Founder & CEO

Meet Mike Roberts, our career creator. His commitment to helping underrepresented individuals break into tech and his success in launching over 100 student careers at tech giants like Walmart Labs, Sony, AWS, and more, embody our mission. 
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Engineering Manager

Say hello to Memo Monge, our digital craftsman. His passion for building digital tools, forged through his journey of becoming a self-taught software engineer, is contagious, inspiring our learners to see coding not merely as a skill, but as a creative avenue for problem-solving and innovation.

Partnership & Client

Engagement Manager

Introducing Yahshemi Walters, the orchestrator of our daily operations. As an Instructor and Technical Author, his leadership in programs like Level Up with the United Way and Test Automation with NFAR has been instrumental in our success.

Operations Manager, Instructor

& Technology Advocate

Get to know Alex Martinez, our coding conductor. He seamlessly blends his roles as Operations Manager and web development instructor, and his leadership in our Mentorship Program and podcast sessions contribute significantly to our mission.

IT Instructor, ServiceNow

Specialist & Social Media

Manager

Meet Deonte Hall-Collins, our instructor for Service Now, known for his proven track record of achieving exceptional results. Coming from a non-software-related background, he inspires many by not just breaking into tech but empowering others to do the same.

Partnership & Client

Engagement Manager

Meet William Broxton, our Partnership & Client Engagement Manager. Channeling his profound understanding of equity and social justice, he brings a unique perspective that fosters unity, collaboration, and shared growth within our team.

Board Member

Marissa Roberts is an indispensable pillar of support for our organization, contributing significantly to our mission. 

With an unwavering commitment to our cause, Marissa has played a pivotal role in propelling our organization forward. Marissa Roberts is a champion of our organization's core values. She wholeheartedly believes in the transformative power of our mission and tirelessly advocates for its advancement. Her unwavering belief in our work serves as a beacon of inspiration for our entire team.

We are immensely grateful for Marissa's unwavering support and dedication. We are honored to have Marissa as an integral member of our team and look forward to a future filled with continued growth and success, thanks in large part to her contributions.

Board Member

This is not just a job for me, I love finding candidates their next Great Career opportunity. I make sure the position is right fit for the candidate and a cultural ADD for the company. I'm an Advocate for EQUITY, JUSTICE and EQUALITY and CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE. I'm an expert at Diversity recruiting/sourcing, talent acquisition, human resources, resource management, vendor management, salary negotiation, interviewing, consulting services, recruiting strategy, facilitation and project management and building business relationships built on excellence.

Board Member

Driven by my passion for bringing stories to life that resonate with a diverse world of gamers, including women, veterans, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, I have transformed my long-standing hobby of creating immersive gaming experiences into a meaningful career. I believe that understanding the heart of the gamer is essential for crafting stories that captivate, inspire, and unite people from all walks of life.

Focused on delivering fun & impactful gaming experiences, my ability to collaborate across organizations and disciplines, as well as my confidence in navigating through ambiguity, enables me to effectively contribute to the gaming industry. I am constantly seeking opportunities to grow my skillset and make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of gamers around the world.

Board Member

Professor Lee has completed her first novel, "As Time Flies," after 30+ years of teaching on the undergraduate level at various California community colleges and several ABA-accredited law schools around the country; practicing law, authoring private placement memorandums, and participating in several corporate finance debt offerings and mergers/acquisitions in a banking environment. She authored several law review articles published in the California Western Law Review (and cited by the Harvard Journal on Legislation), the University of Michigan Journal of Race & Law, and the Rutgers Computer and Law Technology Journal. She served on the Michigan Task Force on Race & Gender, is a past President of The San Diego Urban Bankers, was honored as Professor of the Year in 2006, has been active in the National Association of Urban Bankers, the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Assoc, Jack & Jill of America, Lawyers Club of San Diego, the National Bar Assoc, San Diego County Bar Assoc, Homer S. Brown Bar Assoc, Ingham County Bar Assoc, various Committees of the State Bars of both Michigan & California and the American Bar Association, as well as numerous Law School Faculty Committees.

Board Member

Accomplished & dynamic professional with military experience and a record of servant leadership: Respected for helping organizations innovate, thrive, and sustain. Capable of optimizing resources to achieve core mission by earning the confidence of key stakeholders and establishing a positive and powerful diverse network. Verifiable success in creating and implementing complex initiatives, creating value-added programs, driving successful risk management initiatives, improving health and stability of operations, increasing organizational visibility, and exceeding financial goals.

Lead successful team initiatives with cross functional teams: Dedicated to enhancing performance by analyzing existing processes and implementing effective systems, strategies, and policies. Persuasive communicator who engenders trust while steering teams with 10-years’ experience managing diverse groups and best utilization of resources.

Board Member

Board Member

April Laster is the Founder and CEO of Open Heart Leaders, the only African American female-led organization that offers full mental health and education wraparound services. Open Heart Leaders focuses on restoring broken networks and lost resources back into marginalized communities. April is an accomplished executive and entrepreneur making strides in the fields of mental health and education. Ms. Laster is a decisive leader with proven success in building and executing some of the most valued and innovative programs and services, aiding marginalized communities all over the modern world.

As a master certified life coach, motivational speaker, and highly sought-after mental health specialist, Ms.Laster continues to speak truth to power regarding the disparities related to trauma-informed treatment for communities of color. She consistently uses her platform to address the lack of equity and diversity within larger mental health programs and educational organizations centered on funding and placement of services. April has provided multiple trainings for faith-based organizations, educational institutions, and other service providers throughout innumerable communities, highlighting culturally-based barriers in accessing
and participation in services.

Her primary focus is providing culturally responsive services and increasing awareness of mental health and education systems from a learned and lived experience perspective. Her deep-seated passion to dismantle systemic racism around funding within mental health and education has moved Ms. Laster to develop reputable and respectable programs that serve communities from a data-driven standpoint. Through her leadership and love for people, she has developed a reputation of strength and stride that can't be measured by time but by stamina and heart. As she continues to change the world one OPEN HEART at a time, April continues to expand and grow within her expertise so she can continue to love and serve at the highest capacity.