What is a project or company you’re proud to have worked on? Launched and produced the Tech Jobs Tour in collaboration with Lesbians Who Tech and Megan Smith, former CTO of the United States to connect individuals with non-traditional backgrounds to tech jobs in their cities. The legacy of this work pushed ecosystems together leading to short and long term relationships between individuals, employers, educators, leaders, and government officials.

In the past decade, what are you most proud of? Spending 2+ years as a full-time caregiver as my dad battled stage 4 cancer. That time brought me the highest highs and lowest lows and forever shaped who I am and how I want to serve the world.

What is a unique skill that you bring to the table? The ability to connect people, businesses, platforms across multiple disciplines, sectors, locations to foster partnership, and bigger impact. I can also figure out how to cook with whatever is left in your fridge and pantry. It's either a natural ability or skill developed from hours of watching Food Network's 'Chopped.'

Why Youth Jobs Connect? I've been working in the diversity and inclusion space within the tech industry for the past few years, and yet wondered am I really moving the needle? While learning and listening more as the pandemic ravaged our economy, and the protests amplified the years of injustice and systemic oppression for Black and Brown communities, it made me realize we have to start earlier to prepare young people for the future workforce, build better systems to not let so many fall through the gaps, and maybe even bring some hope into their lives.

Where would you like Youth Jobs Connect to be a year from now? I hope a year from now we've managed to increase the total number of summer job opportunities for youth across the country. I also hope we've put together a better system to not only track and connect to the youth, but create a better map of what they can do and where they could go in their careers.

Where can people connect with you and learn even more about you? Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and my new favorite Clubhouse.

What is a project or company you’re proud to have worked on? In 2019, I produced and edited a documentary “As Long As I Got You” on Music Producer Khari “Needlz” Cain (producer for Bruno Mars and Cardi B) and daughter Makayla which spawned a movement to reduce the disparities in Autism diagnosis and treatment for African American youths.

In the past decade, what are you most proud of?Surviving and persisting through grief to heal and live a life of joy and love.

What is a unique skill that you bring to the table? I take storytelling to the stage and reclaim, celebrate, and empower, as a dancer and choreographer -- I can start a dance party anywhere. Unique skills are undervalued because those qualities that make us unique aren’t always underscored or connected to our working lives, but mine fuel my creative soul. They all matter in my world: cooking with love, improvising, dreaming big, planning surprises, creating conditions for magic to happen.

Why Youth Jobs Connect? To love the people in my life, I have to do right by them. My kind of activism must be in my daily work - the skills I’ve learned and cultivated are mine to share and teach. Work should be about what needs to be done to ensure safety, freedom, and a life of thriving for people who have been historically and systemically robbed of these privileges. We need to change the perspective, to quote a fellow teammate: “this work is not nice to have, like a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, it is the work.” - Nyah Vanterpool

Where would you like Youth Jobs Connect to be a year from now? I want to see our work help city programs connected across the US and youth empowered and elevated into a vast network with thousands of mentors and job coaches to facilitate the transition from school to the workforce. I want to see a team of educators, workforce development professionals, social designers, and creatives working alongside youth to design a new, more equitable future together.

Where can people connect with you and learn even more about you? LinkedIn, Instagram

I want to advocate for youth because I believe I have been given the platform and voice to. I was helped immensely by other youth advocates when I was not in a position to advocate myself and I want to give back to the many deserving youth who need someone to voice their concerns and represent them in some way.

What is a project or company you’re proud to have worked on? There are many projects I am proud to have worked on. A project I am most proud to have worked on is with SOMOS (Students organizing a Multicultural and Open Society) regarding advocacy on the Digital Divide and advocating for Baltimore and the millions of people across the nation who were affected by this problem.

In the past decade, what are you most proud of? I am most proud of how much I have grown as a leader and an advocate. Also very proud of staying true to myself in the face of adversity.

What is a unique skill that you bring to the table? My zest and excitement to work and shed a light on these important matters while making this world a better place is a unique skill I bring to the table.

Why Youth Jobs Connect? I have always stood for what is right through my advocacy work and I wanted to do more in the community and for people my age. I wanted to be a part of a resource that will most certainly create a better and inclusive pathway that will make the process of acquiring a job easier for the many disenfranchised youths.

Where would you like Youth Jobs Connect to be a year from now? A year from now, I would like to see that Youth Jobs Connect has flourished beautifully and is helping youth all across the country. I would like to see that we are able to change the boring narrative of the process to find the first job to a very fun and inclusive one with numerous options for youths of every background.

Where can people connect with you and learn even more about you? Instagram