The Milky Way Tech Hub Series: Featuring 88Nine's Digital Strategy Director Tarik Moody

The Milky Way Tech Hub video series continues!

This week’s video features 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s Director of Strategy and Innovation, Tarik Moody. Within the two and half minutes, Moody gave his input on the tech community and the advantages it could have for Black communities.

“It means opportunity to close the wealth gap. Tech is the future, you can’t avoid it. There’s a lot of opportunities to create…to solve problems in our communities,” Moody said. “Whether it’s tackling poverty, tackling education…tech can help solve these problems.”

Moody appreciates The Milky Way Tech Hub for addressing issues such as diversity when it comes to tech. He said diversity means a lot of things, but the most important part of diversity is bringing those people together to solve problems.

“Milwaukee has the potential to be a renown tech hub and a Black metropolis. In order for us to create this narrative, we have to acknowledge and address some of the disparities in Milwaukee,” said Nadiyah Johnson, founder of Jet Constellations and The Milky Way Tech Hub. “There needs to be an effort to empower more people in the community to utilize technology as a vehicle to transform the city… large public and private entities in Milwaukee need to come together to provide resources, capital and access to critical data to people who are best positioned to create solutions.”

Increasing the number of VC funds owned by Black people is something Moody wants to see in the city. According to an Afro Tech article, the top five Black-lead VC firms are BLCK VC, Backstage Capital, MaC Venture Capital, Harlem Capital and Base10.

“I’d like to see people like us in those spaces, solving those problems, and even eventually providing economic impact in those communities and for themselves and family,” he said. He stated how entrepreneurship is just people solving problems.

Aside from VC funds, The Milky Way Tech Hub announced on March 24, 2020 a $1,000 grant for local entrepreneurs. The COVID-19 Relief grant is put in place to support local businesses during this uncertain time. According to a Biztimes article, the grant is for business owners that have 50 employees or less. The winner will be announced on April 10, 2020.

“The Milky Way Tech Hub was founded on the belief that the people creating and innovating tech solutions should mirror the people those solutions serve. Milwaukee will be an established tech hub when we make a deliberate effort to provide access and capital to the most needed people in the tech industry,” said Johnson.

To apply for The Milky Way Tech Hub grant, click here. To find out more about Jet Constellations, click here. To find out more about The Milky Way Tech Hub, click here.

Watch Tarik Moody’s interview below: