HomeMy WebLinkAboutBack-Up DocumentsINIT Expansion Proposal (City of Miami)
Empowering City of Miami Residents to Break Into Tech
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Background
Chapter Highlights
Video
News Stories
New Opportunity
Leadership Team
Executive Director
Board of Directors
Advisory Board
Chapter Leadership
Partnerships
Organization Structure
Collegiate Chapters
At -Large Chapters
K-12 Outreach Program
Alumni / Industry Professional Chapter
Success Metrics
Timeline
Fundraisina
Projected Budget (2023-2025)
Ask
Contact Information
Executive Summary
This document outlines a proposal to expand INIT's operations to the City of Miami and
empower its residents to launch successful careers in technology. INIT will accomplish this by
establishing 1) an at -large chapter for community members 2) a collegiate chapter for Miami
Dade College students, and 3) an expansion of our K-12 program to the City of Miami schools,
including chapters for high schools.
The at -large chapter will be accessible to any member of the community and will target people
from non-traditional backgrounds looking to find a job in tech. It will provide access to
experiential learning, career development, and industry connections while fostering a
community that prepares them for jobs in tech and supports them in their job search process.
The collegiate chapter will be accessible to all Miami Dade College students pursuing a
technical degree or interested in exploring the tech field. Like the at -large chapter, it will also
provide access to multiple programs and foster a supportive community to prepare them and
help them land their first job in tech. The K-12 program will carry out outreach activities to
introduce the youth to computer science and ignite an interest in pursuing a degree in tech at a
local college or university. It will also educate parents on the landscape of tech careers and
provide them with the resources and tools they need to set their children on a path to a career in
tech. All of the above initiatives will be facilitated in partnership with local schools, higher
education institutions, government agencies, and employers.
Altogether, these initiatives will impact the City of Miami residents across multiple age groups
and career stages: students, college students, non-traditional professionals, and parents. By
creating this level of awareness and access to opportunities in all sectors of our community, we
will foster a sustainable pool of tech talent that meets the needs of local employers and grows
our economy. Ultimately, INIT will help bridge the gap between local talent and employers,
providing the City of Miami residents with jobs in tech that provide them economic mobility and
generational wealth for their families.
Background
Equal access to opportunity in the tech industry is challenging to attain, as most career and
growth opportunities are found in wealthy, hard to get into educational institutions with lots of
resources and strong ties to industry. Most people, especially those from minority, low-income
backgrounds are not enrolled at these institutions and don't have access to a community that
can support them with the guidance and resources they need to break into the tech industry.
Additionally, most institutions focus on teaching fundamental theory and don't have the
bandwidth and resources to provide students the support they need to land a job in today's tech
industry successfully. They lack an inclusive and engaged community, programs to up -skill to
the latest technologies, practical projects to gain experience, technical interview preparation,
peer mentorship, industry insights, and access to internship and job opportunities via
partnerships with employers.
We solved this problem institutionally at Florida International University by establishing a
chapter of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE) computing honor society in 2014. We built a supportive
community for minority, low-income students, providing them with access to programs and
opportunities that helped place them in tech internships and jobs.
