I have been working with technology since graduating from The College of William and Mary in 2007. I joined Microsoft in 2019 to support the migration of their Federal customers to Azure and Office 365. I’m passionate about closing the digital divide using data and data analysis. I’ve been a developer since the age of 11 when I first discovered html, technology is something that comes naturally to me and my interest has led me to work in systems engineering, business applications and data analytics. In my spare time, my wife and I enjoy traveling, especially to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. I love music and have been a DJ since college. My family emigrated from Liberia to the United States seeking peace, prosperity and stability.
Digital Equity and Inclusion: My research looked for factors, economic and demographic, that showed an impact on high density neighborhoods where broadband deficits are above 50%. When I discussed the metrics that would go into a score/index, the main ones I found were age, income, race, school enrollment, home occupancy and employment. Based on the data we have available via the American Community Survey; this limited amount of data can pinpoint neighborhoods that are highly susceptible to digital exclusion and begin to form a descriptive profile of that community. With tested and reliable measures, community organizations will have a better way of localizing and targeting their effort for digital access. This is a starting point, helping us close the gap between what is reported in aggregate, and the type of qualitative data that comes from actively engaged community partners. This is where the outcomes of digital inclusion activism are measured, in the success stories of the families and individuals that were left out for so long.