Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Durr.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I founded DataReady DFW in the summer of 2019. I currently serve as the Executive Director of the organization. I earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems in December 2018.
I started DataReady DFW after my own experiences as a female minority Data Scientist for the last ten years. I grew up in a single-parent household with a parent who was in and out of incarceration and saw first hand just how cyclical poverty can be, especially if you are a woman and minority also. I also struggle with a learning disability which helped me understand that the education system has some major flaws in how information is presented to people who learn differently. After teaching Data Science at SMU, I realized just how high the barrier to entry in the Data Science community could be, especially since nobody else in the program looked or came from the places I came from. I believe the high cost to entry in Data Science and STEM, in general, is a barrier for many in underserved populations. I think the fact that Universities and boot camps are charging so much to enter these types of fields is a huge disservice to so many. I myself have six figures of student loan debt hanging over my head and just didn’t feel right about putting someone else like myself in this same situation knowingly. I am dedicated to increasing diversity to move the Data Science profession forward as a discipline. I was a participant in the Wings entrepreneur program earlier this year and they helped me build the business to what it is now. https://wingsdallas.org/
Has it been a smooth road?
I wouldn’t say this has been easy. It has been a struggle balancing working full time and managing a nonprofit organization as well as a daughter and a life. There have been many nights where I was burning both ends trying to get things done for one project or another or ran from event to event to try to network for my nonprofit as well as my personal aspirations. I have to sacrifice a lot of time I could be used to do fun things in order to get things to where I want them. Additionally, I get a lot of no’s as a brand new nonprofit organization so I have to be comfortable bouncing back and figuring out other ways to get funding to support something I know is valuable and necessary.
We’d love to hear more about DataReady.
The mission of DataReady is to help grow data and data science knowledge among DFW area residents, especially minorities, women, and low-income individuals. We work with individuals of all ages including K-12 and adults through both long term hands-on project-based training as well as individual events.
The data science skillset offers an alternative to traditional vocations often presented as alternatives to college entry to low-income individuals. We cover a variety of topics within the data science umbrella including but not limited to data analytics, data visualization, data management and CRM administration.
We aim to teach area residents’ all about data, including data science and data literacy and provide skills to high school students and adults that are potentially immediately transferable to salaried careers upon program completion.
By providing K-12 students and other DFW residents job-ready skills we hope to help combat the growing student loan debt epidemic among United States residents and aid in breaking the cycle of poverty in the underrepresented minority, female, and low-income communities within areas of the DFW.
Additionally, the Data Science skill set is applicable to a seemingly endless variety of employment avenues. This allows the students we work with to gain a valuable skill set that will set them apart within the current and future automation driven workforce.
It’s no secret that technical skills continue to be in high demand in today’s job market. Businesses continue to rush headfirst to embrace the future of big data, IoT, and AI. No matter what your role, keeping up with rapidly changing technology is key if you want to land a new, or better, job.
“By 2020, employment in all computer occupations is expected to increase by 22%, but some IT fields will fare better than others, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) biennial update of employment projections.”
We are the only minority female-founded nonprofit in the U.S. focused on providing free data science career training and exposure to all ages with a focus on low-income individuals, females, and minorities. I am extremely proud of the partnerships we have obtained so far with organizations like Dallas ISD, Girl Scouts of North Texas, and Skill Quest.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I feel like the statistics speak to how perfect this area is for what we are doing. There is a huge demand for a skilled tech labor workforce right here in the metroplex yet there is a huge gap in terms of a workforce to actually fill this need. This leaves many orgs at a loss where they have moved people from outside the metroplex in so they can fill roles. This means the cost of living for everyone must increase as a result which really hurts our low-income populations who are already barely getting by. Instead of focusing on training residents from low-income populations with skills that will quickly disappear to outsourcing we are training individuals in areas that are in high demand so they can grow into a career that has a real future.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11816 INWOOD RD #1009 DALLAS, TX 75244
- Website: DataReady DFW
- Phone: 5126194321
- Email: director@datareadydfw.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/datareadydfw/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DataReadyDFW/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dataready-dfw/
Image Credit:
Amber Williams (Left) and Tah Thomas (Middle), two other entrepreneurs I trained with and competed against in the Wings pitch contest finals.
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