New space will help nonprofit serve thousands of Brooklyn residents and encourage them to pursue career opportunities in STEM disciplines
– click host Unveiling and Ribbon Cutting Photos –
BROOKLYN (October 18, 2022) – Digital Girl, Inc., a Brooklyn-based nonprofit whose mission is to empower downtown youth — especially young girls — to pursue careers in STEM fields, has launched their new technology center in Crown Heights . The project was completed with $250,000 in support from the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Weibull, the official jersey partner of the Nets and Liberty. The new space will help Digital Girl serve the community by offering free technical and computer development courses to the public.
The Nets, Liberty and Webull helped Digital Girl build their new technology center at the refreshed Major Owens Center by providing the computer center with new desktop Macs, PC computers and 3D printers. These groups also support programming services for the space’s new classrooms: Study area provided by Webull of the New York Liberty and Brooklyn Nets, Digital Girl will host free workshops and classes for the entire community. Technology courses and certification opportunities will be offered to children, adults and seniors, including programming, web design, robotics, computing and data analytics, computer science and other disciplines.
Digital Girl was founded by Michelle Gall in 2014 to increase the number of women and people of color in STEM professions (black women currently make up just 2% of science and engineering). Since its inception, Digital Girl has taught computer science subjects to over 9,000 people in New York City.
“A quarter of central Brooklyn residents live below the poverty line, and the pandemic has only exacerbated that, underscoring that the digital divide is more of a digital canyon,” Gall said. “It is imperative to provide this community with the exposure, education, skills, training and confidence needed to build wealth; access to positions that provide career development and competitive wages. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM occupations pay more than non-STEM occupations nearly 50% higher, and the goal of the DGI Technology Center is to fill the STEM resource gap that this community lacks.”
The Nets and Liberty have a longstanding relationship with Digital Girl. Volunteer employees from both teams recently painted a mural outside the tech center as part of the organization’s day of service.
“One of the bigger ways the Nets and Digital Girl are aligned is our shared commitment to serving the Brooklyn community,” said Sam Zussman, CEO of BSE Global, the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. “DGI is doing Incredible work to increase the representation of women and people of color in STEM professions whose work is more important than ever. We are proud to be part of the launch of this technology center with our partners at Webull , their excellent work is dedicated to breaking down barriers in the STEM industry.”
“Exposure, opportunity and access to resources are often determining factors in the future careers of young people of color,” said Keia Clarke, Liberty CEO. “In partnership with Webull and the Nets, this refurbished space for Digital Girl will provide the next generation of STEM Unlimited opportunities for leaders and the greater Brooklyn community.”
The renovation of the Digital Girl Technology Center is another example of Webull’s commitment to serving the local community in Brooklyn. Webull will donate thousands of tickets to Nets and Liberty games for the upcoming NBA and WNBA seasons, which are used by various nonprofits and community groups in New York City. The donation will ensure underserved residents are part of the highly anticipated seasons for both teams.
“We are proud to partner with Digital Girl to develop a new technology center to better support our local New York community,” said Anthony Denier, CEO of Webull. “As we continue to work to improve financial literacy and empower the next generation of investors, providing educational resources to Brooklyn’s underserved communities marks a critical step forward.”
Digital Girl’s Technology Center officially opened on Monday, October 2nd. On the 17th, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held with Gail, Robinson, Denier, Zussman, Alesia Howard, Liberty VP of Communications and Social Responsibility, Nets player Joe Harris, Liberty player Michaela Onyenwere, and local students currently involved in the Digital Girls Project. Click here to view photos of the opening ceremony.
About Mad Cow Disease Global
BSE Global is the parent company of Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, its NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets, and its NBA 2K League affiliate, NetsGC. BSE Global also provides shared services for the Brooklyn Nets’ WNBA sister team, the New York Liberty. Through programming, marketing, sales and operations, BSE Global delivers dynamic content and experiences to fans and viewers.
About Webull
Webull Financial LLC is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Webull Financial LLC is headquartered at 44 Wall Street, New York, New York, USA. For information about Webull and its products, visit www.webull.com