EP 15 How a college club turned into a 4,000+ member tech nonprofit. empowering underserved communities. The Story of INIT. A conversation with Co-Founder Cesar Villa-Garcia, ex-JPMorgan, Microsoft. Current at American Express

In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show, we delve into the essence of community building within the tech industry, featuring Cesar Vill-Garcia. Cesar is the co-founder of INIT, a Miami-based edtech nonprofit, aimed to empower underserved communities in technology. He worked at JPMorgan, Microsoft, and currently, American Express.Cesar Vill-Garcia, born in Lima, Peru, had a substantial impact on Miami's tech community. Over a decade ago, INIT started as a modest chapter of UPE, a computer science honor society, at Florida International University. Despite facing various challenges as the society's president, Cesar successfully overcame them and transformed the club into a noteworthy nonprofit organization.The nonprofit organized the largest hackathon on the East Coast, Shell Hacks, surpassing even HackMIT. It raised over $1.5 million in grants and sponsorships and amassed a community of over 4000 members. Many students affiliated with the organization have landed tech jobs at top-tier companies, and some have even become startup founders.Uncover the story of INIT's substantial progress in Miami's tech ecosystem and learn how it could benefit your business. This episode is crucial for future tech leaders and those interested in fostering innovation, diversity, and inclusion in the tech industry.Stay Connected!Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fowardthinkersshow/igsh=MXQzOHRsMDBnN2Rlcw%3D%3D LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/forward-thinkers-show/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@ForwardThinkersShow Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IMHrlejWNoF9LGF7ediDw⭐️Resources Mentioned⭐️Cesar Villagarcia: Find Cesar Vill-Garcia on LinkedIn at Cesar Villa-Garcia.Follow INIT on Instagram and LinkedIn @INITFIU.weareinit.orgCredits Hosted by: Coral Miniel, Founder, Host, ProducerProduced and marketed by: Pooja Lad, Executive ProducerNaween Thi Pham, Head of marketing and communicationsEdited by: Coral Miniel Questions? [email protected]: The Forward Thinkers Show isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any organization. Any commentary done in the episodes is of the guest's/host's own will.