Hack the Gap Book
We've been so inspired by our Hack the Gap community and especially our hackathon participants. Hearing their stories and connecting on an ongoing basis has inspired us to dream bigger and think more boldly about what the future of tech looks like. Rather than waiting for that future to arrive, we realized that it's already here. We're excited to highlighting diverse voices and perspectives of the Minnesota tech community. Like so many in the industry, they aren't waiting until anymore. Instead they’re building their own companies, bringing their insight to established companies and leading the way, on their own terms here in Minneapolis, St. Paul and beyond.
These stories weave together, overlap and diverge in many ways. Some picked up tech skills that were completely outside of their professional background. Some are mothers who are learning how to balance motherhood and building their career. Others risked everything to build the company of their dreams. But everyone included in this book is breaking down barriers to make it easier for the next underrepresented person to enter the tech space.
This book is bold and vibrant, just like those who are featured. The stories shared are honest, the journeys are insightful, showing that there is no one way to start a path in tech.
Hack the Gap’s Kickstarter
Hack the Gap’s Kickstarter!
The kickstarter was a huge success! We exceeded our goal and raised $11,191 USD.
Backers will receive amazing rewards & add-ons like:
Hardcover copy of the book (and matching bookmark!)
Digital guide sheet for coders
Digital inspirational career journal with writing prompts
Personalized illustration from the talented artist and designer, Leeya Rose
Workshop hosted by CEO of Hack the Gap, Caroline Karanja
Virtual day-long hackathon hosted by Hack the Gap
This book is bold and vibrant, just like those who are featured. The stories shared are honest, the journeys are insightful, showing that there is no one way to start a path in tech.
Be inspired. Be validated. Break barriers. Let’s Hack the Gap!
Why does inclusion and equity in tech matter?
A lot of the products and services we use now are tech- based and when you’re using them you can tell, or have a pretty good idea of, who built them because there will be something that doesn’t fit you. In the Apple watch, they never had any period tracker when it first came out. It was like, “Oh we have this health thing but half of the people are having periods and part of their health is tracking that.” So if you have teams that are not representative of the population, you’re going to get products that fit the needs of the population.
- Antoinette Smith
Inside Pages
We wanted the visuals of the book to reflect that same vibrant and bold feel. The best way was by having a photography direction and color palette that reflected this.
