Kitamba Partners with Macaulay Honors College at CUNY and Breakthrough New York to Develop Researchers and Leaders Focused on Equity

Select undergraduates from across the city this month became the first to participate in a new national training on Diversity in Analytics and Leadership, the social impact firm Kitamba announced today. The program, called “DIAL” for short, is designed to help the next generation of data analysts and researchers produce equitable research and public policy that reflects the diverse voices of entire communities.

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(Photo: Richard Hirajeta on Unsplash)

It its inaugural year, DIAL is being held in New York City, in partnership with Macaulay Honors College at CUNY and Breakthrough New York, an organization dedicated to empowering and supporting students from diverse backgrounds to and through college.

“The innovative nature of Kitamba’s program made it a great fit for Macaulay students who are very smart and love a challenge,” said Gianina Chrisman, associate director of career development for Macaulay Honors College at CUNY. “Data analytics skills will help distinguish our students in the job market, no matter what field they choose.”

DIAL is part of Kitamba’s new “Equity in Action” initiative, a broad long-term organizational commitment that seeks to create pathways to opportunity for young people from diverse backgrounds. Kitamba, based in New York, delivers consulting and products to solve complex social problems nationwide.

“Kitamba is committed to developing future generations of analysts, public policy leaders and educators, particularly from underrepresented communities,” said Rajeev Bajaj, CEO and co-founder of Kitamba. “When robust perspectives are included in responsible data analysis, public policy - from immigration to education, national security to health care - can be more inclusive and better all lives.”

The first cohort of DIAL students will spend the fall learning how to bridge gaps in researcher or policy-maker experience by pulling in information from otherwise underrepresented communities to overcome potential biases. Participants will receive mentors from prominent companies and organizations, as well as networking opportunities to jumpstart their careers.

Specifically, the program seeks to prepare and connect African American and Latinx community members, as well as women, LGBTQ students and first-generation college students, for data analysis training and opportunities.

“DIAL gives me an amazing opportunity to collaborate and grow with a cohort of different backgrounds, skill sets and perspectives,” said Wayne Chim, a senior at Baruch College and a DIAL participant.

While the DIAL program serves as the anchor for Kitamba Equity in Action, the latter also includes:

• Sponsorship by Kitamba of the 2019 CUNY Hackathon, where more than 350 CUNY students participated in workshops and hacking alongside creatives, developers, marketers and entrepreneurs to build solutions to problems unique to NYC.
• Forthcoming Kitamba outreach across CUNY campuses to encourage graduating seniors to apply for jobs in data analysis and research.

Kitamba further expects Equity in Action to result in new career pathways and financial support to help talented students from diverse backgrounds access meaningful work and life opportunities, as well as new community service opportunities within schools and communities that Kitamba serves.

“As a social impact firm focused in the education space, we feel it is important to live our values, and be the change we seek,” said Bajaj. “We also hope to bring forth some of our experience on the ground to help align career training and support with real workforce and public policy needs.”

Next year’s DIAL cohort is expected to expand beyond CUNY. DIAL participants are encouraged to apply for future positions at Kitamba.

Launched in 2012, Kitamba is a social impact consulting and products firm dedicated to dramatically improving educational opportunities and outcomes for all children. We partner with leaders in government, philanthropy, nonprofits and the private sector and draw on our experience in the education space to solve complex problems facing public schools and communities. We are proud to have created solutions that stick for more than 15 cities and 3000 public schools and are deeply optimistic about the promise of a great public education for all children.

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