Like most of us, Ne-Yo knows that computer technology is a huge part of our future. That’s why he’s invested $2.3 million into the Holberton School for software engineers.
Unlike other institutions, Holberton doesn’t charge students a dime until they get a job. When (or if) graduates land a tech gig, Holberton asks for 17% of their salary for their first three years of employment. This model will definitely help open up the coding field to a lot of students who may not have been able to afford this type of an education in a traditional setting. This is a huge reason why Ne-Yo got involved.
“Everybody knows that tech and all these things are the wave of the future. I just love the fact of what they’re doing with the school; that they’re making it easier for underrepresented people in the world of tech. They’re giving them a platform and access to this knowledge that they probably wouldn’t get otherwise. I think that’s one of the coolest things about this whole situation.”
When it comes to selecting students, Holberton also uses a process that attempts to do aways with human bias. According to Tech Crunch, their latest class is 40% female and 53% people of color – and Ne-Yo hopes to bump those numbers up even higher.
“This is not, ‘Oh, let me attach my name to something.’ This is something that I’m genuinely passionate about. You know, diversifying the tech world. Tech is changing the world by the second so it makes sense to get the people that live in the world to be part of this thing that’s changing it, as opposed to just this one group of people.”
Along with his investment, the singer-songwriter will also be joining the school’s board of trustees.
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