The Rising Star NFT

Preparing the Black Community for a Tech Enabled Future

We have already seen the innumerable ways that Technology has led to the improvement of all areas of humanity. Not only has it continued to make our individual lives easier with each new advancement and novel creation but the exponential growth that it has contributed to in different sectors of business is unparalleled. Technology’s integration into a variety of industries has not only made technical skills increasingly important in the workforce, but it also provides a whole new set of opportunities for individuals to improve their socio-economic status, particularly the black community. However, one report by Tech Monitor found that black representation at The Big Five tech companies (Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon and Meta) ranged anywhere from 1% at its lowest to 6% at its highest.These astonishingly low numbers reveal an unfortunate truth that the Tech industry has become notorious for being one of the least inclusive industries. 

Technology continues to be the fastest-growing industry in Canada with a projected growth of 22.4% in the next four years, according to a report from The Business Development Bank of Canada. However, the rate at which Black tech workers are being employed in the tech sector continues to be low. Due to barriers set in place from a high-school level, Black youth don’t get equal opportunities to explore the Canadian tech sector compared to their counterparts.

With this accelerated growth, more black youth are looking for ways to enter the tech industry through different avenues and opportunities that align with their values and their interests. 

Our mission is to encourage and inspire young black people to explore all that the Canadian tech industry and its ecosystem has to offer.

The Digital Transformation = The Opportunity

There is no denying that the workplace is in the midst of a digital transformation. New technologies, products, and economic models have replaced industries that have long been established causing irrevocable change to the way that the workplace functions. Even the most routine of tasks, like cashing out a customer or bringing food to a table could soon be replaced by some form of technology. Not only is the digital transformation changing the way that we currently do many existing jobs but it is also altering the future workplace landscape. In fact, according to a study released by Dell in 2017, 85% Of Jobs That Will Exist In 2030 Haven’t Been Invented Yet. Then the pandemic hit, and turned 5 years of digital transformation into 5 months. With this transformation, there has been a heavy emphasis on skills. Jobs of the future will be skill based, not degree based.

It’s important to regard that digital transformation also goes beyond new software and technical skill acquisition. It also includes a cultural change that requires organizations and initiatives to constantly challenge the status quo and be open to these kinds of changes.

Diverse thinking leads to better results.

In part, this highlights the gap between the way companies are structured and organized,  and the future of work for the next generation of leaders. Are we preparing the next generation for equitable and inclusive opportunities to bridge the wealth gap for the black community?

This is where The Rising Star Program enters. 

The Rising Star Program is a nine-month completely virtual, mentorship and career development program for Black students across Canada. The program targets high school students from grades 10-11. Why high school? This is a pivotal time in an adolescents life, essential to their development. During this age the brain is quite literally becoming specialized, and this is also where they are developing their character. We have the opportunity to help them build their skills and get them ready for the future of work. This Rising Star NFT is the first ever NFT drop by Athlete Technology Group, and it will serve as a digital resume to help the first Rising Star Graduates, safe guard and show their skills and experience.

Over a 9 month period, Rising Star Graduates grew their practical technical skills, professional network and received highly engaging mentorship to equip them to add another brick to bridge the gap for the black community.  

The Rising Star Commitment 

Each month of the program included up to five hours of “in-class” learning and 1 hour of weekly one-on-one mentorship for each student. From day one, mentors helped to provide insight on what it takes to be competitive in these spaces and to make themselves stand out when looking for opportunities. Throughout the program, students work on a cumulative project designed to track and evaluate their learning as well as to give them the opportunity to apply those learnings in real life.  At the end of the program, students presented these community development business projects to a panel of Industry Experts and Mentors who provided feedback on the potential business opportunity. By committing, each Rising Star Graduate earned a piece of the $20,000 Rising Star Scholarship fund.   

During the rising star program students have learned different skills in a number of different fields including Digital Marketing, Introduction to Software Development, Video Game Design, Data Privacy, Hardware and Robotics/ Drones, IT (Computer Networking, Security, Cloud Computing), Technology Entrepreneurship, Presentation Skills, Effective Communication, and  Collaboration.  

We want to Safeguard Guard these Skills Built, Reduce Hiring Bias, Democratize Education and Compliment a Degree, with the Rising Star NFT.

These NFTs will long survive the completion of the Rising Star Program and can be displayed as evidence of their accomplishment. 

This is not the first time that Integrating this kind of technology with education has been done either. California-based educator Beau Brannan issued NFTs to his class for completing his finance class and allowed students to create an NFT for him as well to rate his performance. Brannan’s education NFTs included: a publicly posted syllabus, a student-made NFT issued to Brannan, and an NFT created by Brannan for each student that signifies the completion of Brannan’s course. 

Their Rising Star NFT is publicly displayed and celebrates the work they have accomplished. It will also catalog what is learned and how it can contribute to their future employment. 

The objective is to not only give participants the knowledge promised but to also show future or potential participants, employers, or partners the authenticity of this initiative and the benefit that it provides. Creating your wallet and assigning your NFT forces the early adoption of technology as well as, helps to validate their learning and introduce them to different concepts. It’s a great example of how things like blockchain databases, cryptocurrencies, and Web 3.0 are not abstract concepts but rather, real and tangible facets of our world today. 

Our Partners 

The Rising Star program is being executed with the support of 3 community organizations: Athlete Tech Group, Black Mint, RBC Future Launch, and Justice Fund.

Black Mint is a mentorship organization that is dedicated to increasing black representation in the tech industry through programming and resources. 

RBC Future Launch is a youth development program backed by The Royal Bank of Canada to help prepare young Canadians for their future in the workforce.

Justice Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting communities in conflict with the law through three strategic priorities; supporting community-led initiatives, reforming philanthropy and creating community infrastructure.