and feel left out are [members of the] black and brown communities…A lot of folks are coming to us to think about how we can create a larger global ecosystem within Miami,” says Thompson.
