“We have to do this. DC needs you and this.”
These words from Barbara Altman fueled her collaboration with her friend Glenn Stein and led to Byte Back’s opening in 1997.
Glenn started his career as a community organizer and fell into a role as “the guy in charge of computers.” He realized that IT professionals just had to prove that they could fix a computer; they didn’t need a degree. “I learned it by myself,” he said, “and I thought, ‘If I could do it, anybody could do it.’” Glenn shared his idea to open a computer and career training center in Honduras with Barbara over coffee in Adams Morgan. She convinced him that there was an opportunity to effect change right here in Washington, DC.
In the mid-1990s, welfare and affirmative action were being threatened and eliminated, there was a crack epidemic, and people in DC were struggling. At the same time, the tech industry was booming. “I didn’t want to sit back and watch,” Barbara says. “I wanted to do something.” The organization’s name sprung from the phrase “fight back.”
Today, Byte Back provides a pathway of inclusive tech training that leads to living-wage careers. As a leader in digital inclusion since 1997, the nonprofit serves more than 500 adults per year in the Washington, DC area and Baltimore. Byte Back students are predominantly people of color, women, and unemployed or underemployed adults. In 2019, 57 Byte Back students found jobs after graduating, earning $23,463 more per year than they had before their Byte Back training. Byte Back’s innovative approach and leaders have been featured locally and nationally by SXSW, TEDx, “The Root 100,” Washington Business Journal, Voice of America, and NBC Washington.
Byte Back’s important work continues – indeed, during this unprecedented period, its offerings are more critical than ever. Byte Back has exclusively retained Nonprofit HR to help us find the dynamic, mission-driven leader who will lead our work into the future. Byte Back’s next CEO will be a highly visible presence within the greater Washington, DC metro area, Baltimore and nationally. The position requires big-picture vision, charisma, emotional intelligence, and strong financial, operational, and development experience. The CEO reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for setting Byte Back’s strategic direction, as well as providing day-to-day leadership. Key responsibilities include advocacy, public relations, fundraising, and community-focused program development. The CEO works collaboratively with the board and the Byte Back leadership team to develop and execute the organization’s ambitious goals and facilitate relationships with key stakeholders, including but not limited to funders, community leaders, corporate partners, and the media.
View full details about this opportunity and how to submit your resume!
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