Comcast Donates $2M to The Hidden Genius Project to Help Young Black Men Enter the Tech Industry

Despite all of the TikToks that give advice to Black and brown people on entering the tech industry, representation within the tech sector continues to be inequitable. Black Americans occupy just 7% of tech jobs, although they account for 14% of the national population. Tech is the future and the sector is advancing every day. If Black youth don't start getting into the industry on the ground floor, it will be harder for them to get employment when they are older.

For this reason, organizations like The Hidden Genius Project are necessary for assisting with the employment disparity in the tech industry. The Hidden Genius Project is a globally recognized nonprofit that trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities.

On Monday, Comcast NBCUniversal announced a $2 million grant to The Hidden Genius Project to help the organization's efforts to advance economic mobility through critical digital skills building across its national footprint. Distributed over two years, the funding will support the non-profit's expansion to Atlanta and Chicago.

“We are thrilled to support The Hidden Genius Project and their mission of guiding Black male youth on their path to becoming leaders in the technology sector,” said Jason Gumbs, Regional SVP at Comcast. “In a digital economy, having the necessary programming and resources needed to thrive is critical. We look forward to The Hidden Genius Project’s continued success and their expansion to Atlanta.”

Students who participate in The Hidden Genius Project's programming have a 98% high school graduation rate, with 95% entering post-secondary education and over 40% of alumni studying computer science or related fields. Building on this track record, Comcast’s funding will help even more former program participants gain post-secondary education and support the development of Genius Lab, an innovative new curriculum for young people of color to gain computer science, software development and entrepreneurship skills.