Hack the Hood Connects Bay Area Youth With Tech Opportunities

Growing up in East Oakland, California, Zakiya Harris straddled two different worlds: one predominantly black and the other affluent. Now, she's connecting those worlds through Hack the Hood, a nonprofit that introduces people of color to tech careers. Since 2014, the program has attracted more than 200 young minorities from local, low-income neighborhoods to learn skills such as website design, coding, social media promotion, project management, public speaking and more. The 16-25-year-olds use their skills to help out small businesses. Hack the Hood was part of the 2016 AllStars program that celebrates social entrepreneurs who power solutions with innovative technology.