In Episode 3 of Tech in the Hood we welcome Stephanie Yousif, whose dynamic journey in tech has spanned a variety of roles in the corporate sector and beyond. Flex and Stephanie talk about nontraditional careers in tech, social enterprise and entrepreneurship, and emerging positions and opportunities in technology. They also discuss gender disparities in tech and why diversity and inclusion are crucial to the advancement of the industry.

This episode, we go back to where it all started, as Ahmed Flex Omar sits down with his friend and mentor, Bashir Muhammad, to talk about tech in the West Side of Chicago in the early 2000s. Their conversation covers the history of “internet deserts” and racial inequity in Chicago, the role of tech in community learning, and an honest conversation about our successes and lessons-learned over the past 20 years of innovation and services to the community.

Ahmed Flex Omar sits down with fine artist and Chicago native, Shawn Michael Warren, to talk about his journey as an artist, and how technology increasingly plays a role in the artistic process. The two also discuss the role of Shawn’s work in building equity and representation for marginalized communities, as well as confidence-building strategies for young Black artists, and why Chicago is such a unique creative environment.

In “Episode Zero” of the podcast, Host Ahmed Flex Omar talks to our producer, Tom Brown, about the genesis of Tech in the Hood, and what listeners can expect from Season 1. We’ll hear about why Flex has chosen this moment to launch Tech in the Hood, and how his own journey has led to here.