(NewsNation) — In business, making connections is important.
But for some, there might be barriers to doing so.
Joshua Pierce, founder of The Diversity Org, wants to make it so low-income, minority or otherwise underserved and underrepresented kids make these corporate connections.
At The Diversity Org, they do that with workshops that bring in some of the biggest brands in the world — Informa, Kellogg’s, JP Morgan, Chase, Paramount, Nickelodeon — to teach students about professional skills. These workshops are free, and there are options to participate in them virtually or in person.
“You can be able to get your own connections, and be able to get access to information that will be able to help you succeed,” Pierce said. “We help students get paid internships and jobs.”
This can help students find careers they might not have even known about before.
It’s important for underrepresented kids to have this kind of exposure because when they enter the corporate world, they might ask themselves, “‘Hey, do I deserve to be here?'” Pierce said.
“I might be the only person of color, I might be the only person where English isn’t my first language,” he explained. But using skills they learn through The Diversity Org, these same students can learn how to be not just an entry-level employee, but one day an executive or administrator.
To the kids questioning if they belong, Pierce says: You do.
“You deserve a seat at the table to make decisions for the future and for your generation,” he said. “You deserve to be here.”