R&B singer and producer Ne-Yo is stepping into the tech space and has invested $2.3 million into the Holberton School for full-stack engineers. Ne-Yo hopes to help people from underrepresented groups learn to code.
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βEverybody knows that tech and all these things are the wave of the future,β Ne-YoΒ told Tech Crunch. βI just love the fact of what theyβre doing with the schoolβthat theyβre making it easier for underrepresented people in the world of tech. Theyβre giving them a platform and access to this knowledge that they probably wouldnβt get otherwise. I think thatβs one of the coolest things about this whole situation.β
How the school makes it easier is by not charging tuition up front. But after students get a job, the school asks for 17 percent of their salary for the first three years. Holbertonβs programs are face-to-face, last two years and are not part of a fast-paced boot camp program.
Ne-Yo said he didnβt invest in the school for recognition or praise but because diversifying tech is important.
βThis is not, βOh, let me attach my name to something.β This is something that Iβm genuinely passionate about,β he told me. βYou 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 thatβs changing it, as opposed to just this one group of people.β
Holbertonβs current class is 40 percent female and 53 percent people of color.
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