Jacqueline Porro appointed new Executive Director

Jacqueline Porro has been appointed our new Executive Director. Jacqueline follows in the footsteps of Eval Silvera, the founder and visionary of KodeConnect. She takes the reins at a momentous time for KodeConnect as we expand our reach and encourage the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. As we work to close the race and gender gap in tech, a future with a more fair and equitable workforce becomes achievable.

Message from our Founder Eval Silvera

It’s Juneteenth! It is time to build, because we have to. I’m frustrated, exhausted, yet remain hopeful with all that has gone on in the last few weeks since George Floyd was taken from this earth.

Why I’m here today

Many of you are aware that KodeConnect started from my daughter's love for learning and excitement over STEM. What many of you don’t know is that the root of KodeConnect started with my desire to honor my brother who was murdered in Florida in January of 2015 because of who he was. Just because he was a black man. There remains no justice and his killers are still free to this day. My brother was an engineer coming out of (New York Institute of Technology) NYIT and he used his talents to create and eventually built his own textile company based on the design he created. I was always inspired (and a little jealous) of the things he would build when I was a kid. Losing him to hate, still hurts to this day. When I get up to put in work for KodeConnect, I’m reminded of this pain but persist to honor him. I wanted to make sure those who didn’t have opportunities, to have a pathway to creating, leading, and getting excited about STEM related fields. 

We know the numbers in tech around the number of black technologists are dismal, even with what seems to be a strong effort to make improvements. Diversity & Inclusion efforts were strong on efforts for diversity, but failed when it came to inclusivity. Many of the tech companies I’ve worked for in the past have pushed for culture, only to allow for unconscious biases to seep within and pass on qualified candidates in an effort for culture fit.  When a qualified candidate of color does become a cultural “add”, the unfortunate byproduct of lack of inclusiveness puts the candidate in an uneasy state of “I don’t feel I belong” or wouldn’t be able to bring my “whole authentic self” to the company. 


My hope

I’ve been encouraged and hopeful from conversations I’ve had over the last couple of weeks as many of our non-black partners, supporters, and volunteers have done more than just lend support, but asking in how can they make real change. Most of my responses start with thank you for listening, but now I need you to suit up and join the fight against racism. Go beyond allyship, and become a leader in this fight. I need to trust that your energy and passion here with me now, will be there when I’m not around. That you will speak up and identify when something isn’t right.


thumb_IMG_4623_1024.jpg

I leave this here today on Juneteenth as a reminder that though we as black people are free from slavery, we are still bound by systemic and institutional racism today. 

But this isn’t about me. This is about our kids and our future. What KodeConnect provides is not only exposure to innovation, coding, leadership, career exploration, and more.  It’s also an outlet that our kids need right now. We realize they don’t need more zoom meetings, but more connection and space to innovate and lead.


We can help. We are pushing the summer boundaries to help the kids create and become their best selves. We’ll connect online, but encourage getting out to play and innovate. This will include expanding our pilot KodeConnect @ Home series to include educating kids about Black inventors/STEM pioneers through our programs while working with corporate sponsors to show a pathway to careers in STEM. 

KodeConnect is a program for marginalized kids to not only get to know STEM but to fall in love with STEM and become leaders using STEM as a vehicle.

Call to action: 

  1. Let’s start with educating ourselves around institutional and systemic racism.  I’d like to share some resources to get started. 

  2. Promote, foster, and recruit STEM for minorities and women. There are a number of organizations that also support this including (Hack.diversity, Resilient Coders, G|Code House)

  3. Help bridge the gap that exists in tech. Donate to our efforts to bring kids closer to STEM careers or find time to volunteer and help expose our youth to career pathways.

Weekend STEM Activities for Families

With the weekend upon us, many have self-isolated themselves with their families due to remote work and learning and to stay safe and healthy as the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold. We have have been inspired by how many of you have balanced learning, down time, and work in our new reality. Today, we wanted to quickly share with you some ideas and resources you could consider adding to your weekend plans!

Read more

KodeConnect Adds 2 New Board Members

KodeConnect is excited to announce the addition of two new board members to the KodeConnect family! At KodeConnect, our board is committed to exposing and engaging underserved youth with STEM learning experiences. Sara Czyzewicz and Ed Cabellon, two accomplished and impressive individuals, will soon be joining us in our constant effort to help inspire the next generation of programmers, engineers, and problem solvers.

Read more

Hands on Learning: Inspiring Kids in the Tech Industry

How can children be inspired to learn more about tech? One of the best methods is through hands-on learning. In hands-on learning, children are able to be inspired directly by those in the industry, visualizing themselves within the field and finding the specializations that interest them the most.

KodeConnect's School Vacation Field Trip with Slalom Consulting

On April 18th, students visited Slalom Consulting to learn more about engineering and problem solving. During their field trip, they worked hands-on with engineers to see how they tackled the challenges they face day-to-day, in addition to learning about a variety of roles in the tech field, and brainstorming new products and designs. 

By connecting education to real world problems, our students were able to see how valuable and diverse the field of technology and engineering can truly be.

Hands-On Learning Gives Concrete Results

One of the major advantages to hands-on learning is that kids are able to connect in a tangible way. By touring a technological firm or seeing technology in use, they're inspired to see themselves in roles and contexts that they may not have imagined before. Tech is all about giving kids options: showing them what is possible.

Hands-on learning forms memories that will last a lifetime. At Slalom Consulting, kids were able to take part in multiple levels of the company's design and development process.

Keying In to a Child's Learning Style

It's well-known that some children are more visual learners, some auditory, and some hands-on. Some children have to be able to see something, others do better while listening. A walkthrough of local companies that are highly technical or tech-inspired engages all of a child's senses, giving them more opportunities to connect with the experience.

Meeting Role Models in the Tech Industry

Often, children need to really see the people within an industry to connect to a path for them. By seeing people like them inside of a tech field, they will be inspired to learn more about it. Role models within the technical field can serve as inspirations, telling children exactly what it is about the tech industry that inspires them.

During their time at Slalom Consulting, the students were able to learn about the various roles that were used to build a product, and were able to see themselves within those roles. 

There are many benefits to hands-on learning and business-related outreach programs. By showing children how technology is being used in the real world, you can open up their minds to the possibilities. For companies, this type of community outreach serves to foster learning in the new generation. To learn more, connect with us at KodeConnect.