Chapter Highlights
• Fostered a growing community of over 4,000 members, including both students and
alumni
• Established multiple experiential learning and career development programs focused on
providing students the experience they need to get hired in tech - technical skills, project
development, interview preparation, mentorship, and more
• Organized the largest hackathon in all of Florida, ShellHacks, bringing together 1,500
students in tech in Miami and beyond
• Established industry partnerships with over 50 employers, including Google, Microsoft,
Meta, Kaseya, Royal Caribbean, Assurant, and more, providing access to industry
connections and internship/job opportunities
• Placed thousands of graduates in tech roles as a result of our programs and
partnerships
• Established UPE FIU alumni chapter in 2020 to create a community for early -in -career
professionals, giving back to our student chapter by connecting them to opportunities,
mentoring, teaching, and supporting financially
• Provided 1,500 students in K-12 schools computer science education through our
outreach program activities, encouraging them to pursue careers in tech at local higher
education institutions
• Received local and national awards, winning top national UPE chapter for six years in a
row and Best Engineering Organization at FIU
• Received recognition from local and national organizations and media outlets, including
the Knight Foundation, Miami Dade County, City of Miami, Refresh Miami, and more
"Upon graduation, students from UPE are building world -class technology here in
South Florida and beyond" - Raul Moas, Miami Director, Knight Foundation
"It's in groups like the UPE student community where we find the innovators and
disruptors of tomorrow." - Daniela Levine Cava, Mayor, Miami Dade County
"UPE is creating and nurturing tech talent at FIU, as proven by all the big
institutions hiring local students. " - Francis Suarez, Mayor, City of Miami
Video Highlight
ShellHacks 2019 - o Shell hacks 2019 at FIU
Success Stories
Chapter Programming & Accomplishments
• Students build code, connections at Florida's largest hackathon event I FIU News
• UPE at FIU hosts laraest hackathon in Florida with top tech companies in attendance
• Student organization hosts virtual tech workshops for the community I FIU News -
Florida International University
• FIU's computing and information honor society wins national Continuing Excellence
Award I FIU News - Florida International University
• #FuturelsUs: My volunteer work with FIU's largest student tech organization I FIU News
- Florida International University
• Computing students, alumni invigorated by growing attention to tech -talent in Miami I FIU
News - Florida International University
Internship & Job Highlights
• FIU CS araduate from Cuba lands internships at IBM. JPMoraan Chase and hopes to
build a new future in tech - Refresh Miami
•
Got my first job! Working at Microsoft as a program
manager I FIU News - Florida
International University
•
Got my first mob! Working as a software engineer at JPMoraan Chase & Co. I FIU News -
Florida International University
•
At Madden, former FIU UPE leader puts computer
skills to action I FIU News - Florida
International University
•
Alumnus works on the future of video gaming
I FIU News - Florida International
University
•
My virtual internship at Nike I FIU News - Florida International University
•
My internship at JPMoraan Chase I FIU News
- Florida International University
•
My internship at Microsoft as an engineer, program
manager I FIU News - Florida
International University
•
My virtual internship at Facebook I FIU News -
Florida International University
New Opportunity
We've created a successful model that has built a talent pipeline from FIU to employers, placing
thousands of minority, low-income students in tech jobs locally and abroad. We now want to
empower the rest of our community to launch careers in tech by scaling this model and starting
chapters at other schools, colleges, and communities in Miami and beyond. This will impact
people in the community across multiple life and career stages.
First, there's an opportunity to naturally start chapters at other local higher education institutions
such as Miami -Dade College, Florida Memorial University, and more. Second, there's an
opportunity to apply our model to an at -large city chapter that serves community members
looking to transition into a tech career. Finally, there's an opportunity to scale our K-12 outreach
program, expanding it to serve more grade schools in the community and educating parents on
careers in tech for their children.
Our team is well -positioned to take on these new opportunities, as we have on board the
individuals responsible for the founding and growth of the UPE chapter at FIU, who have years
of experience building communities and programs serving under -represented individuals looking
to get into tech. They were all raised in Miami and understand the journey and needs of people
like them trying to get a job in tech. They are also now industry professionals and bring a lot of
knowledge and insight into what the industry is looking for in candidates. By starting these
communities, our team will uplift not just FIU but also our entire community in Miami, creating an
ecosystem producing top tech talent for our city and beyond.
In order to make this vision a reality, we have established a new organization that allows us to
continue supporting our work at FIU while enabling us to scale to the rest of the community. This
organization is INIT - a non-profit organization that empowers minority, low-income communities
to launch successful careers in tech by establishing chapters that provide them with access to
experiential learning, career development, and industry connections. Through INIT, individuals
are able to prepare for jobs in tech and land the job of their dreams, helping them find economic
mobility and generational wealth for their families.
The name INIT comes from the computer command "init" which is used to initiate a new
repository of code - usually the first step in working on a new software application. We use this
name as a representation of the start of a person's journey into tech, and a place where they
feel included, motivated, and supported to pursue a career they love.
