The LOFT Innovation Track is the process through which we find, foster and staff underrepresented minorities (URM), who have skills in the many fields of technology, otherwise known as technically talented individuals. LOFT Innovation Track prepares underrepresented students in their early years of high school to focus on classes that will increase their technical knowledge. As they advance to college we work with them to ensure they are graduating in a STEM program, particularly in the field of technology

1. LOFT Innovation Track
An initiative of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Background document
September 2013

2. LOFT will diversify America’s tech sector with
under-represented minority talent
This LOFT Innovation document includes the following:
• Background on Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) and its
Leaders On Fast Track (LOFT) initiative
• Research on under-represented minorities in technology
• LOFT Innovation programs and impact
• Innovation Advisory board details
• Partnership benefits
• Innovation programs: Innovation symposium, Coding course,
Video gaming fellowship, Innovation house, Dev bootcamp,
Tech startup accelerator
• LOFT background information on programs
1

3. LOFT is an initiative of the Hispanic Heritage
Foundation, which dates back to 1987
Established by the White House in 1987, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF)
identifies, inspires, prepares and positions Latino leaders in the classroom, community
and workforce to meet America’s priorities. HHF believes Latino youth are leaders of
today not tomorrow.
Leaders On Fast Track (LOFT) is the workforce development program of HHF for under-
represented minorities (URMs) focused on “priority fields” including science, technology,
engineering, entrepreneurship and other areas with hundreds of placements into
internships, fellowships and full time positions. Tens of thousands of students and young
professionals are connected to each other and provided with priority-field-tailored
trainings across the country.
Hispanic
Heritage
Foundation
Leaders On
Fast Track
The LOFT Innovation Track consists of coding boot camps, general innovation
symposia, software development fellowships, and entrepreneurship programs, which help
us build a pipeline of technically talented URMs to diversity the technology sector and
other innovation roles in the workforce.
LOFT
Innovation
Track
Background
2

4. HHF cycle of impact begins with the Youth
Awards
Leaders
On Fast
Track
(LOFT)
Youth Awards
High school seniors apply to Youth
Awards as the main feeder to LOFT
National
public
awareness
campaigns
Innovative programs, accelerators
Leadership and industry-specific
trainings and accelerators helping
members impact thousands more
LOFT Members:
• Youth Awardee
applicants and
• their peers in college
and in their
professional careers
• LOFTNetwork.org
proprietary social
network
• Innovation track
including
symposia, coding
school, fellowship,
and startup
accelerator
Campaigns reach
broad Latino
market, and
attract more
members,
featuring
• celebrities
• business,
political, and
civic leaders
• young
innovators
within network
Background
3

5. LOFT Innovation Track is needed to address
disparity in STEM academic programs
URMs comprise 34% of the general population, however, they
only make up 12%, 7%, and 3% of students in STEM
undergraduate, graduate, and PhD programs, respectively.
Research
34%
12% 7% 3%
URMs’ degrees in STEM vs Percentage in Population
4Source: National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering Inc. (NACME)

6. Disparity persists in STEM career disciplines
2% 1%
4%
1%
5%
87%
Black Male
Black Female
Hispanic Male
Hispanic Female
Asian Female
Others
Research
URMs comprise only 13% of professionals in STEM careers
5Source: NSF.gov/statistics

7. LOFT is uniquely positioned to build an
innovation track because of its talent pipeline
LOFT’s assets include
• Pipeline of 5,000 applicants annually from top students
nationwide since 1998
• Technical education and innovation programming
– coding bootcamps
– online training
– Formal and informal mentorship programming
• Partnerships with university administrations and students
Through our cycle of impact, we are
able to build a robust pipeline of
technically talented people
LOFT Innovation
6

8. The LOFT Innovation Track executes events
and talent sourcing year-round
LOFT Innovation
Talent sourcing
Educational and
technical events
Coding boot-camps and hack-a-thons
Innovation Symposiums
Online trainings and mentorship
Talent sourcing
Identification of technically talented
Latinos, Blacks and Women
Relationship management
Placement into all levels of technical
positions
The mission of the LOFT Innovation Track is to identify, prepare, and place
technically talented under-represented minorities (URMs) in the workforce
7

