The Bean Path

Dr. Nashlie Sephus got the idea for The Bean Path, her 501c3 nonprofit corporation based in Jackson, shortly after she left Mississippi following her undergraduate studies.

he Jackson native, a product of the Jackson Public Schools’ Academic and Performing Arts program, received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Mississippi State University before heading to Georgia Tech for her graduate studies. It was around then—especially once she began pursuing a doctorate in computer science— that she began to notice a pattern.

“I noticed all the time that people would reach out and say, ‘You’re into computers; maybe you can help me,’” she said. The questions that followed ranged from basic issues with the web to complex explorations of potential startup businesses.

The idea stuck, as she realized a lot of people had great ideas or opportunities for advancement, but lacked knowledge of computing or basic web development, particularly in her hometown of Jackson.

Sephus’ nonprofit idea stayed on the backburner while she finished her Ph.D. and then became chief technology officer of a startup company called PartPic, which quickly grew into a success. During its ascendency, Steve Case, founding CEO of AOL, wrote about PartPic in his book The Third Wave, where he touted it as an example of the kind of startup that could succeed in the modern era by applying innovative tech solutions in old-school manufacturing industries. Later, the company was acquired by Amazon.

After the sale to Amazon, Sephus spent some time helping set up the new office in Atlanta (the PartPic team opted not to move to Seattle), but then she found she had more time on her hands once they settled into a routine.

“I’ve been at Amazon now for a little over two years, and the free time allowed me to do more things. I wanted to see Jackson grow in terms of technology and opportunities for technology,” she said. She settled on the idea of helping people get advice on using technology in their lives or their businesses. She also wanted to help people start businesses where technology might be a centerpiece.

“I thought, ‘People are already sitting down with me talking about these things. How could we do this on a much larger scale? How could I do this back at home?’” she said.

Thus, her nonprofit, The Bean Path was born. With a tagline “cultivate to sprout, determine your route,” the organization launched in late 2018 with a three-prong strategy—help individuals (particularly those in underserved communities) on a wide-range of technology issues; teach

kids to code; and make strategic grants to local organizations and students to help them overcome technology hurdles.

For the public education component, The Bean Path’s launch strategy has been to meet in Jackson’s libraries once per month for “office hours,” where anyone can ask questions of a Bean Path volunteer ranging from PC-buying advice to simple Web design help.

Sephus notes that some people come to the sessions with questions about the feasibility of technology-driven business plans. For the pitches that look promising, she’s planning a business accelerator program in 2019, so those people can work on prototype products and the pitch they’ll need to raise funds from investors.

As of early 2019, The Bean Path has also given $1,000 grants to organizations such as Spark-o-Matic, which teaches kids digital production and video editing skills in an afterschool setting, and Girls With a Dream, or GWAD, which meets regularly to encourage self-esteem and empowerment of girls and young women. The nonprofit also granted a $1,000 scholarship to a Jackson State University student researching camera sensors under the auspices of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or the IEEE.

Sephus says one of the most common questions she hears is: “When is the The Bean Path coming to my city?” For now, the plan is to grow to more locations throughout Jackson and Mississippi. They’re looking at the Gulf Coast, the Delta and rural areas where they can make use of the existing public libraries for technology consultations.

As 2019 progresses, Sephus plans to put a tracking mechanism in place so the effectiveness of the organization’s programs can be measured and reported to the public and to participants.

“We’ll have a one-year anniversary in October, and I’m looking forward to what we’ll have to report on—how many people have been helped and so forth,” she said. p

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO GET INVOLVED, VISIT THEBEANPATH.ORG