Built In LA recognizes tech matchmakers

“If you're from an area that's underserved, you could research being a doctor or a lawyer, but you don't really think about being a video game designer or a full-stack developer, because you don't know anyone in your community that does that type of work,” said [Bixel Exchange] Events & Strategic Partnerships Manager Dakota Ortiz.

Founded in 2014, Bixel Exchange operates as a nonprofit startup within the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, focusing on rapidly evolving segments of the tech ecosystem. It offers a number of programs, including the Tech Ed Partnerships program, which works with community colleges and high schools to connect more than 4,000 students with some of the LA tech community’s most innovative startups. 

In communities all over Southern California there simply aren’t enough resources to educate students in fields related to tech, and thousands of students each year are simply unaware of the wealth of potential careers that could be available to them. That’s something that the Tech Ed Partnerships program wants to fix. By partnering with some of Silicon Beach’s biggest tech companies, they are able to match companies like Snapchat and Riot Games with students from all over Los Angeles County.

Link to Built In LA's full article