The G|Code House

The crossroads at which many girls find themselves after graduating from high school can be intimidating and confusing. For many young women of color, securing food, shelter, and safety often takes precedence over pursuing post-secondary education or employment.

The G|Code House (“G|Code”) is an innovative, place-based initiative which connects young women of color to educational and employment opportunities in technology. Selected participants will live and study together in a 5,000 square foot home in Roxbury, MA, as part of a two-year, cohort-based program. The women will receive nine months of in-class training, six months of industry experience, and nine months of specialty training.

If scaled globally, G|Code’s comprehensive model for change could transform the lives of millions of women of color by advancing opportunities to careers in High Tech. G|Code’s efforts speak to a larger trend of workforce development in the coding industry, directly involving women of color in this movement.

G|Code works to solve the challenge of community-driven innovation in Boston, a city of opportunity but also economic and demographic inequity.

High Tech in Greater Boston averaged 11 percent job growth annually from 2010 to 2016, as reported by the Boston Planning and Development Agency. And while the city’s economy continues to grow, residents of Boston’s black and brown communities are underrepresented in the technology sector. Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan, home to one-third of Boston’s population and the predominance of the city’s communities of color, exhibit the lowest employment levels. Residents of these neighborhoods are further burdened by rising housing prices and rents. With limited income and restricted access to capital, finding affordable housing is nearly impossible for many residents, including young women of color.

Women of color interested in technology are also presented with an opportunity gap: They are less likely than males or white women to have access to advanced science and mathematics in high school, which negatively affects their ability to complete STEM majors in college and pursue STEM careers. Combined with income inequality and rising housing costs, this opportunity gap creates a significant barrier to social inclusion and shared prosperity in Boston’s high-tech economy.

G|Code works to promote income and opportunity for women of color 18-24 years of age. The ideal participant holds a high school diploma or GED and is interested in the STEM field, but may have no background in the STEM workforce. While participant outreach and recruitment is targeted to Boston residents, G|Code is open to non-Boston residents as well.

G|Code’s mission grew out of the experience and history of SkyLab Boston, a nonprofit focused on supporting an innovation-based economy and cultural renaissance in Roxbury, MA. Since its inception, SkyLab has hosted several community outreach events in order to understand the needs of the Roxbury community. Affordable housing, workforce development, and opportunities in STEM have emerged as the three priority issues for Roxbury residents. G|Code directly and meaningfully addresses each of these needs by combining affordable co-living with educational and workforce development opportunities. The program is committed to fueling long-term economic growth in Roxbury and similar neighborhood economies by specifically working towards the advancement of women of color.

G|Code is a multi-faceted solution to the challenge of community-driven innovation. The initiative combines affordable co-living, technology instruction, industry placements, and post-secondary education to address gaps in economic mobility for women of color.

Affordable co-living: Up to 14 selected participants will live and study together in a 5,000 square foot home in the historic Garrison Trotter neighborhood of Roxbury, MA. G|Code’s rent-free co-living environment will provide shelter and support that is difficult for young women of color to access on their own. The co-living approach addresses many challenges that young women face while helping to minimize outside distractions.

Technology instruction: The two-year, cohort-based program will include nine months of in-class training, six months of an internship or co-op, and nine months of specialty training. Technology instruction will be provided by an existing training provider with experience in developing coding and technology skills. Training will occur on-site at G|Code, as well as off-site as part of larger trainings and events.

Industry placements: Each participant will have a paid internship with a Boston-based industry partner, and each cohort of women will have a specific focus (e.g. cybersecurity) which will drive the industry partner identification process. The industry partners will work with G|Code to provide mentorship and explore employment opportunities for interns at the completion of their G|Code experience.

Post-secondary resources for urban women: While the cohort will focus on building skills around coding and technology, G|Code will also encompass general post-secondary education, ensuring that the women are building broader knowledge and skills and allowing for the pursuit of further post-secondary education after the initiative completes.

G|Code offers a new model to address the many challenges faced by women of color living in cities.

Nationally, there are examples of coding workforce development programs which have taken a similar approach to training and housing. For example, the TUNE House is a University of Washington scholarship program that includes free housing, mentorship, and additional resources for 8 young women. None of these similar initiatives, however, focuses on the combination of coding training and housing for young minority women, and none exist in the Greater Boston area.

