I.c.stars Chicago

Every i.c.stars cohort ends the same way.
Participants stand up and deliver a Dream Speech — not about where they are today, but where they'll be 25 years from now.

The company they'll build.
The people they'll hire.
The lives they'll change.
Recently, Isisel gave hers.

She described leading a fintech company where half of her hires are women from nontraditional backgrounds, career changers, and mothers returning to the workforce.

"Not because anyone asked me to — but because I remember what it was like to need someone to bet on you."

That's the power of opportunity.
What Isisel needed wasn't charity. It was access. A door opened. Someone willing to believe in her potential before the résumé caught up.

For more than 25 years, i.c.stars has been opening those doors for talented adults ready to prove what they're capable of.

Now, we're making sure that opportunity continues for the next generation of leaders.
An anonymous donor has committed a $50,000 matching gift, meaning every dollar donated before June 20 will be doubled.

Isisel delivered her Dream Speech.
Your gift makes sure the next person gets to deliver theirs. Double your impact today: https://giving.gofundme.com/campaign/795151/donate?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=i.c.stars

We're excited to introduce Meighan Newhouse as our new Interim CEO, effective April 13.

Meg has been showing up for i.c.stars for seven years. As a volunteer, pro bono contributor, corporate sponsor, and last year, as a consulting partner to our leadership team. She already knows our staff, our cities, or mission and the people we serve.

Meg is a tech entrepreneur and former CEO who built a nationally recognized consulting firm from the ground up. She is also the first technology leader to step into the CEO role at i.c.stars.

Please join us in welcoming Meg to the i.c.stars team!
Read full announcement here: https://www.icstars.org/i-c-stars-names-meighan-newhouse-as-interim-ceo/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=i.c.stars

Innovation you use every day often starts with someone the world didn't spotlight.

This Black History Month, we're honoring James E. West, whose microphone design shaped modern audio, and Dr. Gladys West, whose calculations made GPS accurate enough to guide the world.
Their work sits inside our phones, our navigation, and our communication.

Visit our website to read their stories and meet the rest of this year's featured innovators.

https://www.icstars.org/10-black-innovators-who-have-transformed-the-tech-world-2026/

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.
For one of our interns, that truth was personal.

She grew up believing her choices were limited: college or a dead-end job. She wanted to make her family proud, but after enrolling into university, she struggled. She felt isolated, uncertain, and eventually made the decision to leave. It all felt like failure.

Then she discovered i.c.stars. From the moment she walked through our doors, she felt something different: energy, challenge, possibility. At i.c.stars, she didn't just learn coding and technology; she learned resilience, collaboration, and how to actually solve problems instead of just memorizing tasks.

Through i.c.stars, she was able to build a future of her own design. In 2019, she completed the i.c.stars program in Milwaukee and landed her first tech role immediately.

Today, she is a Senior Software Engineer.
From intern to technologist to leader… this is what opportunity can do and why your gift matters.

Take a moment today and give the gift of opportunity.
Make your gift: https://giving.classy.org/campaign/747141/donate?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=i.c.stars

Unlock Opportunity This Giving Tuesday
Talented individuals are ready to transform their futures. They just need a chance.

i.c.stars provides intensive training, mentorship, and leadership development; launching resilient individuals into high-wage tech careers. Additionally, our program provides wrap-around supports, including a participant stipend to help cover their general expenses.
When you make a gift on Giving Tuesday, here's what you make possible:

-Alumni salaries increase 220% over pre-program wages
-25% of alumni become homeowners
-Graduates persist in employment at higher rates than non-participants

This year, we've increased program participant stipends to make our program even more accessible, and we need your help to fund this expansion. Make your gift today: https://giving.classy.org/campaign/747141/donate?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=i.c.stars

At EdTechWeek 2025, our CEO Karin Norington-Reaves joined innovators and education leaders for the panel "Future Proof: Building Talent for an AI-Driven Economy."

As AI reshapes the workforce, the advantage won't go to those with the most technical skills, it will go to those with the most human intelligence. The panel explored how education and workforce development must evolve to cultivate critical thinking, adaptability, and intellectual resilience; skills that help learners thrive amid ambiguity and change.

At i.c.stars, we see this truth every day. When individuals develop both technical expertise and leadership capacity, they become the tech leaders of tomorrow who will drive innovation and build more equitable communities.

hashtag

Talent is Everywhere, Opportunity is Not

One year ago, Karin Norington-Reaves became CEO of i.c.stars with a mission: to unlock economic mobility through technology, mentorship, and community.

When you give to i.c.stars you're supporting this mission with every cycle, 20 interns at a time.

Every day, we continue to iterate and evolve so our interns discover their power in tech. We've increased stipends, enhanced well-being support, and strengthened the learning experience.

With your support, we're seeing dreams become careers. Ready to be part of someone's breakthrough moment?
Give Today! Visit: https://giving.classy.org/campaign/706871/donate?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=i.c.stars

One year ago, Karin Norington-Reaves became CEO to continue the mission: to unlock economic mobility through technology, mentorship, and community.

Since then, that mission has come alive in unforgettable ways:
• A Chicago graduate overwhelmed with joy after landing their first job
• Milwaukee employer partners creating new pathways for non-traditional talent in their firms
• Kansas City interns developed a tech solution that will be implemented by a local hospital system

These are more than moments. They're the beginnings of futures once out of reach now made real through i.c.stars.

As we celebrate Karin's first anniversary as CEO, we're honoring what her leadership represents: hope, access, and the belief that talent is everywhere — opportunity is not.

Your support helps bridge that gap.
Join us in fueling the mission — and help the next generation in tech rise.
Give today: http://give.classy.org/summer2025icstars?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=i.c.stars

Celebrating International Girls in ICT Day
At i.c.stars, we're committed to opening doors for future leaders in tech, and International Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Day is a global reminder of just how important that mission is. This day highlights the need for more girls and young women to pursue careers in STEM, and to be seen, heard, and empowered in tech spaces.

To celebrate, we sat down with Brianne Caplan, founder of Code Your Dreams, to talk about her journey, her passion for equity in tech, and how she's building inclusive pathways for underrepresented students to dream, and achieve in the world of technology.
Read the full conversation: https://www.icstars.org/celebrating-international-girls-in-ict-day-a-conversation-with-brianne-caplan-of-code-your-dreams/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=i.c.stars

Have you secured your ticket to this can't-miss event?! -

Have you secured your ticket to this can't-miss event?! Join us for an energizing morning with top HR and tech leaders as we dive into the future of the tech workforce! Start your day with a delicious continental breakfast before engaging in a dynamic panel discussion. Then, tailor your experience by choosing from a series of insightful breakout sessions...