Digital agency provides $15K to diversify tech industry

Listen to this article

A Charleston digital agency is launching a scholarship and career development for Black students in the tech industry.

Reason One will provide $15,000 in scholarships through its Scholarship and Mentorship Program, the agency said in a news release. Awards will be given to students between the ages of 17 and 35 in South Carolina and Ontario, Canada. They must either be enrolled in or have recently been accepted into a digital-discipline program with plans to pursue a tech career.

“The events of 2020 and those speaking up for racial justice and equity were a wake-up call for us at Reason One,” Founding Partner Ben Cash said. “We learned that it is not enough to stand in solidarity; we have to act on what we believe. We hope this program will be an impactful opportunity for the recipients, our company and the tech industry.”

Statistics show that Black workers make up 7% of the U.S.’s tech industry and 2.6% of Canada’s, the release said.

“It is necessary to have diversity in tech because it promotes innovation and yields more inclusive and equitable technological solutions,” the release said.

The annual program is intended to promote diversity in the U.S. and Canadian tech industry. Additionally, the scholarships will help improve access and remove financial barriers for Black students with one $10,000 scholarship and five $1,000 micro-scholarships.

The $10,000 scholarship recipient also will receive a one-year mentorship program with Reason One that includes career planning, professional development and mentorship to help prepare the student into a career in tech.

Reason One partners with nonprofits, health care providers and socially conscious businesses to provide strategy, design, development and marketing service to help those who promote social good. It has hub locations in Charleston and Toronto.