The Road to Why with Ed Christmas RNCN

Giving the next generation options, accessibility and confidence” is what drives Courtney Batiste to lead The Batiste Project whose mission is to empower, educate and bridge the tech divide for economically challenged youth in multiple areas of technology. Her journey as a woman of color in the field of technology has led her to do great things that are making a difference in the lives of students today, that will open doors for them tomorrow.

Meet Johannes Starks – educator, mentor and leader who is full of wisdom and energy to reach out and reach back to pull up the next generation, by providing opportunities through her work with STEAM-based programs and organizations. She serves in many roles to live out her “why” to connect passion and purpose. She is the Executive Director of BEST of Texas Robotics; she volunteers as a statewide mentor for NASA HUNCH (High schoolers United with NASA to Create Hardware), and she serves as a college and career readiness Leadership Coach for Educate Texas.

Gabriel Beltran of Dallas Area Rapid Transportation shares his journey of living out his desire to help others by serving in the public sector, supporting women and minority-owned businesses, as an executive in the Diversity & Vendor Management department.

“We walk the talk.”—Tomeka Herod, President, of The Wilkins Group, a multi-generation, woman-owned telecommunications company committed to closing the digital divide by placing fiber in cities throughout the United States. Tomeka and her team show respect and care by employing the hard-to-employ, providing STEM education to young people in the community and developing minorities in their technology careers.

“I’ve found my why. I have to do this.” -- Peter Beasley of Blacks United in Leading Technology International. As Executive Director of BUILT, Peter shares how his organization is building equity for Blacks in the technology industry through community-focused activities, events and programs. BUILT places an emphasis on their efforts being a united movement, and partners with organizations representing all ethnicities who act as investors to support their work.

Playbook Investors Network’s Rodney Woods (Founder, CEO & Board Chairman) and Dean Jones (Venture Partner) engage in a candid and lively discussion regarding the challenges black business owners face to take their enterprise to the next level. Through PIN, they provide opportunities for all types of emerging business enterprises to do business with a range of corporations, from the Fortune 500 to smaller organizations and other diverse suppliers looking to broaden their reach.