#KEYNOTE

21st Century Activists Need 21st Century Skill-sets

Let's talk tech, race, class and our role as technologists to join the international struggle.

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Imagine if the Black Panthers had a technology education program. That is the type of tech activism Idalin aims to bring to the table through her work. Her goal is to merge computer programming with political education so that black and brown people understand the impact technology and social structures have on their lives and possess the means to produce the fundamental change needed for social justice to be a reality. Idalin Bobé is an IT consultant at ThoughtWorks and a tech activist. Her passion is bridging the digital divide among hard-to-reach populations and creating more technical community-driven leaders. Originally from the North Side of Philadelphia, Idalin has impacted thousands of men, women and children globally with her work in tech literacy and empowerment.

Her most recent work was supporting Ferguson, Missouri activists with technology tools through Hands Up United's "Roy Clay Sr. Institute." The program trains young community leaders to gain 21st century skills, combining computer coding and political education. Other tech initiatives she spearheaded were: building a computer lab for a school in South India serving people of the lowest caste, building fundraising campaigns to teach 2,000 girls of color through Black Girls CODE and organizing social justice hackathons with Qeyno Labs Hackathons and #YesWeCode.

Still under 35, Idalin is a rising social entrepreneur, whose work has positioned her at the forefront as an innovative leader in technology, activism and community development.