9. A diverse team of tech-related professionals
and academics will serve as advisors
The LOFT Innovation Advisory Board will be a diverse team of
professionals in technology, computer science education, or
startup financing-related roles, who will:
• Help LOFT develop partnerships with technology
companies, departments, and business units to aid them in
increasing the diversity of their employees
• Consistently interact with students and professionals in
software engineering or related fields to increase the national
pipeline of technically talented under-represented minorities
• Provide insight and knowledge of industry trends and new
technologies to aid in executing our mission
Advisory Board
8

10. Expectations of the Advisory Board can be
outlined into four principal responsibilities
Bi-monthly conference call to stay abreast on programs
Promotion of LOFT Innovation initiatives on digital platforms
Regularly contribute expertise and ideas to the LOFT Innovation team
Allow LOFT to publish name as an Advisory Board member
Advisory Board
9

11. Partners benefit from our public
affairs, marketing, and talent sourcing efforts
• Position partners as agents
addressing lack of URMs in
technology and other competitive
fields to policymakers, thought
leaders, and general public
Recognized as leader
in programs for under-
represented
minorities (URMs)
• Regularly reach over 50k
influencers, celebrities, and young
under-represented minority leaders
through various online and offline
platforms
Broad Latino market
reach through
events, media, and
social network
• Identify, train, and place top talent of
URM background to fill in-demand
roles in American priority fields such
as STEM, finance, and education
Consistent placement
of talented URMs in
competitive industries
Public Affairs
Marketing
Talent
Sourcing
Partnerships
10

12. Current partners include national and
community based organizations
• Building Knowledge (BK) Nation
• Nuevo South
• Sabio
• NTS Group
• Black Association for Science and Engineering (BASE)
• Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
Partnerships
11

13. Innovation programs range from entry level
workshops to advanced workforce bootcamps
• Innovation Symposium: introduction to innovation jobs and
overall technology industry
• Coding Course: Introduction to computer programming course
• ESA LOFT Video Gaming Fellowship: platform and grants for top
video game developers
• Innovation House: Residence for under-represented minority
computer science majors
• LOFT+Sabio@Nuevo South Dev Bootcamp: trains non-technical
workforce-ready people for software engineering careers
• South Los 180: Technology startup accelerator for founders of
under-represented minority background
Programs
12

14. Innovation Symposium introduces participants
to innovation roles and technology sector
The following are workshops and expectations of a Symposium:
• Design thinking: developing and executing innovative ideas
• Start-up financing: phases of funding and venture capital 101
• Mobile revolution: understanding the “third screen” market
• Utilizing technology for social change in
education, community service, civic
engagement, leadership, etc.
• Career guidance within the field of innovation and technology
• Relationship building amongst the attendees and industry
professionals
• Speakers and workshop facilitators include VC
professionals, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the
innovation space
Symposium
13

15. Introduction to coding course provides key
benefits for under-represented communities
The Computer Programming Course
1) Supplies underrepresented
minorities with the introductory skill
of web-design & computer
programming
2) And actively encourages
entrepreneurship
By encouraging Latino & African
American young innovators to explore a
career in technology gives them the
skills to compete in today’s workforce
and places them on a path to financial
stability.
Computer Programming
Course will provide
innovators, new to
programming, a chance to
explore a career in technology
with the ability to have 1on1
mentorship with technology
professionals and the doorway
to learn more advanced
programming languages and
skills.
Coding Course
14

16. Coding course curriculum includes web
design using HTML & CSS
• Introduction to HTML: The basics of HTML, the language used to create
websites.
• HTML Structure; Using Lists: More advanced HTML structure and begin
customizing your pages
• HTML Structure; Tables, Divs, and Spans: Use tables, divs, and spans to
flush out our pages and make them capable of a wide range of content
and style.
• Introduction to CSS: The basics of CSS, we'll begin learning how to style
our webpages.
• CSS Classes and IDs: In this unit, we'll cover how to group CSS selectors
into classes or identify a single selector by ID.
• CSS Element Positioning: Here we'll cover how to control precisely where
and how your HTML elements appear on the page
Coding Course
Provided by Codeacademy.com
15

17. ESA LOFT Fellowship will serve as platform for
top minority game developers
The ESA LOFT Gaming Innovation
Fellowship will
1) encourage underrepresented
minorities to advance in careers
within the video gaming industry and
2) actively challenge youth to identify
and make change through
technology
By identifying and promoting the top 20
Latino and African American young
innovators (16-24 years old) who can
create video games that will focus on
new, technology-based approaches to
address local and global social issues.
ESA and LOFT will provide the
platform for these young game
developers to display to the
White House, U.S.
Congress, educational
community, media, and the
rest of our nation’s leaders that
young people can develop
innovative gaming design to
address social issues and
create change on their own
terms
Gaming Fellowship
16

