Charlotte transplant works to build a Black tech pipeline
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Matthew, Memrick

Brandon Barnes knows what it feels like to have the skills, the idea and the determination and still not get the opportunity.
That experience forms the basis of his work in Charlotte, where he established the Black Tech Initiative (BTI), a nonprofit creating pathways into the technology field for Black professionals and HBCU graduates through certifications, mentorship and structural access.
BTI addresses this through practical programming, including IBM SkillsBuild AI training, digital networking and AI-driven interview preparation matched to active job postings.
Barnes’ work raises a bigger question: who gets to participate in Charlotte’s expanding tech economy? He worries AI could widen existing gaps in access to training and networks. The issue, he argues, was never whether Black professionals can compete; it’s whether they’ll get the same chance.Article text here.
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