In honor of Black History Month, T-Rex is celebrating the innovative contributions Black leaders in technology make to shape the industry. In celebrating the past, we also consider ways to enhance the future for Black leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
John Henry Thompson and Roy L. Clay, the “Godfather of Black Silicon Valley,” advanced technology in ways that enable us to do our mission-focused work today.
Mr. Thompson invented Lingo, a programming language used in Adobe Shockwave and Adobe Director. Today, Lingo can be used to create video games, animations and graphics. Thompson obtained a degree in Computer Science & Visual Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1983. In addition to inventing Lingo, he also invented XObjects and held other leadership positions such as principal engineer for Macromedia Director and professor of new media at New York University (NYU).
Mr. Clay paved the way for African Americans in technology, specifically in Silicon Valley. As a founding member of Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) computer development business, Clay developed the software used for HP Computers and was the lead developer for the HP2116A minicomputer— the first computer sold by HP and the second 16-bit computer in industry. Clay founded his own company, ROD-L Electronics, which is a world leading electrical-safety test equipment manufacturer. He continues to serve as CEO to this day.
As T-Rex works through its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) initiative, we seek to make internal cultural impacts as well as use our strengths to make industry impact. Our strategic initiative to enhance DE&I at T-Rex is coupled with growing investments in corporate citizenship initiatives to bring STEM education to underserved and underrepresented communities.
T-Rex is taking an inclusive approach to source, hire and retain the best diverse technical talent. We are partnering with external DE&I Experts, such as The Winters Group, to support our continued efforts to develop inclusive leaders and create an inclusive culture for all employees to thrive and succeed.
We are also soliciting and monitoring feedback from our candidates. And to attract the best, diverse talent, T-Rex is partnering with a variety of organizations:
- We are in partnership with the Department of Army’s Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) Program. The National Guard is 49% minority and 51% female.
- We are recruiting at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
- And we’ll continue to partner with the Patriots Technology Training Center.
DE&I is an important part of our cultural tenets at T-Rex and as a leader in technology we seek to invest in education, and recruit and retain diverse talent. We are fully committed to building a broadly diverse culture and workforce for the future.
twitter