18. 20 Gaming Innovation Fellows to be
recognized in Washington, DC
20 Gaming Innovation Fellows will be 1) awarded a $1,000 innovation grant to
continue working on their video game and 2) participate in an all-expense-
paid trip to Washington, DC where they will:
• be recognized for their accomplishments and present their games
• meet with White House and U.S. Congressional representatives, ESA
members, U.S. Army Cyber Command, and other leaders/influencers
• provide interviews for local and national media
• participate in CBC and CHC activities
Gaming Fellowship
The launch of the national outreach program and public affairs campaign will
raise visibility for ESA, HHF/LOFT and our partners. Fellows will apply through
the LOFT Innovation Track website www.loftinnovation.org. All applicants will
also have the opportunity to join http://loftnetwork.org, a social network for
minority leaders for ongoing interaction and community building.
17

19. Innovation House’s mission is to increase the
number of minorities in computer science
• Nuevo South and LOFT have partnered to increase the
amount of under-represented minority (URM) students
interested in computer science or related fields
• The Innovation House will provide a safe residential space
for current URM computer science students by providing tools
and amenities to help them focus on their studies
• In exchange for subsidized amenities, the residents teach
weekly computer programming classes for inner-city youth
• Youth will have access to next door Nuevo South-LOFT office
property to interact with and learn from current CS students
• We will increase the amount of URM youth interested in and
knowledgeable about computer science
Innovation House
18

20. Innovation House for CS majors less than a
mile from the USC campus
172 E 35th St, Los Angeles, CA 90011
Housing Opportunity for
Computer Science Majors
Less than 1 mile to
USC campus
Innovation House
19

21. Four-bedroom, two bathroom Innovation
House has the essentials and more
• 4 rooms
• 2 Bathrooms
• Dining room and den
• Large front yard and
backyard
• Spacious balcony
Innovation House will include
subsidized amenities to improve
the residential experience of a CS
student in exchange for computer
programming instruction for inner-
city youth. Students will also
benefit from their efforts being
highlighted amongst the Nuevo
South-LOFT national network.
The space Amenities and benefits
Innovation House
20

22. Only for techies willing to teach computer
programming and live at a fun place
Internal External
Students
majoring in
computer
science or
related field
Willing to teach
youth
computer
programming
ONE NIGHT PER
WEEK
And live in a
positive, fun
residential
environment
with great
amenities
Innovation House
21

23. Nuevo South-LOFT Innovation House includes
various amenities and cool features
House includes
• New kitchen and appliances
• Fully stocked kitchen
• High speed Wi-Fi connection
• Air conditioning
• Video game room with ping
pong table
• Paid utilities
• Starter set of pots, pans, and
utilities
• Towels and linens
Extra benefits at request
• TV/ Shared Netflix Account
• Cleaning services
• Laundry services
• Subsidized transportation
expenses for reasonable
academic and professional
purposes
• Access to extra computer
monitors with HDMI, VGA, DVI
and ethernet cables
• Weight room and recreational
facilities next door
Innovation House
22

24. LOFT, Sabio, and Nuevo South aim to solve the
following problems
A shortage of
technology
workers
An acute
shortage of
Latino, African
American and
Women in the
technology
sector
A high
unemployment
rate
Dev Bootcamp
23

26. Our bootcamp will serve a population not
served by our competitors
General
Assembly
LA + Other
Locations
Seminars
Varying
Class Types
Varying Cost
($2k-8k)
Dev
BootCamp
San
Francisco &
Chicago
All Day Class
$12k
$1k
Scholarships
Hack Bright
Academy
San Francisco
All Day Class
$7.5k
Women Only
App
Academy
San Francisco
All Day Class
$10k
Starter
League
Chicago
All Day Class
Varying Cost
($2k-8k)
FlatIron
New York
All Day Class
$10k
gSchool
Denver
All Day Class
$20k, $5k up
front +
Payments
$5k
Scholarships
LOFT + Sabio @ Nuevo South Developer Bootcamp will offer its
services in a location which has no bootcamp competitor and target
under-represented minorities and women. Our deferred cost makes
the program highly accessible and attractive
Dev Bootcamp
25

