#all star code

Rudy’s World: The All Star Code’s 5th Anniversary Celebration

By Rudy Collins

On Wednesday, April 11, 2018, a meet and greet, cocktail event took place to honor their All Star Code 5th Anniversary at the Highline Hotel in New York. (more…)

On November 30, 1987, Reginald Francis Lewis negotiated the $985 million leveraged buyout of Beatrice International Foods, which at that time, was the largest offshore transaction in the United States. The Wall Street move was celebrated around the world as the deal that made Lewis the first  African American billionaire business tycoon. Michael Milken was his investment banker, and the company…

The second ever All Star Code Summer Intensive is now in its fourth week, the last week of instruction before they begin a two-week long final project. So far, the fellows have learned the basics of computer science (loops, conditionals, etc.) in Python, a week was spent on physical computing with the Arduino Uno, a programmable microcontroller, and now we have moved into web development and design, using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This week the fellows are gaining familiarity with web scraping and databases, so that they have these tools at their disposal if needed for their final projects, which many of them have already begun brainstorming and will start as a group next week.

In addition to the course material, the program has been visited by a number of guest speakers, and gone on site visits to big name tech companies in New York City, among them Yelp, the Flatiron School, Goldman Sachs, and the Gerson Lehrman Group. These excursions have been equal parts disappointing and inspiring. We still don’t see many black and brown faces at businesses like those listed above, but when we do hear from people of color in these positions, we have heard stories of overcoming adversity that have hopefully shown the fellows that the hard work they are putting in now will pay off. One speaker we heard from was the first African American in his office. At Yelp we heard of a woman who left the company after being told that the racial gap in tech wasn’t an issue and then was rehired as the head of Diversity & Inclusion, a position created for her, after the CEO realized the company was wrong not to pay attention to this issue. These stories make me glad that the fellows will leave the program with knowledge, networks, and a portfolio full of projects that will give them a leg up in an industry that unfortunately still has many barriers to entry for people of color.

These excursions have been equal parts disappointing and inspiring. We still don’t see many black and brown faces at businesses like those listed above, but when we do hear from people of color in these positions, we have heard stories of overcoming adversity that have hopefully shown the fellows that the hard work they are putting in now will pay off.

As for the fellows themselves, they are equal parts hilarious and driven. They all come from diverse backgrounds and collectively display such a spectrum of personalities, but they are united in their high expectations of themselves, and of each other. Already, I can see them forming connections that will be lasting friendships and potential business partnerships. Unlike even a few short years ago when I was in high school, gifted young people no longer want to be lawyers or doctors or bankers. They want something of their own. They want start ups. They want to be entrepreneurs. I

What's up!  Happy holidays.  We have a new song we want to share with you that can be downloaded for free at our website.  It's called "The People" and it features the legendary Chuck D from Public Enemy.

Free Download  |  Listen On Soundcloud

The idea for the song came from a couple of samples, and the track's vibe is earnest and has a pressing tone to it.  The lyrics are commentaries of our struggles and successes, our weaknesses and strengths... the experiences... and trials and tribulations we have faced as human beings, a race, and as individuals. Lyrically Chuck brings a sense of authority and urgency. The power in his voice demands your attention. With Chuck on the track this is a dream come true for us.

How All Star Code Is Getting More Young, Black Males into Tech

There aren't enough young, black males in tech.  All Star Code is trying to fix that through intensive summer camp that preps black high school students for high-growth tech jobs.

By Christina Chaey

It's early on a Saturday morning, and the brand-new Spotify headquarters in New York's Flatiron District are bustling with high schoolers. Nearly 20 young, black men have gathered here to spend the day learning how to come up with a business idea, a brand, a marketing strategy, and a pitch deck to present what they've learned to a panel of judges. Laptops, giant markers, and paper pads are everywhere, and the students plot out ideas ranging from a digital hub for hip-hop fans to a reggae music-creation app to a portal for discovering indie artists.