Apple’s First US Developer Academy to Open in Downtown Detroit
Later this year, Apple will open an Apple Developer Academy in Detroit – the first of its kind in the United States. Detroit has a vibrant black community of entrepreneurs and developers, with more than 50,000 black-owned companies, according to US Census data. The academy was designed to empower young black entrepreneurs, creators and programmers, helping them to cultivate the skills needed for jobs in the rapidly growing iOS application economy. Launched in collaboration with Michigan State University, Apple Developer Academy courses will be open to all Detroit students, regardless of their academic background or previous coding experience.
The Apple Developer Academy will offer two programs in Detroit. A 30-day introductory program was developed for students who are considering careers in the application economy and looking to better understand what it means to be a developer. The full academy program is an intensive 10 to 12 month program that will help aspiring developers develop the skills needed to participate in the iOS app economy and even start their own businesses. Apple expects the academy’s programming to reach around 1,000 students each year with a curriculum that covers coding, design, marketing and professional skills.
And next month, Apple will host the inaugural cohort of its Entrepreneur Camp for Black Founders and Developers for a virtual experience, offering individual code-level guidance from Apple experts and engineers, as well as guidance, inspiration and insights from top Apple leaders. Apple.
Empowering entrepreneurs through new financing partnerships
To address the systemic barriers to access and finance faced by Black and Brown entrepreneurs, Apple is today announcing two new investments in venture capital and banking spaces, with both projects designed to provide capital to minority companies. The company will invest $ 10 million with Harlem Capital – an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York – to support its investments in 1,000 companies with diverse founders over the next 20 years. In addition to providing capital to black entrepreneurs, Harlem Capital will also lend its expertise to Apple’s broader efforts to promote access to economic opportunities. The company will offer guidance and mentoring to students at the Detroit Developer Academy and participants at Apple’s Entrepreneur Camp for Black Founders and Developers. Apple will also support Harlem Capital’s internship program, which focuses on opening doors for aspiring women and minority investors.
The company will also invest $ 25 million in Siebert Williams Shank’s Clear Vision Impact Fund, which provides capital for small and medium-sized businesses, with an emphasis on minority-owned companies. The fund aims to support companies that operate or serve underserved markets and that promote inclusive growth initiatives.
Raising community organizations
As part of its REJI work, Apple continues to develop its contributions to community colleges, advocates for nonprofits and local organizations working to empower and expand opportunities for the next generation.
Apple is making a contribution to the King Center, a living memorial to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to share his teachings and inspire new generations to carry on with his unfinished work. Next week, Dr. King’s daughter and CEO of The King Center, Dr. Bernice A. King, will launch a call to action encouraging young people to give back to their communities as part of Apple’s “Challenge for Change” series – a set of conversation guides and learning-based challenges on issues related to race and inequality.
Apple’s contribution to the King Center joins the company’s previous donations to nonprofit organizations that promote equity and justice, including the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama.