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April 28, 2020

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OnwardUS Launches in DC, New York and Seven Other States as COVID-19 Support Platform

Displaced Workers From California to New York Now Have a Simple, Single Resource to Connect with Fund, Essential Services and Jobs During the Pandemic

Fresno, Calif. April 28, 2020 – Today, Bitwise Industries (www.bitwiseindustries.com) and the Kapor Center, launched a location-specific platform for eight states and the District of Columbia to help people who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19. Americans in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Connecticut and the District of Columbia, join California and Colorado with access to the Onward platform which provides connections to the resources needed to navigate life during the COVID-19 state of emergency. 

“After a $5 million investment and 300 new hires, the OnwardUS platform that was originally created to help California, has now scaled to serve one third of the United States population, stretching from coast to coast,” said Jake Soberal, CEO and Co-Founder, Bitwise Industries. “As unemployment grows, OnwardUS provides a single, easy-to-use website. The OnwardUS platform combines the resources and jobs people need most in one place and makes finding and accessing services a less daunting task in an already challenging time. Our goal is to serve as many people as possible in their time of need.” 

“After the incredible response to OnwardCA.org, we realized this resource was desperately needed in many other communities,” remarked Freada Kapor Klein, Co Chair, Kapor Center. “This website was created out of necessity, by software developers from communities most impacted by this crisis, who are often overlooked by the technology industry and it is now serving our country in its time of need. Innovation that addresses real problems is exactly what will move our country forward together.”

OnwardUS is the one-stop resource providing support to Americans impacted by job loss in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. If your organization is interested in contributing funding, technology, reach, or if you’d like to bring Onward to your state, please email [email protected] or visit www.onwardus.org.

About the Kapor Center

The Kapor (pronounced KAY-por) Center actively works to make the technology ecosystem and entrepreneurship more diverse and inclusive. Specifically, we are focused on positive social impacts for communities that have historically been on the periphery of access to opportunity, participation and influence in the United States. www.kaporcenter.org 

About Bitwise Industries

Bitwise Industries is using an ecosystem solution to fix the way the world sources tech talent. Its ecosystem operates in three parts: (1) Workforce, (2) Industry and (3) Infrastructure.

  • Workforce is branded as Geekwise Academy, a coding bootcamp that removes the hurdles that block individuals living in poverty from entering the technology industry (i.e., transportation, childcare, counseling, food security, mental health services, etc.). 
  • Industry is branded as Shift3 Technologies, an enterprise software consulting firm composed almost exclusively of Geekwise Academy graduates. Shift3 serves as proof positive that you can build world-class tech teams of non-traditional talent. 
  • Infrastructure takes the form of a real estate business in which Bitwise partners with real estate developers to change blighted locations into technology hubs. 

This ecosystem combines to lift cities while opening new, and deep tech talent pipelines to the world. Bitwise was founded in Fresno, CA, in 2013 and has since expanded to Bakersfield, CA, and Merced, CA. www.bitwiseindustries.com

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