By Mimi Fox Melton, CEO, CODE2040 In 2024, Code2040 is committing deeply to relationship building — because relationships are at the heart of the work that we do for racial equity. We are committing to being in touch more, inviting folks in the Code2040 community into conversation with us, and creating more opportunities for us to be in joy and dreaming together. Because we want to be more connected with our amazing network of Black and Latinx technologists, we’re launching a new monthly Community Spotlight starting this month as part of a celebration of Black History. Each month, we’re ..read more

Being a racial equity advocate has always been hard work. As of late, it has felt even harder. I’m Selene, Director of Programs at Code2040. For the last 4 years, I have been supporting companies to center racial equity through shifting and changing their systems while building structures that recruit and support Black and Latinx students pursuing Tech Careers. This work is important to me because I know creating structures that nourish and uplift the leadership of Black and Latinx students and early career professionals creates space to support everyone pursuing a tech career. This work is al ..read more

Karla and Mimi at Code2040’s 2018 Summit Today, we have some news we would like to share with our Code2040 community, family, and friends. Our friend and leader Karla Monterroso is starting a new journey in her career, and our board of directors has named me as CEO. Today, memories and stories from my time working side-by-side with Karla are flooding back. Whether she was whitewater rafting, hiking mountaintops, or swimming with sharks, whenever Karla Monterroso went on a trip I’d send her off with a silly warning: ”Come back alive, Karla, because I’m not running this place with ..read more

Happy #GivingTuesday! Right now, nonprofit organizations across the country are reaching out to their supporters to raise those vital end-of-year funds. For our part, we’re launching a five-week end-of-year campaign, How We Win or #HowWeWin2040, and we’re writing to tell you how your support for Code2040 will support our mission of dismantling the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx people in the innovation economy. After nine years of growing and learning, we are evolving our strategy to meet the challenges we continue to face in the ind ..read more

Forging Ahead Into The Future By, Karla Monterroso, CEO, Code2040 Community. I’m sharing with you today exciting news about the future of Code2040. As you may know, I contracted COVID-19 in March, and, like many others who have battled this disease, I am still on the rocky road to recovery. As such, I am stepping back in my capacity as CEO of Code2040 and enthusiastically passing the reins temporarily to our General Manager, and Acting CEO Mimi Fox Melton while on medical leave. Mimi’s quick-thinking, capability, and tenacity have guided us through an unprecedented moment in Am ..read more

Centering Equity and the Intern Experience: 3 Questions Managers Need to Ask Themselves While Hosting Virtual Internships By Selene Chala, Company Relationships Manager All photos by Kenneth Eke In a remote world, companies are adapting their summer internships to virtual experiences. These new experiences unlock new challenges and opportunities. In that space of both challenge and opportunity lies innovation and experimentation, a chance to try new approaches that center equity in summer programs. At Code2040, our Company Partners are onboard and asking, “How? How do we ensure that we co ..read more

Photo by Kenneth Eke. Community, today we are sharing some important and heavy news. Karla has COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. She’s doing well, resting at home, and texting us her ideas and observations and thoughts. She is so ready to jump back into our work, though the team has given her strict orders to pause and allow herself to make a full recovery To be honest, we hesitated to share this. We weighed the outcomes of keeping it inside knowledge or communicating it to our community. So many questions went through our minds: What if funders think we’re unstab ..read more

By Mimi Fox Melton, VP of Programs Photo by Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling via Getty Images. There’s no soft way of putting it. We are in a crisis that is bigger and scarier than anything we’ve ever faced before. Our country’s leadership has failed. We’re facing health and financial challenges that are only now beginning to become clear. Nevertheless, we are not powerless. I’m reminded of something one of my mentors says, “When something scary is looming, face it, acknowledge it, plan for it.” So in that spirit, what are we facing? This virus and the disease it causes is here, in every sta ..read more

Giving to nonprofits run by women of color means more than you may realize Aniyia Williams of Black & Brown Founders, Ellen Pao of Project Include, Karla Monterroso of Code2040, and Kimberly Bryant of Black Girls CODE. We are four women of color running nonprofits focused on changing the future of tech. This holiday season, we want to thank our communities of donors, both large and small, who help bridge the gap for our work. Our organizations run lean, with less money and fewer people than we’d like, and we squeeze the most of every minute of the day. Your donations help us ..read more

by Karla Monterroso, CEO, Code2040 ..read more