Central Texas has become one of the most digitized job markets in the country, both among its tech-producing and its tech-using industries, as reported by the Brookings Institution. The Austin Chamber of Commerce 2017 study found that “Nearly 6,500 employers in the Austin metro area are in high tech industries, the jobs in Austin's tech industries total over 138,500, or 14.1% of all jobs, compared to 7.0% nationally.”

According to a 2015 report from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, across the U.S. technology sector, 68.5% of employees are white, 8% are Hispanic and and 7.4% are black employees, less than half the demographic representation rate full U.S. workforce. It is no different in Austin. According to experts at SXSW Black, Hispanic and female tech entrepreneurs have a tougher time securing venture capital funding, as the majority of tech company executives being male and white. With this in mind, a group of organizations with a focus on social change have organized the Austin Student Startup Crawl 2019.

The Student Startup Crawl is an experiential field trip for middle and high school students to help them visualize their futures and introduce them to what careers are available in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The purpose of the event is to provide an opportunity for a diverse groups of students - particularly those who are from backgrounds that are more likely to be underrepresented in the tech industry - to experience the rich and vibrant startup and tech community in downtown Austin.

This year, the 4th Student Startup Crawl, will take place on February 21st from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Capital Factory. During the event, over 300 middle and high school students from the larger Austin metro area will travel to downtown Austin and visit local tech companies and startups including Capital Factory, Google, Retail Me Not, and many more.

The local tech companies will show the students their working spaces and designated representatives will talk about their career paths and experience in their companies, as well as the technology industry in general. Participating schools will represent the spectrum of the education.

The Student Startup Crawl 2019 is being organized by local organizations with missions for social change and justice Those participating are: Mouse, EdTech Austin, Capital Factory, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, The Office of Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UT Austin, KLE Foundation and Kahoot!

Attendance is free and interested schools can sign up to register their student group on the dedicated Eventbrite page. Based on demand, a second Startup Crawl may be held later this year.

Media representatives wishing to observe the event should report to Capital Factory no later than 10:30 am on Thursday, February 21st.

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About Mouse

Mouse is a national youth development nonprofit that believes in technology as a force for good. We empower all youth and educators to engage with computer science and creative technology to solve real problems and make meaningful change in our world. We are committed to fostering greater diversity and humanity in STEM and empower youth -- and all those that educate them -- to access and amplify technology as a force for good.

About EdTech Austin

EdTech Austin’s mission is to connect and support those driving innovation in education. By facilitating regular meetups, panels, mixers and hands-on learning experiences, we empower and promote meaningful collaboration in a thriving, dedicated community of educators, thought leaders and entrepreneurs, seeking to transform the education industry.

About Capital Factory

Capital Factory is the entrepreneurial center of gravity in Austin, Texas. Located in the middle of downtown, Capital Factory has 50,000 square feet full of startups and entrepreneurs, and is the ultimate space for entrepreneurs to learn, work and accelerate their companies.

About The Office of Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Office of Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) at the University of Texas at Austin focuses on addressing the wealth and equity gap for historically overlooked communities.

Contact

Julia Barraford-Temel, Mouse
julia.barraford-temel@mouse.org
512.516.7551

Leena Saleh, Codemonkey & EdTech Austin
saleh.leena@gmail.com
720.220.0713

Other Host Organizations