On Thursday, December 14, students of Code Louisville’s emPOWER:UP training gathered to celebrate their successful completion of the 15-week data analytics course. The 22 graduates in this cohort learned the fundamentals of working with data and built their own portfolio using leading business tools like Microsoft Excel and Power BI.
Four outstanding graduates, Melissa Allgeier, Shamia Allen, Mariah Corso, and Mayra Ramos, also presented their data projects to leaders from Kare Mobile. Kare Mobile, a Louisville startup dedicated to eradicating dental deserts, partnered with emPOWER:UP by providing the class with real business data to work with.
emPOWER:UP provides training and support finding employment. But, not all of the graduates are applying for jobs. Some plan on using their skills to start a business or bolster their current career path.
“There was a great collaboration among the students and mentors…I learned how to gather raw data, clean that data, and place it in a format that individuals and businesses can understand.”
Deanna Brown, emPOWER:UP Graduate
“I’m blown away by the presentations and reports that came out this program…It’s very rewarding to see the students go from very little data background to where they are now.”
Justin Tucker, emPOWER:UP Mentor
Speakers included Nikki Stephenson, the Program Director of emPOWER:UP, Justin Tucker, a Power BI consultant and volunteer mentor, Dr. Jayaweera Nandaka of Kare Mobile, Brian Luerman of Code Louisville, and Michael Gritton of KentuckianaWorks. Jade Brown and Antonio Nunnally also served as mentors for this cohort and helped develop the emPOWER:UP curriculum along with Justin. Rome Mobile Kitchen, a local Black-owned business, sponsored and catered the event.
The emPOWER:UP team makes efforts to recruit members of underrepresented groups in technology, including Black, Hispanic/Latino, women, and LGBTQ+. The goal is help make the technology sector more representative of the general population. KentuckianaWorks seeks to promote racial equity through its many workforce initiatives.
“It’s incredible to be a part of the community of emPOWER:UP and Code Louisville…People from marginalized groups don’t always have the opportunity to break into this field.”
Ryeshia Reves, emPOWER:UP Graduate
“Doing a career change is really scary…It’s nice to have a team behind you. We have all of the mentors and the career resources to support us. It’s invaluable.”
Mariah Corso, emPOWER:UP Graduate
Funding for emPOWER:UP comes from Louisville Metro Government and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. You can learn more about the program here: codelouisville.org/dataanalytics.
You can see photos from the celebration event below (credit: Antonio Nunnally).