27. Room/Board Expenses Subsidized
Preparation for a Demo Day
Industry knowledge through Expert
Speaker Series
Ongoing Relationship Building with
Investors/Tech Community
Public affairs and branding servicesOne on one mentoring
South Los 180 tech startup accelerator
provides internal and external resources
The mission of the South Los 180 LOFT Startup Accelerator is to
identify, prepare, and empower under-represented minority tech startup
founders.
Internal External
Accelerator details
26

28. South Los 180 provides robust platform for top
minority startup founders
South Los 180 will:
1. encourage under-represented
minorities to develop innovative and
profitable technology companies
2. actively challenge startup founders
to create solutions for large
addressable markets
By identifying and promoting the top
Latino and African American young
innovators who can create companies
that will develop new, technology-based
products to solve problems.
South Los 180 is a platform for
engagement between under-
represented minority founders
and the growing technology
startup ecosystem, i.e.
investors, technologists, influenc
ers, consumers, academic
institutions and the media. The
startup founders in the
accelerator will not only enhance
their skills and take their
companies to the next level but
will inspire the next generation of
under-represented minority
technologists.
Accelerator details
27

29. Examples of Potential South Los 180 Founder
Profiles facilitated by LOFT Network
Chinaka Dodge
• USC Film School
• 27 year old African-American, former Technology consultant
• Mobile App - professional film editing at 1/10x industry standard price
Gregorio Diaz
• Wharton MBA
• 30 year Old Dominican-American, formerly at JP Morgan
• Remittances to Latin America in form of gifts cards via SMS
South Los 180 will benefit from the established network of HHF's LOFT
Program, which will facilitate the identification of distinctive under-represented
minority startup founders and the execution of a national public affairs campaign.
Fellows will apply through the LOFT Innovation Track website
www.loftinnovation.org
Accelerator details
28

30. South Los 180 offers favorable terms to
technology startup teams
• Room/Board and Co-working Space Provided
• 4-6% Equity Stake
• $0k
• 15 Weeks
• No space provided
• 4-8% Equity Stake
• $17-20k
• 12 weeks
Y Combinator
• Co-working space provided
• 4% Equity Stake
• $0k
• 12 weeks
South Los 180
NewMe
Accelerator
Accelerator details
29* Equity Stake To Be Determined by Investment Committee comprised of Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors from
the LOFT Network

31. HHF’s LOFT is about reshaping leadership in
America and consists of three elements
• LOFTnetwork.org – Connects leaders to each other and
resources
• LOFT Institute – Prepares leaders for service, education and
workforce
• LOFT Workforce – which Positions leaders in priority fields
LOFT Background
30

32. LOFTNetwork.org is our proprietary online
community for our leaders network
Online community connects LOFT members to:
• Peers – Each other for an ongoing support system which helps members
feel comfortable as they attend college, enter the workforce in key
fields, make change in communities and have a network throughout their
careers
• Mentors – Established Latinos for career paths, mentoring and general
guidance
• Resources – Scholarship, job and internship opportunities and other
resources
• Best of technology – Mobile applications, productivity tools, etc
• User-generated content - Members share best-practices, knowledge and
leverage their expertise
• Online trainings – educational content, online mentoring, and academic
and professional tips and tools
LOFT Background
31

33. LOFT Institute provides year-round industry-
specific and general leadership trainings
We offer the following learning, mentorship, and advancement platforms:
• Events – Over 30 one-day leadership or industry-specific
trainings, summits, and Charlas engaging thousands of LOFT members
• Trainings - Industry-specific trainings are commissioned by sponsors or LOFT
members with a focus on STEM, education, public
policy, innovation, finance entrepreneurship, and entertainment
• Speakers Bureau – Members perform speaking engagements
• Mentorship – Members are connected to more experienced members
• Funding – Funding of grants for education, projects or business plans
• Social – Opportunities to connect informally with more experienced leaders
• Advancement – Network is leveraged to support high school and college
completion, and young professional career advancement
• Research – Research surveys and reports through university partnerships
LOFT Background
32

34. LOFT Workforce sources top talent for public
and private sector partners
LOFT Workforce programs:
• Provide mentorships, fellowships, internships, and full-time positions
with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies based on the
needs of our partners and the American economy
• Work with partners to orient candidates on corporate culture and
prepare them for a specific industry, government agency or company
• Facilitate ongoing support to ensure retention of desired candidates at
private and public sector organizations
• Facilitate ongoing communication between partners and candidates not
selected for other hiring opportunities
• Guarantee talent sourcing and placement services for private and public
sector partners
LOFT Background
33