This week, a dream is coming true. Hack4Hope and Hack4Hope Academy is a new initiative from me and a team of fantastic St. Louisans--friends (old and new), colleagues and tech entrepreneurs who have come together under my company's nonprofit arm, An EPIPHANY Conversation, for the purpose of bringing tech innovation, design and career choices to the underserved youth of St. Louis, MO and its Metro Area. Please visit us at www.Hack4Hope.com. To be on the ground floor of an exciting initiative that started with an idea just a little more than a year ago shows how coding skills and education in this space can change lives. It has definitely changed mine. I have always wanted to give back to the youth of St. Louis--especially those from the North side along the Highway 70 corridor where I spent my first 10 years. I want to tell the students there to dream big and not to worry about the Ivy Leagues or other traditional models that may have not yet written them into the script. And this applies to communities throughout the city, counties and beyond. The ability to revolutionize your world is within you the entire time. And, by Divine design, it surrounds us every day as well. That is actually the root of my company's EPIPHANY name. There really is a reason we get an idea so "all of a sudden." It was already placed there for us to discover and receive. This weekend we will launch our registration page for 50 students and dozens of mentors to enjoy an exciting weekend Hack4Hope Hackathon, July 10-12. This will begin a long-term membership with our Hack4Hope Academy, a series of continuing education courses in leadership, strategy and coding in addition to networking meetups and an active online community for students in 7th to 12th grade. They will know that through Hack4Hope they have a support network that sees a focus on STEAM as a clear path to success and, most of all, an opportunity to develop as independent thinkers and positive contributors to their communities. Will you join us in championing the youth? Please consider a tax-deductible sponsorship (for as little as $1,000 and in-kind as well, with lots of goodies in return) and share this post with others. Thank you for making our dreams come true!
Follow us on Twitter @Hack4Hope.