Since we have already created a successful tech community at FIU as a chapter of the UPE
national honor society, we've transitioned the existing chapter into a chapter of INIT, now called
"INIT FIU." We are continuing to operate the chapter as it has been for the past few years, and
through the transition, providing it with additional guidance and resources to further elevate the
community, programming, and opportunities offered. This includes technical content, financial
sponsorships, alumni involvement, mentorship, and more. The FIU chapter's K-12 outreach
program will now be managed by INIT at the regional level, and scale to serve grade schools
throughout the region and be supported by our growing network of chapters.
Likewise, the UPE FIU Alumni Chapter will rebrand into the INIT Alumni Chapter and go beyond
serving FIU alumni, becoming a regional network of engaged alumni from all our college and
at -large chapters. They will support our INIT chapters by giving back through teaching,
mentoring, donations, and serve as community and industry advocates for the organization.
At other colleges and universities, INIT will establish brand new chapters of the organization (i.e.
INIT MDC, INIT FMU, etc), providing them with the blueprint we've successfully implemented at
FIU. This includes operational guides, program content, brand identity, marketing materials,
strategy, industry connections, and more.
For community members, we will establish at -large city chapters, also implementing the
successful blueprint we have at FIU and modifying it to help people from non-traditional
backgrounds in tech.
Establishing INIT, along with its K-12 program, college chapters, at -large chapters, and alumni
chapters, will allow us to foster a sustainable pool of tech talent that meets the needs of local
employers. INIT will help bridge the gap between local talent and employers, providing people
from minority, low-income backgrounds with jobs in tech that provide them economic mobility
and generational wealth for their families.
Leadership Team
Our leadership team consists of an Executive Director, a Board of Directors, Chapter
Presidents, and Advisory Board.
Executive Director
The Executive Director leads the organization and drives our mission forward. They oversee
fundraising, operations, industry relations, marketing, content development, and other key
areas.
Julieta Vallejos - Linkedln
• Julieta brings over seven years of experience as Program Coordinator for the Center for
Diversity and Student Success at Florida International University's College of
Engineering & Computing.
• Raised over $100,000 to support student chapters, K-12 STEM initiatives, and
Senior Design Projects for FIU
• Managed and advised over 20 student chapters in sponsorship funding, event
management, and community outreach, benefiting chapter operations and
impacting thousands of college students
• Managed FIU's Engineers on Wheels K-12 Outreach Program, providing access
to computer science education to over 10 local grade schools and hundreds of
minority, low-income students every year
• Led FIU's signature annual K-12 Engineering Expo, introducing thousands of
grade school students to careers in STEM
• Served on the planning committee for FIU's bi-annual Engineering Senior Design
Showcase, creating an opportunity for graduating seniors to showcase their
talents and connecting them with employers
• Managed all endowed scholarships for FGLSAMP and NACME for the Center for
Diversity & Student Success
• Managed marketing campaigns for FIU's career, recruitment, student
engagement, and event needs, reaching thousands of students via e-mail and
social media outlets
• Coordinated planning and execution for multiple events, including creating
invites, agendas, list of attendees, catering orders, and more.
• Awarded "Chapter Advisor of the Year' by the Society of Hispanic Professional
Engineers in 2019
• Accepted as a GET Cities Champion for 2023
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors sets the strategic vision for the non-profit, and currently, provides
assistance to the Executive Director by supporting different key areas until we are able to hire
additional staff to lead them. This includes areas such as fundraising, operations, industry
relations, marketing, content development, and others.
The board is composed of tech industry professionals who are alumni of our local institutions
including Miami Dade College and Florida International University. These alumni were part of
the leadership team that established and built UPE FIU's student community and programs over
the past 10 years.
The board also includes a spot for a Student Chapter President, who represents the interests of
all our student chapters and ensures the organization is aligned with today's student needs.
Spots for our at -large and K-12 chapters will also be included as we expand our operations.
