News

(Brooklyn, NY) August 1, 2022 – NPower was featured in Savoy Magazine’s 2022 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America, discussing the importance of hiring diverse candidates in tech jobs. The Summer 2022 issue also highlights a distinctive list of top national business executives who make a positive impact in corporate America and also demonstrate leadership and influence within their community.

“Now more than ever, it is very important for diverse executives to “lead by example.” Role modeling is one of the most effective tools for developing our future leaders and empowering them within Corporate America,” said Savoy’s CEO & Publisher L.P. Green, II. “The selection for this distinctive honor was very competitive but well deserving in this case.” 

Felecia Webb, Chief Development Officer, oversees NPower’s partnership development, government relations, and national and regional fundraising efforts including corporate partnerships, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals and families. Prior to joining NPower in 2019, Webb had a more than 20-year career in corporate social responsibility in the design industry, including working with Ralph Lauren Corporation.

Throughout her career, Webb has contributed her extensive leadership experience to several civic, community, and non-profit boards. At NPower, a national nonprofit that provides a pathway to thriving tech careers for those with non-traditional backgrounds; Webb is driven to connect to companies to a new pipeline of diverse and trained candidates ready to step into entry-level roles in tech.

“Some of the nation’s largest employers are looking to NPower to provide both qualified applicants, as well as diverse candidates with unique skills and experiences that previously would not have been considered,” said Felecia Webb, Chief Development Officer. “The qualities we see over and over in our candidates is an eagerness to learn, upskill, and adapt to new roles. We have a win-win model for the employer and employee.” 

NPower also places students in paid internships and apprenticeships with corporate partners, changing life trajectories for individuals from vulnerable communities, but they are also strengthening the overall competitiveness of U.S. businesses hamstrung by today’s limited pool of IT talent. To learn more about NPower, visit www.npower.org.

Special thanks to Savoy magazine a quarterly, national publication covering the power, substance, and style of African American lifestyle. From business to news, sports to entertainment, design to technology, Savoy is a cultural catalyst that highlights timely topics and drives positive dialogue on and about Black culture. Connect with Savoy: Twitter – www.twitter.com/savoynetwork, Facebook – www.facebook.com/savoymagazine, LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/company/savoy-magazine.

July 19, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) – At the invitation of the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), the nonprofit tech training program, NPower, participated in the White House’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Summit. 

At the Summit, Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO of NPower, joined National Cyber Director Chris Inglis; and Jen Easterly, Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency where their outstanding efforts brought together diverse voices to address a national priority. Also in attendance were Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo; Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh; Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas; Ambassador Susan E. Rice, Director of the Domestic Policy Council; Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal; Director of the Cybersecurity; Anne Neuberger, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology on the National Security Council; other senior representatives from the Federal Government; private sector executives; and thought leaders from across the cybersecurity community and academia. 

At the Summit, participants discussed:

• The need to create and prioritize new skills-based pathways to cybersecurity jobs, including at community colleges, through Registered Apprenticeships, and via non-traditional training opportunities for Americans who can help defend our country’s critical infrastructure and make a good living for themselves and their families. Training models such as Registered Apprenticeships can allow career seekers to earn and learn at the same time while often obtaining college credit, degrees, and nationally recognized credentials.
• How in filling these open cybersecurity positions, the United States has an opportunity to build pipelines for historically untapped talent, including underserved and diverse communities, to reach jobs that often pay well and do not require a four-year degree.
• And how investing in cyber training and education will: (1) enable Americans who comprise the lifeblood of our economy – including those building the next generation of our Nation’s infrastructure – to be successful in our digital economy; and (2) educate and empower all Americans to build digital habits that protect personal data and collectively improve national security.

“Given that NPower is a national nonprofit committed to advancing race and gender equity in the tech industry, including in the field of cybersecurity, we are proud to assist the White House in fulfilling its cyber workforce objectives, which are in alignment with NPower’s mission,” Ceccarelli stated. “NPower looks forward to remaining engaged with the White House and other stakeholders as this mission continues.”

About NPower Inc.

NPower is a national nonprofit that is committed to advancing race and gender equity in the tech industry through skills training, professional development, real-world experience, support, and mentorships. The organization has helped underrepresented young adults, women of color, veterans, and military-connected individuals from underserved communities and placed them in quality tech jobs.

NPower also places students in paid internships and apprenticeships with corporate partners, changing life trajectories for individuals from vulnerable communities, but they are also strengthening the overall competitiveness of U.S. businesses hamstrung by today’s limited pool of IT talent. To learn more about NPower, visit www.npower.org.

 NPower CEO Bertina Ceccarelli joined a diverse group of cyber leaders at the White House Cyber Workforce and Education Summit to explore actions the private, public, and nonprofit sectors can take to dramatically increase the size and diversity of America’s cyber workforce. 

From LinkedIn: I could dive into the troves of research that point towards the improvements teams experience when their makeup is diverse and reflects the makeup of the communities that we serve. But instead, I would focus on the economic opportunities that this presents. In a time where large swaths of our technology organizations have outsourced both low and high skills to various hubs (India, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines, etc.), NPower offers an onshore alternative that also brings a component of social responsibility and a solution to common problems that have plagued many of our economically disadvantaged communities for over 50 years. 

From Yahoo! Finance: The movement away from the four-year degree prerequisite is growing. With close to two open jobs for each of the 6 million unemployed workers that the Labor Department counted in February, employers struggle to find skilled workers.