Not only is it the 1st of October, it's also the start of SD Startup Month! To celebrate this occasion we are dropping a bonus episode featuring Alexa-Rae Navarro, the Executive Director of Startup San Diego.

Alexa-Rae has had the opportunity to work with various companies of all backgrounds. She doesn't believe that there is a lack of diverse talented people to fill tech roles and there is a misconception that top talent only comes from ivy leagues. There are many tech roles that should only require a certificate or certain hard skills that do not necessarily come from a four-year degree. In her previous position, Alexa-Rae observed how an apprenticeship model can provide candidates with career exposure and increase their chance to find new career opportunities. From her experience, companies who retain diverse talent have provided internal resources dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion for all their employees. 

Alexa-Rae is the Executive Director of Start Up San Diego, a California non-profit 501(c)(3) entity that supports individuals building startups in San Diego. She has a deep passion for building and developing teams and ensuring that their work experience serves to facilitate both professional and programmatic growth. For the last eight years, Alexa has been working at the intersection of tech, corporate, education, non-profit, and public sectors focused on building and scaling entrepreneurship, talent development, and sustainability programming.

• Alexa-Rae Navarro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexarae-navarro
• San Diego Start-Up Month: https://www.sandiegostartupweek.com
• Startup SD: https://startupsd.org
• More episodes of the SnackWalls Podcast: http://podcast.snackwalls.com

SnackWalls is powered by San Diego Code School: https://sdcs.io

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