Cesar Villa -Garcia
• Product Manager @ Microsoft
• MS in Computer Science, Georgia Tech
• MDC `12, FIU `18 -Computer Science
Yasmine Abdrabo
• Site Reliability Engineer @ Citi
• MS in Computer Science, Georgia Tech
• MDC `16, FIU `19 -Computer Science
Jose Maldonado
• Software Engineer @ Microsoft
• MEd in Learning Science and Human Development, University of Washington
• FIU `17 -Computer Science
Sabina Cartacio
• Product Manager @ Fiddler
• FIU `18 -Computer Science
Christopher Rodriguez
• Software Engineer @ Microsoft
• MDC `15, FIU `20 -Computer Science
Andy Garcia
• President @ INIT FIU
• Incoming Product Manager Intern @ Schonfeld
• FIU `23 - Information Technology
Advisory Board
The Board of Advisors contribute their insights and expertise to help us plan strategically and
meet our mission. It consists of professionals across the spectrum of academia, industry, and
community.
Joshua Gutierrez
• Early Career Pathways Program Lead @ Netflix
• Former Hispanic Serving Institution Outreach Lead @ Google
Julie Romero
• Emerging Talent Programs Lead @ Meta
• Former Early Talent Manager @ Shopify, Twitter, Oath, Yahoo
Luis Villegas
• Chief Technology Officer @ Bungie
• Former Software Engineer @ EA, Microsoft
• FIU `02 -Computer Science
Alex Roque
• Principal Engineering Manager @ Microsoft
• Former Software Engineering Manager @ UKG, Amadeus
• FIU `03 -Computer Science
Antonio Delgado
• Vice President of Innovation & Technology, Miami Dade College
Caryn Lavernia
• Vice President @ Lab22c
• Former Assistant Vice President for Engagement @ FIU
• FIU `13 - Public Administration
Chapter Leadership
INIT chapters (K-12, college, alumni, and at -large) will be managed by their respective
Executive Boards, including a President, Vice -President, Secretary, Treasurer, and other
relevant roles. The Chapter Presidents will work closely with the national organization, aligning
with our mission by successfully executing programs, fostering community, and bringing
opportunities to their chapters.
Partnerships
INIT has partnered with multiple academic institutions, community organizations, government
agencies, and employers.
Academic Partners
Academic partners recognize and support our student chapters, allowing them to operate and
grow on campus. The national organization stays in touch with the schools to maintain an active
relationship, working together to benefit student experience and success.
• Florida International University
• Miami Dade College
• Florida Memorial University
Community & Government Partners
Community and government partners support INIT's operations, collaborate with us on
important initiatives, and extend our reach and programming across different sectors of the
community.
• Knight Foundation
• Miami Foundation
• Lab22c
• BrainStation
• IronHack
• CodePath
• eMerge Americas
• City of Miami - Venture Miami
• Miami Dade County
Industry Partners
Industry partners support our operations and provide opportunities to community members in
our chapters to learn and connect with internship and job opportunities. IN IT partners work with
us to deliver content, mentorship, and recruiting resources.
• Google
• Microsoft
• Xbox
• Meta
• Assurant
• Kaseya
• Capital One
• Vanguard
• Bloomberg
• Salesforce
• Schonfeld
• State Farm
• MITRE
• Slalom
• Southwest
• Autodesk
• Addigy
• LexisNexis
• KnowBe4
• JPMorgan Chase
• NVIDIA
• Rivian
• Chevron
• ManTech
• Carnival Cruise Line
• Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
• Figma
• Service Now
• Electronic Arts
Organization Structure
INIT as an organization is structurally divided into the following:
• INIT (parent non-profit organization)
o The parent organization sets the vision, mission, and goals, providing support for
the chapters to execute them. This includes guidance and resources in the form
of tooling, content, funding, marketing, and industry relations. The national
organization also sets by-laws for the chapters to follow.
• INIT Collegiate Chapters (INIT FIU, MDC, FMU, etc)
o The collegiate chapters are responsible for serving college students and fostering
the growth of their communities, delivering content through programs, and
facilitating industry engagement. They stay aligned with our national mission and
communicate progress via chapter reports of their activities and
accomplishments to the national organization.
