Two Nashville Entrepreneurs want to uplift and encourage Black residents to enter tech industry

NASHVILLE, TN.- Because of the coronavirus, many people are out of a job and are wondering about other career opportunities out there for them, especially those in the African American community who’ve been hit hard by the economic crisis.

When it comes to making strides, Joshua Mundy and Quawn Clark are going the distance, using computers and technology as their main tool.

“We wanted to get more minorities engaged in tech careers,” Mundy said.

In fact, they launched their new company “Pivot Tech” this year, encouraging African Americans to enter the field. Their launch date was March 3rd, the day of the deadly tornadoes.

News 4 interviewed Mundy just a few days after the twister destroyed his building in North Nashville.

“At the moment, the name of our company hit! So, I literally had to pivot. So, I was able to engage all of my attention to this tech start up,” Mundy said.

Pivot Technology School was founded to help people of color have a chance to become part of the growing tech industry. It’s a 20 week school that teaches adults about the industry, from data analytics to web development and cyber security.

“It’ll be html, they’ll learn how to build a website from scratch and really just be creative, so they’ll be learning a lot and all those terms are foreign but, if they just lock in we’ll get them to the finish line,” Mundy said.

Mundy and Clark say right now, there are very few minorities in the data and IT field.

“I can just tell you first hand, I remember being in an all hands meeting at a previous employer. There were just two Black individuals. And you’re talking about maybe 70% of these people make six figures, and there’s two Black people involved. Once you get the jobs and the skills, you realize, this is something that we can do,” Clark said.

With COVID-19 striking African Americans both physically and economically, Mundy and Clark say they want to show African Americans that there is a future in tech, one that can be both promising and prosperous.

“You know, it’s trauma. When you experience trauma from the tornado, from COVID, from George Floyd, you really have to say, I have to live…I have to provide a living for my family. And what is the best track for me to do that. And technology is it,” Mundy said.

Middle Tennessee is becoming a popular area for tech companies. Amazon recently announced they’re taking up more real estate as they prepare to move to Nashville.

Facebook is also building a $800 million data center in Gallatin.

“If you combine facebook and amazon and the lines, all these companies that are coming, it’s going to be more opportunities,” Clark said.

For more information on pitot tech school, click here.

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