DIGITAL NEST OFFERS TECH LESSONS FOR

EDUCATION Digital NEST offering tech lessons for everyone

A NEW STOCKTON CAMPUS IS COMING

BY NORA HESTON TARTE

There’s little argument that access to educational programming is not equal for all students. Many build connections through ivy league schools with high tuitions or through camps and educational programs they are able to attend. Not everyone, however, is part of these communities.

Enter, Digital NEST. Digital NEST aims to be a great equalizer, providing educational resources such as STEM training to those who may otherwise struggle to afford or find them. Jacob Martinez, founder and CEO of Digital NEST, is outspoken about the inequalities that exist for Latinx communities and people of color. Lack of access is also common for those who live in rural parts of Northern California.

Growing up in Watsonville, Jacob saw this first hand. And so, he set out to create a space that would bridge the gap in educational resources and produce better outcomes for the children of blue-collar families.

He established a nonprofit and began raising money and forming partnerships to support the cause. Jacob was able to renovate existing buildings in Watsonville and Salinas to create campuses akin to Google or Facebook. “We offer a really safe creative environment,” Jacob says. “You walk into the best and you feel like you’re walking into Google.”

On campus, participants receive technical and soft skills training, career exploration, and paid on-the-job training. Since its inception in 2014, Digital NEST has helped more than 2,000 teens and young adults from working class families, including many from immigrant families.

The program is currently in an expansion phase. Surveying communities in Northern California, the team at Digital NEST has identified 33 communities with similar demographics and needs. One of those locations is Stockton, and a Digital NEST campus is underway, with a goal of opening in Summer 2023. “We’re focused on building out the East Bay,” Jacob explains. Once the campus is open, everyone is invited. There are no limitations or capacity limits aside from the age requirement of 1424.

While Digital NEST is Jacob’s brainchild and offers a duplicable business model, expansion wouldn’t be possible without the support of local businesses. In the case of Stockton, Bank of America is assisting with the financial side of the project. Ann Thompson, an executive from BofA, will be serving as interim CFO, helping to guide the Stockton campus from inception to its final stages.

DIGITAL NEST BY THE NUMBERS

2200 – the number of teens and adults who have benefited so far

$45,760

– the average starting salary of an alum

74 - the percentage of alumni who develop essential workplace skills 100+ - the number of job, internship, and school placements made since 2014

DigitalNest.org