• INIT At -Large Chapters (INIT Miami, etc)
o The at -large chapters are responsible for serving people from non-traditional
backgrounds, fostering the growth of their communities, delivering content
through programs, and facilitating industry engagement. They stay aligned with
our national mission and communicate progress via chapter reports of their
activities and accomplishments to the national organization.
• INIT Alumni / Industry Professional Chapter
o Our alumni chapter provides the opportunity for alumni to stay involved and give
back to the chapters via mentorship, referrals, scholarships, and other means.
They enhance the experience for our collegiate and at -large chapters, while
developing as industry professionals. They stay aligned with our national mission
and communicate progress via chapter reports of their activities and
accomplishments to the national organization.
• INIT K-12 Outreach Program
• The K-12 program is responsible for planning and executing outreach activities at
K-12 schools, delivering educational content for students to get introduced to
technology, learn computer science fundamentals, and gain an interest in
pursuing a degree in tech upon graduation.
• The K-12 program also serves families, providing awareness and education of
career opportunities in tech for their children
• As we establish our network of high schools and generate interest among
students, in the long term we will introduce student chapters at these schools to
form self-sustaining communities and for students to host their own activities.
Collegiate Chapters
Mission
Empower minority college students to launch successful careers in technology by providing
them access to community and experiential learning and career development opportunities in
partnership with industry.
Collegiate Chapters for Phase 1:
• Miami Dade College - Wolfson, North, and Kendall campuses
• Florida International University
• Florida Memorial University
Leadership
Collegiate chapters are led by an Executive Board, consisting of a President, Vice -President,
and other relevant roles. These are all student volunteers from their respective colleges.
Chapter Model
The collegiate chapters function around three pillars that serve the needs of students during
their college journey and place them in tech roles by the time they graduate: programs,
community, and industry partnerships. Activities in these are all student -led and run every
semester, using a curriculum and connections facilitated by the non-profit. Students receive
micro -credentials upon completion of our programs.
Programs
• INIT Explore - an entry-level, bootcamp-style program that has multiple tracks that teach
students skills in on -demand technical areas via workshops. This includes workshops
and sessions on the following topics:
• Web Development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node, Web3, etc)
• Mobile Development (Android, iOS)
• Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning, Deep Learning)
o Game Development (Unity, Unreal, Blender, etc)
o Hardware (Microcontrollers, Internet -of -Things, etc)
o IT & Cybersecurity (Networking, Cloud, Databases, Cybersecurity, Ethical
Hacking, etc)
o UI/UX Design (UX Research, Prototyping, Wireframing, etc)
Outcome: Students explore technical areas, develop technical skills that help
them improve their resume, leading to increased interview opportunities, and
potential internships and full-time jobs.
• INIT Build - an intermediate -level program that brings students into teams and provides
them a platform to put their skills to use by building technical projects. The program
gives students the experience of developing in an industry -like environment using
professional tools, platforms, and collaborating with other developers to complete a
project in a given window of time.
Outcome: Students build projects and gain work experience that helps them
improve their resume, leading to increased interview opportunities, and potential
internships and full-time jobs
• INIT Reach - program that provides students with career development, interview
preparation, and industry mentorship
o Career Development - helps students find their career path, build their resume,
build their Linkedln / online presence, applying to internships and jobs, etc
o Interview Preparation - helps students prepare for interviews for roles in tech by
hosting sessions on behavioral interviewing, technical interviewing, mock
interviews, and other
o Industry Mentorship - provides students direct access to industry professionals
from our INIT alumni chapter and industry partners, who mentor them and
provide career advice and insights
Outcome: Students find their desired career path in tech, are connected to
internship and job opportunities, and learn the knowledge and skills they need to
pass their technical and behavioral interviews
• INIT Hack - program that provides students the opportunity to experience hackathons,
weekend -long experiences that brings together all aspects of our programming: the
experiential learning of technical workshops and project development, as well as the
career development, mentorship, and industry connections. Each chapter will have its
own signature hackathon - at FIU we have organized ShellHacks since 2017, and will
have yearly hackathons organized for our new chapters at MDC, FMU, and other
schools.