Several national nonprofits aimed at closing the gender opportunity gap in technology are currently operating in Boston (e.g. Girls Who Code and Black Girls CODE), but these organizations do not work with young women over 18 years of age, nor do they include a housing component. Housing is an essential feature of the G|Code program. In addition to providing safety and shelter, the co-living arrangement will allow participants to develop the “soft skills” necessary for living independently (e.g. budget development, time management, cooking, and cleaning).

G|Code builds off of these strong existing models for change while uniquely combining affordable co-living, technology instruction, industry placement, and post-secondary education into a comprehensive initiative for women of color in Boston. The program represents a commitment to specialized, innovative plans that work toward inclusive economic growth in Roxbury and other neighborhood economies.

Technology is essential to the operation and mission of G|Code. The proposed design of the G|Code house features a state-of-the art technology center where participants will have access to working computer labs outfitted with the latest equipment and software. Daily access to technology resources will allow cohort participants to gain the skills and support they need to break down the barriers surrounding the high-tech industry and, ultimately, land these jobs. 

G|Code’s activities will lead to several important impacts that address many of the challenges faced by young women of color in urban economies. First, the affordable co-living space provides housing stability and a constructive pathway toward permanent housing for the program participants. The development of cohort groups within the co-living arrangement is based on research that suggests that living in a community setting increases the probability of program completion while fostering desirable collaborative skills. Additionally, the on-site technology instruction, practical employment experience, and post-secondary curriculum will provide the women with the technical skill set that is necessary to land jobs in High Tech. In the Greater Boston area, demand is growing for professionals who possess computer science and technology proficiency, and the compensation of these jobs is enough for young women of color to become self-sufficient. G|Code’s theory of change is rooted in an investment in human-capacity building, and by participating in the program, cohort members will gain the support and skills that will allow them to actively participate in Boston’s economic growth.

G|Code is not yet serving any participants but plans to welcome its first cohort of women within a year. The program will begin with five to seven participants, bring on another five to seven participants in year two (so that there will be a total of ten to fourteen participants in the house at the same time), and then bring in a new cohort of five to seven participants annually as the same number graduates from the program. In five years, G|Code will have served 4 cohorts and 20 to 28 women.

G|Code hopes to welcome its first cohort of women within the next year. Meeting this goal requires developing the program’s curriculum and executing the construction plan. Following the first year, G|Code will bring on another cohort of women, expanding the program’s reach and connecting more women of color in the Greater Boston Area with opportunities in the technology sector. Within five years, G|Code aims to be operating at its full level with staffing needs completely met.

The proposed pilot program will be located in Roxbury, MA, but G|Code’s co-living, working, and learning community for women of color serves as a repeatable model for similar neighborhoods across Boston. Residents of Dorchester and Mattapan, for example, face many of the same challenges as residents of Roxbury. As the program continues to take on more cohorts of women and build pathways to careers in technology, expansion into other neighborhoods will be a natural next step.

Similarly, G|Code’s efforts in Boston can be used as a model for change in other urban economies. Cities are universally places of opportunity and inequity. Given that no comprehensive housing and coding initiative for young women of color currently exists in the U.S., G|Code’s efforts have the potential to transform millions of lives if replicated in other U.S. cities or even globally.

G|Code faces financial and technical barriers to accomplishing its short-term goals. The greatest barrier for G|Code in the next year is fulfilling the renovation needs of the existing property. The proposed house currently stands at 43 Hutchings Street in Roxbury, MA. The property has been modified over the years to accommodate multiple apartments, and extensive work is needed to bring the house back to its original condition as a single-family home. While the structure of the house is also in stable condition, utilities and finishes need renovation before the first group of women can safely live and study together in the space. 

Once the home is renovated and operating, G|Code’s challenge in the next five years will be to continuously improve the program for future cohorts of women. The technology industry is ever-evolving; G|Code must adapt to these changes in order to best prepare its participants for educational and career opportunities following their completion of the program. This requires a commitment to providing women with access to the latest technology and industry-relevant skills.

G|Code’s solution team is seeking additional funding, partnerships, and expertise to overcome barriers to growth and achieve the organization’s 1-year and 5-year goals. Before the house is operational, a significant capital investment is required to fund the renovation of the home and other development costs. This will be made possible through philanthropic giving, grants, and public funding. Additional partnerships and expertise will also catalyze the development process and bring G|Code closer to the goal of being fully operational within 5 years.

