CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwired - Aug 22, 2016) - The Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) today named Anthony Williams, Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition and Diversity at Akamai Technologies, as recipient of the Council's inaugural Mosaic Award. Bestowed in conjunction with Black Tech Boston Meetup Group, the Mosaic Award recognizes exemplary leadership in the development and creation of a more diverse high tech workforce in Massachusetts.
Williams will receive the 2016 Mosaic Award at the Mass Technology Leadership Award Gala on September 14th at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. The annual Awards Gala is the region's premier celebration for excellence and innovation in the Massachusetts high tech community.
"Anthony is making a difference at Akamai and in Massachusetts by leading the charge to encourage, train and attract a workforce that, through diversity of experience and perspective, is more innovative and produces better outcomes for the company, its customers and employees," said Melissa James, president, founder and CEO of The Tech Connection and founder of Black Tech Boston Meetup Group. "It is important that people can look to role models in the tech community who have things in common with them, and who inspire them to pursue an education and careers in technology."
MassTLC also named three Distinguished Leadership Award recipients, recognizing individuals who play pivotal roles in advancing and supporting innovation in their industries and communities, using technology as a catalyst to create opportunities and open doors for others. They are:
David Delmar, Founder, Resilient Coders
David founded Resilient Coders in 2014 based on his belief that technical aptitude is a social issue. Resilient Coders is a free, volunteer-based program focused on making web technology more available to kids who might not otherwise be exposed to it -- typically teens who are either incarcerated or living in underserved communities.
Nigel Jacob, Co-Founder, Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics
Nigel co-founded the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics in 2010 as Boston's civic innovation incubator focused on four major issue areas: education, engagement, the streetscape and economic development. The office experiments with new technology to significantly improve the quality of city services through partnerships between constituents, academics, entrepreneurs, non-profits and city staff.
Vicky Wu Davis, Executive Director and Founder, Youth CITIES
Vicky founded Youth CITIES (Creating Impact Through Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability) in 2008, an education nonprofit that facilitates entrepreneurship and innovation instruction to middle and high school students. Youth CITIES collaborates with public, private, and charter schools to catalyze a holistic educational experience bridging industry, community and career pathways with traditional academic offerings.
"Change requires bold leadership, and Anthony, David, Nigel, and Vicky have all demonstrated the kind of personal commitment and ground-level investment that the tech community -- and Massachusetts more generally -- needs to become even more inclusive and more innovative," said Tom Hopcroft, CEO, MassTLC. "Many people talk about the need for diversity in tech, but these four are making a tremendous difference and showing the way by example. Our industries and our communities are better for their efforts and these awards are our way of recognizing their achievements while shining a spotlight on them for others to see and emulate."
MassTLC's efforts to focus the industry on inclusion and diversity build upon the Council's 2016 State of the Technology Economy report which highlights the sector's talent crisis and benchmarks the relatively low participation of women and underrepresented minorities in tech occupations.
The Mosaic and Distinguished Leadership Awards will be formally presented at the MassTLC 19th Annual Leadership Award Gala on September 14th at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. The evening will also feature the announcement of more than 16 additional Technology Leadership Award winners across a range of categories. To view the full list of finalists online click here.
For more information or to attend, visit the Gala's registration page.
Awards Program Platinum Sponsors: Century Link, CHEN PR, Cisco, Marsh & McLennan Agency, Microsoft, PwC and Unosquare.
Gold Sponsors: Black Technology Boston, CoreSite, Hired, K Square Law, Matter Communications and Raytheon.
About The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc.
With 500+ member companies, the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) is the region's leading technology association and the premier network for tech executives, entrepreneurs, investors and policy leaders. MassTLC's purpose is to accelerate innovation by connecting people from across the technology landscape, providing access to industry-leading content and ideas and offering a platform for visibility for member companies and their interests. More at www.masstlc.org
Contact Information:
For more information, contact:
Carro Halpin
CHEN PR for MassTLC
781-672-3132