Outcome: Students get the opportunity to explore tech while learning, building,
and networking - all conducive to improved resumes, interview opportunities, and
ultimately job placement. Hackathon experience is highly sought after by
employers and makes students more hireable - shows initiative, passion for tech,
teamwork skills, application of technical skills, etc
Community
Engaged group of students via general meetings, social events, and programs.
Opportunities for leadership roles in the community through the Executive board and
Committees.
Outcome: Students are motivated to stay in their major and graduate, as well as pursue
career opportunities just like their peers. Students also become leaders and contribute to
the growth of the organization. Increases retention rates and affinity for INIT and their
institution.
Industry Partnerships
Company partner engagements, connections with alumni in industry, and access to
opportunities provided to our community and programs
Outcome: Students are hired by our company partners looking for candidates from a
highly skilled and diverse talent pool. Company partners provide access to their pipeline
and intentionally create interview and job spots available to our students.
At -Large Chapters
Mission
Empower community members from non-traditional backgrounds to transition into a tech career
by providing them access to community and experiential learning and career development
opportunities in partnership with industry.
At -Large Chapters for Phase 1:
• City of Miami
Leadership
At -Large chapters are led by a Chapter Director, with support from a Board of community
volunteers.
Chapter Model
The at -large chapters function around three pillars that serve the needs of community members
looking to transition into tech and place them in tech roles: programs, community, and industry
partnerships. Activities in these are all community -led and run year-round, using a curriculum
and connections facilitated by the non-profit. Community members receive micro -credentials
upon completion of our programs.
Programs
• INIT Explore - an entry-level, bootcamp-style program that has multiple tracks that teach
community members skills in on -demand technical areas via workshops. This includes
workshops and sessions on the following topics:
• Web Development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node, Web3, etc)
• Mobile Development (Android, iOS)
• Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning, Deep Learning)
• Game Development (Unity, Unreal, Blender, etc)
• Hardware (Microcontrollers, Internet -of -Things, etc)
• IT & Cybersecurity (Networking, Cloud, Databases, Cybersecurity, Ethical
Hacking, etc)
• UI/UX Design (UX Research, Prototyping, Wireframing, etc)
Outcome: Community members explore technical areas, develop technical skills
that help them improve their resume, leading to increased interview opportunities,
and potential full-time jobs
• INIT Build - an intermediate level program which brings community members into teams
and provides them a platform to put their skills to use by building technical projects. The
program gives community members the experience of developing in an industry -like
environment using professional tools, platforms, and collaborating with other developers
to complete a project in a given window of time.
Outcome: Community members build projects and gain work experience that
helps them improve their resume, leading to increased interview opportunities,
and potential internships and full-time jobs
• INIT Reach - program that provides community members with career development,
interview preparation, and industry mentorship.
• Career Development - helps community members transition into tech, find their
career path, build their resume, build their Linkedln / online presence, applying to
internships and jobs, etc
• Interview Preparation - helps students prepare for interviews for roles in tech by
hosting sessions on behavioral interviewing, technical interviewing, mock
interviews, and other
• Industry Mentorship - provides students direct access to industry professionals
from our INIT alumni chapter and industry partners, who mentor them and
provide career advice and insights
• City of Miami / Venture Miami - INIT Reacn carr tacilitate c aieer deveiupi lent and
interview preparation initiatives for the City of Miami, such as the Venture Miami
Talent Summit or other opportunities.
Outcome: Community members find their desired career path in tech, are
connected to internship and job opportunities, and learn the knowledge and skills
they need to pass their technical and behavioral interviews
• INIT Hack - program that provides community members the opportunity to experience
hackathons, weekend -long experiences that brings together all aspects of our
programming: the experiential learning of technical workshops and project development,
as well as the career development, mentorship, and industry connections. Each at -large
chapter will have its own signature hackathon.
o City of Miami/ Venture Miami - INIT Hack can facilitate a community hackathon
or other similar initiatives for the City of Miami
Outcome: Community members get the opportunity to explore tech while
learning, building, and networking - all conducive to improved resumes, interview
opportunities, and ultimately job placement. Hackathon experience is highly
sought after by employers and makes community members more hireable -
shows initiative, passion for tech, teamwork skills, application of technical skills,
etc
Community
Engaged group of community members via general meetings, social events, and
programs. Opportunities for leadership roles in the community through the Executive
board and Committees.