G|Code’s solution team currently consists of 1 full-time staff member (the Executive Director) and 1 part-time staff member (the Director of Student Recruitment and Retention), as well as additional volunteers. A Board of Directors and Officers provides oversight to the organization. When G|Code opens with its first cohort, full-time staff will increase to 3 individuals (the Executive Director, Director of Programs, and a Life Coach). Other positions will be contracted on an as-needed basis.

Bridgette Wallace, Co-Founder and CEO of G|Code, is an out-of-the-box thinker who pushes hard for equity and inclusion for those that are undervalued and overlooked. As an urban planner and Founder of Dudley Visions “SkyLab,” she has worked with institutions, coalitions, communities, and city officials to develop economic programs around entrepreneurship. Ms. Wallace received her Master’s in Urban Planning with a concentration in Economic Development from Tufts University. She is also a Roxbury resident and serves on the board of the Roxbury Neighborhood Council and Project Review Committee of Plan Dudley.

The Board of Directors and Officers is chaired by Lindsay Nuon. Lindsay began her career in STEM in the U.S. military 15 years ago and has since worked in the U.S. Intelligence Community with government agencies, including the NCIS, FBI, and HHS. She advises startups and speaks on security, data privacy, and regulatory issues affecting the Blockchain community. Her work involving social impact, social justice, and diversity and inclusion has been covered in Al Jazeera, CNBC, and Buzzfeed.

Director of Student Recruitment and Retention Rizel Bobb-Semple works as a Software Developer at Hi Marley and will obtain a degree in Computer Science from Boston University in 2020. Rizel admits that navigating the world of tech as a young, black woman with limited resources can feel lonely, terrifying, and discouraging. Her voice and insight has helped to shape G|Code’s solution to community-driven innovation.

G|Code has formed partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and other institutions to aid in the program outreach and recruitment process. Examples include Boston Public Schools, Dearborne STEM Academy, the Brookview Homeless Shelter, Girls Who Code, Black Girls CODE, Women in Tech, and SheGeeksOut.

Curriculum development and instruction is currently being supported by Roxbury Community College, Intrepid Pursuits, and VMWare Boston.

In addition, G|Code has consulted with Year Up, an industry placement initiative that serves urban young adults in Boston. This partnership has allowed G|Code to identify strategies and processes for successful industry partner engagement.

To aid in the design and renovation process, G|Code has partnered with YouthBuild Boston (YBB). YBB will work with G|Code as the lead designers and General Contractors in order to create a thoughtful and responsive co-living environment. G|Code’s work with Sasaki and the Sasaki Foundation has also provided important support in the design and project development process.

G|Code is a 2-year, cohort-based initiative for 5 to 7 women. The model aims to serve women of color between the ages of 18-24 with an interest and/or aptitude for technology. G|Code will provide the women with safe and stable housing in a renovated home located in Roxbury, MA. Housing costs will be highly-subsidized; the women will not pay standard rent but will instead contribute a small portion of their earnings toward living expenses. G|Code will also provide the women with on-site technology instruction administered by a training provider with experience in developing coding and technology skills. This coding curriculum will be supplemented with general post-secondary curriculum as well. G|Code will collaborate with industry partners to offer the women a six-month, paid internship. This experience will be provided directly by the industry partner who will self-fund the intern’s wages.

A variety of revenue sources are anticipated to fund G|Code’s operational expenses. Some operational components will be self-funding. For example, the anticipated costs of the industry placement and post-secondary education are expected to be supported by the identified partners. For the co-living and technology instruction, sources will include sustained in-kind support, philanthropic giving, and public-private partnerships.

G|Code’s project stands at a critical moment. The proposed home exists, but significant work is needed before G|Code can welcome its first cohort of women into the program. The introduction of technology—physical machines, cutting-edge software, and instructional material—will push G|Code to the next stage of its development. Establishing G|Code’s credibility within the technology sector will also require growing the community of G|Code’s supporters. Solve’s network of investors, peers, and experts will be invaluable in achieving these goals.

G|Code is seeking partnerships with incubators and innovation labs, industry members, transitional housing service providers, post-secondary institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Support provided by incubators and innovation labs will allow G|Code to accelerate its progress and increase its visibility within the technology sector. Collaboration with members of high-tech industry in Boston is also critical to the success of the program, especially in the internship placement process. Lastly, partnering with housing providers, schools and universities, and nonprofits will allow G|Code to learn from organizations that are currently working towards one or more aspects of G|Code’s mission (i.e. affordable housing, coding instruction, and opportunities for women of color in tech). G|Code will build off of and partner with these organizations to create a collective impact for the population it serves.