Hartford Business Journal

C T I N N O V A T O R S , 2 0 2 3 4 5 Continued on page 47 "I'm super, super proud of her, and I can't wait to see all the things that she accomplishes," Tucker-Barrett said. Leaving corporate America Tucker-Barrett grew up with an example of how to build. Her late father owned a construction com- pany that did bridge work up and down the East Coast. Her older brother, meanwhile, pursued a degree in computer science aer graduating from high school. Her brother's studies piqued her curiosity. But when Tucker-Barrett enrolled at Mitchell College in New London, she opted for child psychology. Aer two years, she transferred to the University of Hartford, but had to drop out due to economic circumstances. She landed a job at UnitedHealthcare, where she began working toward a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration at Charter Oak State College, an online school based in New Britain. at's where she took the grant-writing course. For an assignment, she considered two nonprofit ideas: one focused on childhood obesity and another on girls and technology. Tucker-Barrett chose the latter. In her work- place, as in her childhood, she saw few examples of women of color in tech roles. "I wanted to create space for women and girls that look like me," she said. She did not put the plan into action, however, until she le corpo- rate America in 2012, aer giving birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Drawing from personal resources, including the help of her hus- band, Anthony Barrett, she formed Girls For Technology. Soon aer it began offering classes in 2015, the nonprofit caught the attention of the Hartford Public Schools system, which gave the nonprofit its first grant, Tucker-Barrett said. Since that beginning, Girls For Technology has reached more than SABRI NA TUCKER-BARRET 3,000 girls and women, and broadened its scope in ways Tucker-Bar- rett never imagined. "I thought when it started, it would just be on a much smaller scale," she said. In addition to programs for K-12 students, the nonprofit now pro- vides assistance to entrepreneurs and tech-ori- ented career training to young adults. And it has drawn corporate support, Tucker-Barrett said, from New Britain's Stanley Black & Deck- er, Travelers Cos., aerospace company Kaman Corp. in Bloomfield and Tolland-based CNC Soware, among others. e career training program, known as Pipeline 4.0, reaches people between the ages of 18 and 29. ey receive instruction in areas such as IT support, project management, cybersecurity and user-interface design, Tuck- er-Barrett said. Following 10-week courses in the program, participants earn certifications that help them find higher-paying jobs, even with just a high- school education. Employers drawing on the program include GalaxE.Solutions, an IT firm that pledged last year to hire 60 Pipeline 4.0 graduates as part of a broader expansion in Hartford. e partner- ship between GalaxE and Girls For Technolo- gy is supported by a $600,000 grant from the city of Hartford, which drew on American Rescue Plan funding. e entrepreneurship program, called Building for Equity, focuses on startups owned by women of color. In October 2022, the program secured a five-year, $5 million grant from the Connecticut Depart- ment of Economic and Community Development. Aer being selected by Girls For Technology, startups go through a six-week education program that culminates in a pitch competition. Most of the participants so far have been focused on e-commerce, Tucker-Barrett said. Sabrina Tucker- BarreΠCo-Founder, President and CEO Girls For Technology Education: Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, honorary doctorate, Charter Oak State College Age: 43 "I saw women who were (certified nursing assistants) and nurses that looked like me. But I didn't see anyone that I could say was a mentor or a role model that had an engineering or an IT background." РSabrina Tucker-Barrett

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