Outcome: Community members are motivated to transition into a tech job and pursue
career opportunities just like their peers. They also become leaders and contribute to the
growth of the organization. Increases transition success rate and affinity for INIT and
their local community.
Industry Partnerships
Company partner engagements, connections with alumni in industry, and access to
opportunities provided to our community and programs
City of Miami l Venture Miami - The City of Miami At -Large Chapter can help facilitate
career fairs and employer engagements for community members
Outcome: Community members are hired by our company partners looking for
non-traditional candidates from a highly skilled and diverse talent pool. Company
partners provide access to their pipeline and intentionally create interview and job spots
available to our community members.
K-12 Outreach Program
Mission
Empower K-12 youth to explore technology and ignite an interest in pursuing a degree in the
field through outreach activities and coding clubs.
K-12 Schools for Phase 1:
• Schools in the City of Miami
• Schools currently served by INIT FIU
Leadership
The K-12 Outreach program is led by a Program Manager who coordinates the operations of
the program across the region, working closely with our collegiate and at -large chapters to
recruit volunteers for school visits.
Program Model
The K-12 outreach program operates throughout the academic school year, as volunteers from
all our chapters visit schools every week to host 2-hour interactive sessions on computer
science fundamentals. The volunteers are trained using our own curriculum and resources from
platforms such as Code.org, MIT Scratch, and others. Students follow this curriculum, which
progressively builds on itself and allows them to learn how to code. By the end of the academic
year, students work on a project showcasing the coding skills they have learned through the
program. Their projects are then presented to their class at a Demo Day, and they are awarded
for their accomplishments.
Through this process, parents are also offered materials and seminars that introduce them to
tech and bring awareness of careers in the field. At high schools, students will have the
opportunity to start their own coding clubs to have a sustainable community for students
interested in tech. These clubs will be supported by the program volunteers, who will host
interactive sessions teaching them more about coding and careers in tech.
Outcomes: Students get exposed to the field of technology at an early age and develop
an interest in pursuing a degree in tech at local institutions. Parents better understand
the prospects of a job in tech, and motivate their children to pursue a degree in the field.
Alumni / Industry Professional Chapter
Mission
Give back to community members looking to break into tech by providing mentorship, technical
knowledge, industry insights, financial support, and other resources to help them land an
internship or job in tech.
Leadership
The alumni chapter is led by an Executive Board, consisting of a President, Vice -President, and
other relevant roles. These are all volunteers from the industry.
Chapter Model
The alumni chapter gives back by complementing all the programming from our collegiate and
at -large chapter (INIT Explore, Build, Reach, Hack):
• INIT Explore -alumni members volunteer to teach workshops in one of the multiple
technical tracks
• INIT Build -alumni members volunteer to mentor or manage one of the team projects
• INIT Reach -alumni members volunteer to become mentors, review resumes, hold mock
interviews, and other activities
• INIT Hack - alumni members volunteer to participate in the hackathon as mentors or
sponsors
• Community - alumni members provide help in the form of financial support and
scholarships
• Industry - alumni members provide connections to internship and job opportunities
Outcome: Students and community members increase their chances of successfully
preparing and finding a job in tech due to the involvement of experienced alumni and
industry professionals.
