SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Holberton School, a college alternative educating the next generation of digital workers, today welcomed Chitra Rajeshwari, executive director of Avasant Foundation, a private, 501(C)3, not-for-profit organization that empowers youth in emerging economies through education, employment, and entrepreneurship, to the board of trustees.
Rajeshwari joins the board to focus on the school’s sustainability, innovation, and its impact on society as a whole. Rajeshwari has been a leader in a number of industries, including banking and travel. She is joining the board of trustees to help Holberton bring affordable, quality education to the many, especially in growing economies across LATAM and Africa.
“Nearly 70 million youth are unemployed worldwide, and that number is only expected to rise further. Looking more broadly at the role of women in labor markets, we found a disturbing trend: the continued uneven progress toward workforce inclusion. The global rate of young women’s participation in the labor force has dropped to 48.5%. It’s imperative that we focus on getting more young people, especially women, into the labor force in order to dramatically improve their lifetime opportunities,” said Rajeshwari. “Businesses are desperate to hire more software engineers and we have a rare opportunity to bring Holberton’s world-class technical education to young people across the emerging markets to help them access today’s life-changing opportunities.”
Avasant Foundation collaborates with Avasant LLC and its affiliates, leveraging expertise in globalization, rural economic development, skills development and technology services.
Rajeshwari joins an impressive collective of trustees, investors and mentors at the Holberton School. Trustees include Grammy award-winner NE-YO, actor and social activist Priyanka Chopra, CloudNOW CEO Jocelyn DeGance Graham, Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel, and Docker co-founder Solomon Hykes.
“Our mission is to bring high-quality education to people and areas that may not have the opportunity -- whether it’s because of geography, money, age, gender, ethnicity or even learning style,” said Julien Barbier, CEO and co-founder of Holberton. “Each of our trustees brings a unique set of skills, knowledge, and leadership to our program. We are excited to welcome Chitra who will help us expand even more rapidly into growing economies.”
Holberton trains world-class software engineers in only two years without charging upfront tuition. Students pay only once they get a well-paying job. Students acquire practical skills and an understanding of theory through hands-on learning and development of actual systems and applications, with up-to-date curriculum developed by the school and a network of mentors and industry leaders. Students from the Holberton San Francisco campus have already been employed at top-tier employers, including Apple, LinkedIn, Tesla, NASA, Facebook, Pinterest, and more.
Holberton now has six locations globally, with the most recent announcement of their Cali, Colombia campus. Other locations include their headquarters in San Francisco, as well as New Haven, CT; Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia; and Tunis, Tunisia.
About Chitra Rajeshwari
Rajeshwari leads the development and implementation of the Avasant Foundation’s mission through global initiatives to empower deserving youth through education, employment, and entrepreneurship in the new digital economy. Rajeshwari facilitates projects across the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and the United States, including Avasant’s partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation on the Digital Jobs Africa Initiative. In addition, she is now a member of the Global Impact Sourcing Coalition. She has worked with state and local governments and international organizations, including the World Bank, USAID, and Fortune 500 corporations. Under her leadership, Avasant Foundation was recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative for its youth empowerment initiatives in Jamaica and Haiti in 2015 and 2016.
About Holberton School
With campuses in San Francisco, New Haven, CT, Medellin, Bogota, and Tunis, Holberton trains software engineers using a revolutionary teaching method utilizing project-based and peer learning. Holberton’s college alternative program is free until students find a job. Graduates have been placed in high-impact engineering positions at companies like Apple, Tesla, Facebook and LinkedIn. The school is supported by mentors and investors who are leaders in technology, sports and entertainment, including: Grammy-Award winner NE-YO, actor and social activist Priyanka Chopra, New York Jets standout Kelvin Beachum; and technology visionaries LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, Yahoo! founder Jerry Yang, Docker founder Solomon Hykes, and Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel. Go to www.holbertonschool.com to learn more.
Editorial Contact
Joe Eckert for Holberton School
jeckertflak@gmail.com