2020 Wrapped
2020 took us all by surprise. We never would have imagined that we’d be spending the majority of our days working from our couches and wearing face masks every time we left the house. Because of the pandemic, we were forced to adapt. Events had to be postponed, and our partnerships have transformed. Fortunately, we were still supported by our wonderful partners like SPS Commerce, Solution Design Group , Creed Interactive, and Invisible Network.
When the pandemic sent most of us home from our offices, companies made budget decisions to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19. We, like many others, noticed that when it comes to cutting programs, diversity, equity and inclusion work is often one of the first to be put on hold. Here at Hack the Gap, we understand the importance of centering inclusion in our work so that it’s integrated into all of our work. We dug deeper into this work.
Despite the challenges, we still moved forward with our mission to increase equity and inclusion in the tech world, particularly for women and non-binary people. Through a partnership with Ramsey County, we created a new program called the Bridge Program, which offered a paid opportunity for young people aged 18-24 to collaborate and ideate on technical solutions. We hosted 12 cohorts composed of 200+ participants. And although we had to move to a virtual platform this year, we were still able to host our annual hackathon in April centered on tech solutions to Covid-19. We started a fellowship program to help a group of women of color kick-start their digital and consultative work.
For the first time ever, we also offered our “hackathon-as-a-service” for Nordic City Solutions as a way to reimagine land development and urban planning via international and local partnerships. Even though working from home seemed like a challenge, in the end it may have been one of our biggest assets this year.
Moving forward into 2021, we’re excited to continue initiatives like these. We’re ready to expand what inclusion in tech looks like and we’re excited to collaborate with others who are on the same page. As companies continue to improve their diversity, equity and inclusion practices, we are excited to see the ways we can partner and collaborate. In 2021, we’re ready to follow through on our promises to foster more inclusive and resilient tech ecosystems.