Success Metrics
• Conversion rate of members who join the organization to getting placed in internship and
full time opportunities from each chapter
• Growing the number of diversity hires for university, new grad, and non-traditional talent
program pipelines for our industry partners
• Increasing the number of collegiate and at -large chapters that are established and
remain active
• Increasing the number of members joining the collegiate, at -large, and alumni chapters
• Increasing the number of members who complete chapter programs successfully
• Increasing the number of K-12 schools served and students who are interested in
pursuing degrees in technical fields
• Increasing the number of parents and families who are educated on careers in the tech
field
Timeline
Summer 2023
• Recruit and train MDC & FMU student leaders
• Develop plan for City of Miami at -large chapter & K-12 program
• Continue operating existing chapters and fundraising
Fall 2023
• Activate MDC & FMU chapter community and programs
• Recruit and train City of Miami Director
• Recruit and train K-12 Outreach Program Director
• Continue operating existing chapters and fundraising
Spring 2024
• Activate City of Miami at -large chapter community and programs
• Activate K-12 Outreach program across City of Miami schools
• Develop plan to open chapters at more schools (UM, FAU, Broward College)
• Recruit and train UM, FAU, Broward College student leaders
• Continue operating existing chapters and fundraising
Summer 2024
• Activate UM, FAU, Broward College chapter community and programs
• Develop plan to open chapters at more universities in the region
• Recruit and train student leaders from these schools
• Develop plan to establish at -large chapters
• Develop plan to expand K-12 program to serve more schools
• Continue operating existing chapters and fundraising
Fall 2024
• Activate chapter community and programs at new universities
• Recruit and train new at -large chapter Directors
• Activate K-12 program at additional schools
• Continue operating existing chapters and fundraising
Fundraising
INIT fundraises by obtaining investments and donations from employers, government agencies,
institutions, and community partners. These funds allow us to keep the organization running and
make our services free to all community members.
Funds are utilized in one or more of the following ways, in accordance with the terms agreed
between INIT and its donors:
• Hiring additional staff to help our organization grow and scale its operations
• Supporting our operational costs including administration, programming, fundraising,
marketing, content development, and other key functions
• Supporting operational costs for our current chapters and the expansion of new chapters
to other colleges and cities
• Supporting operational costs for our K-12 program and its expansion into more schools
INIT owns and manages these relationships and donations, working closely with its chapters
and programs to execute the terms agreed upon.
Currently, INIT has a multi -year investment from the Knight Foundation in the amount of
$450,000 over three years to establish the organization, hire an Executive Director, and support
basic operations. We are actively seeking additional investments to help fund our roadmap for
the next three years, including hiring additional staff, establishing more college and at -large
chapters, and expanding our K-12 program.
INIT is incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of Florida and is currently in the
process of becoming a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In the meantime, the organization has
established an account with the Miami Foundation which acts as our organization's fiscal
sponsor.
Projected Budget (2023-2025)
Description
2023
2024
2025
Executive Director &
$220,000
$340,000
$580,000
Staff Salaries
(ED
(ED + 4 staff)
Executive Director &
$45,000
$75,000
$135,000
Staff Benefits
($15K each)
($15K each`
Administrative &
$600,000
$750,000
$920,000
Operational Costs
(Non -Profit,
Chapters, and K-12
Program)
Total
$865,000
$1,165,000
$1,635,000
INIT would like to ask the City of Miami / Venture Miami for a three-year investment to establish
an at -large chapter for the City of Miami (INIT Miami), including the hiring of a Chapter Director
and operational costs.
Description
2023 (Q4)
2024
2025
City of Miami Chapter
Director Salary
$15K
$65K
$70K
City of Miami Chapter
Director Benefits
$5K
$15K
$15K
City of Miami Chapter
Operations
$25K
$40K
$50K
Total
$45,000
$120,000
$135,000
In return, INIT will provide the following deliverables to the City of Miami / Venture Miami
• Establishing INIT Miami chapter and hiring a Chapter Director to lead its operations
• Annual impact report to the City of Miami / Venture Miami detailing progress of the INIT
Miami chapter
• Participation and speaking opportunities at chapter signature events such as INIT Miami
Launch Event, Demo Days, Hackathons, and others
• Recognition as a founding partner & brand placement in all communications and
marketing materials from INIT and INIT Miami
• Facilitating tech programming and events for the City of Miami / Venture Miami through
the INIT Miami chapter
Contact Information
team(cDweareinit.orQ
http://weareinit. ora
Julie Vallejos, Executive Director - julienweareinit.ora
Cesar Villa -Garcia, Co -Founder - cesara-weareinit.ora