One nonprofit has received almost 2 million dollars toward bringing technology skills to New Yorkers, especially those in Queens.
Coalition for Queens (C4Q), a nonprofit that aims to foster the Queens tech ecosystem by increasing economic opportunity and transforming the borough into a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, announced it received $1,750,000 in funding.
The money will go toward C4Q’s computer programming course, Access Code, which raises the average income of graduates from low to middle class. The funds will also expand the group’s existing entrepreneurship and urban planning initiatives.
“C4Q offers computer programming training that opens career opportunities in tech and entrepreneurship to our talented students, bringing them from poverty to middle class in the process,” said Jukay Hsu, founder of C4Q. “Creating economic mobility via our tech education is something we can quantify: our average graduate income goes from $26,000 to $73,000 a year.”
The funds come from organizations such as the Robin Hood Foundation, Google for Entrepreneurs, the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Capital One dFUND, Arbor Brothers, New York Community Trust, Verizon, reddit.com founder Alexis Ohanian, and the Bernard F. & Alva B. Gimbel Foundation.
The Federal Economic Development Agency, with the support of Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Joseph Crowley, also came together in providing a grant.
“As the world’s most diverse community, Queens had the opportunity to contribute incredible talent from all social, economic and cultural backgrounds,” said Elias Roman, board chair of C4Q and co-founder and CEO of Songza. “This investment helps C4Q scale the wonderfully successful Access Code program, and speaks to the national dialogue surrounding the need for more economic mobility and inclusion in tech.”
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