Private equity law expert Joe Tillman has a passion for creating opportunities for others. It is what has carried the California native’s career more than a decade and even led to him walking away from a stable career as a lawyer. Tillman’s initial exposure into law was not engraved in his upbringing. He admits to growing up in humble beginnings in Perris, CA, and not having access to people who worked in law or other professional spaces. It was not until his final year at California State University San Bernardino, where he would obtain a bachelor’s degree in finance, that his professor introduced to him the idea of pursuing law. “At this time, I did not have the $1,500 that it took to take an LSAT prep course. And he basically got the College of Finance to write me an impromptu scholarship so they could pay to get my LSAT prep course paid for,” Tillman told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “So, he was one of the few people that was willing to put his money where his mouth is. I took the...

As the internet continues to evolve, so do the ways that shared information can wind up in the wrong hands. Cortney Worthy is a passionate enterprise data leader with over 15 years of experience in the technology, government, and consulting sectors . Her skills equip her to lead cross-functional teams on their respective paths to optimizing business processes and solving enterprise challenges. As a data governance leader at file-hosting platform Dropbox, she spearheads and oversees intricate programs across public and private divisions, ensuring the implementation of robust solutions on a broad scale. “Data privacy and security are fundamental rights in today’s interconnected world,” Worthy told AFROTECH™. “Helping individuals and organizations navigate these challenges while fostering a career in this dynamic field is both a personal mission and a professional commitment.” As she prepares to take the stage during the 2024 AFROTECH™ Conference in November, Worthy looks forward to...

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology contains so many different levels and nuances, and licensed attorney Jarell Oshodi implores people to consider how it affects us daily. Generative AI impacts many people, but its effects on the Black community in recent years have sparked concerns. In January 2024, as AFROTECH™ previously reported, “a complaint was filed against Rite Aid for using artificial intelligence-based software in hundreds of its stores to identify people that they believed were ‘deemed likely to engage in shoplifting or other criminal behavior.'” At the time, it was said that the chain had “unfairly targeted people of color.” “I want to ensure that advancements in AI don’t perpetuate biases or create new forms of discrimination,” Oshodi told AFROTECH™ in an email interview. “It’s important to have inclusive policies that safeguard the privacy rights of all individuals, especially those from underrepresented groups.” Buy your AFROTECH™ Conference 2024 ticket now. As a...

Summer is here, which could mean wearing less and going out more. However, for some, it means doubling down on learning and growth. And who doesn’t want a little elevation alongside an epic cookout? Depending on where a person is on their academic journey, several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offer courses to prepare students to be college — and university — ready or to advance their current collegiate status or expertise. Below is a list of schools and programs that offer summer programs for little to no cost. While these programs have been previously noted as free, interested applicants should check with the school’s financial aid office or website for details regarding courses and programs. Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, TX) Prairie View offers a bridge program for incoming first-year students and students 17 and under. Many of the programs are free or minimally expensive. The school also provides youth and teen summer camps for various...

Storytelling uses a plethora of mediums, and animation is one of them. During the 2023 AFROTECH ™ Conference, director and animator Chaz Bottoms and singer Dawn Richard led a session called “World Builders: The New Storytelling Frontier” to discuss how the technologies within the animation industry are creating revolutionary ways for people to tell stories. In their respective career journeys, Bottoms founded CBA Studios — one of the few Black-founded animation studios globally — and has worked with companies such as Disney, Hulu, and Adult Swim, per Forbes. Aside from Richard’s music career, she has a passion for animation. She created a comic book series called “Danity Kane” and works with Adult Swim as a creative consultant, as AFROTECH ™ previously reported, to amplify and create opportunities for Black animators in the space. “We are a beautiful people to draw, but we are a difficult people to draw in the sense that for people who aren’t us, they don’t know what they’re doing,”...

After nearly two decades at Microsoft, Michelle Bozeman has proven that she gets things done. Since joining Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2019, she’s done just that in her role as a Senior Practice Manager. Officially embracing a new phase of her career, Michelle’s found a role that both challenges and inspires her as she develops consultants at Amazon. “My position today is in professional services. I manage a team of consultants that are early in their careers. I manage a program that is meant to grow them into more senior consultants, and I started doing that with college hires. That led me to a passion that I have mentoring and growing people, which led me to AWS,” Michelle says. Understanding that there’s room for everyone to win, since joining AWS, Michelle says her greatest achievement has been “seeing people grow.” As a manager and mentor, Michelle has been instrumental in developing a new generation of tech professionals . “Watching them come in so unsure of the position,...

VMware prioritizes cybersecurity and safety when it comes to offering top-notch software solutions for its clients. Employees like Edmar Gonçalves are dedicated to ensuring that applications are succinctly built to protect the IT Infrastructure of businesses against cyber attacks. Gonçalves was born and raised in Cape Verde, Africa, and always had a knack for computers growing up. He’s now utilizing his role at VMware to protect others through digital transformations. “Cape Verde is a nation off of the west coast of Africa and at the time I’m on an island that has less than 10,000 people,” said Gonçalves. The software engineer took some time to chat with AfroTech about his professional career in tech, working for VMware, advice for software engineers, and more. “It is my impression that most people think that engineers are sitting at their desk crafting poetic algorithms and stuff like that because people think that it is strictly a technology business, but it’s not,” said...

Starting to learn to code can be a difficult process. Every time you sit down to practice your skills, you’ll likely encounter a problem that you struggle to figure out or an error that you do not understand. In many situations, it can feel easier to give up rather than to keep going. When you’re first starting out, there is a lot that can overwhelm you, from the technical terminology to the number of resources out there with different approaches to learning how to code. However, if you are willing to invest the time and effort in learning how to code, the rewards are plentiful. Not only does learning how to code open up a number of career options for you—you could become a consultant or transition to a career in tech—it also helps you refine your problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking skills. These are the exact skills that are growing in demand among employers. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of six “dos and don’ts” for aspiring coders. These tips will help you...