Tag Archives: google.org

Digital tools and skills bring economic recovery in Canada

When 2020 began, like so many others, I saw the opportunity for technology to help businesses grow, positively impact Canadians and address economic challenges. But I could have never imagined how the year would unfold and the profound impact digital technology would have on our daily lives.


Eight months into the pandemic, I made a purchase from 22 & Lou, where owner Laura Freel makes jams and marmalades out of her home kitchen in Toronto. Laura’s preserves had been flying off local market shelves, but with sudden store closures, she quickly realized that to keep her business alive, she’d have to start selling online. With no previous experience, she signed up for Digital Main Street’s ShopHERE powered by Google program, was paired with a Canadian student to build her website, and in a matter of weeks, her business was back up and running.


Laura’s is just one of the many stories of resilience I’ve heard from business owners across the country. And it’s a story we’re proud to be a part of. Today I’m sharing an update on how our teams worked alongside Canadian businesses and local organizations to support our country’s economic recovery. 

Statistics about digital skills in Canada

Helping Canadian businesses bounce back

We knew it was critical to get small businesses online quickly. That’s why in May, we invested $1 million to expand the ShopHERE program, and made a pledge to get 50,000 Canadian small businesses online. The program is currently operating in nearly 450 municipalities, and will continue to expand across the country, helping businesses like 22 & Lou start selling online. 


More than 1.5 million Canadians have visited our Small Business Hub, which provides the tools needed to get online, connect with customers and build digital skills. We made it free for Canadian retailers to list their products on the Google Shopping tab. And to help businesses keep up with the demand for e-commerce, we delivered Google Ads training through Skillshop and Google Academy, and worked with partners like the Retail Council of Canada, Export Development Canada, Startup Canada and Business Development Bank of Canada to deliver free virtual training to over 20,000 Canadian entrepreneurs.

Giving back to local communities 

But it’s not just about businesses, we are just as committed to helping the communities in which we live and work. As part of our COVID-19 local response, our Canadian sites donated over $800,000 in Community Grants through our philanthropic arm, Google.org. The organizations that received grants, such as Region Ready, Toronto Public Library Foundation, Kids Code Jeunesse and the Ottawa Food Bank, address critical areas of need, like food insecurity, connectivity, education and PPE for frontline health workers. Through the gift match program Google offers employees annually, Canadian Googlers have raised $1.6 million for organizations in their communities and around the world.

Digital skills training for the future of work

We need to better align the skills of the Canadian workforce with the jobs of the future. This year we transformed our free Grow with Google training to virtual formats and have trained more than 80,000 Canadians on digital skills. With school closures, we trained more than 10,000 Canadian teachers in G Suite for Education, to help them adapt to teaching from home. We also funded community organizations that do critical work to boost digital skills. Google.org announced  a $2.5 million grant for NPower Canada, to go toward IT training for 1,700 young adults from underrepresented groups. The first cohort graduated in September, and over half of the graduates have already secured employment just three months post-training. Last week, Google.org announced a $250,000 grant to ComIT, to provide free IT training to 450 Indigenous learners across Canada.

Supporting tech in Canada

We’ll continue our expansion plans to build new offices in Toronto, Montreal and Waterloo. To strengthen our support for the broader tech ecosystem, we launched two accelerators for Canadian startups. Collectively, the Google for Startups Accelerator Canada and Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders have enrolled 14 Canadian startups. We’ve also renewed our commitment to Canada’s AI ecosystem with an additional $3.5+ million grant to Mila, the world’s largest deep learning research institute based in Québec.  

In a year that has brought about many changes for us all, the pandemic is one thing we all have in common. And collaboration has been our strongest resource. As we all move increasingly online to find products and services, digitization is clearly the next driver of sustained growth for our country.  But we can’t do it alone. We’ll continue to work alongside businesses, local organizations and nonprofits into 2021 and beyond. 

Google.org supports Latino SMBs this holiday season

When I think about small businesses, I think about my family. My uncle runs a small freight forwarding business in South Florida. My cousin works at a family-owned Peruvian restaurant. And my father-in-law is a serial entrepreneur who has run a hair salon, a construction company, and an outdoor food court over the years. These small businesses have been a lifeline for my family, and provided opportunities for us to succeed in this country. 


Small businesses are the backbone of families like mine and the U.S. economy as a whole. It’s critical that we come together to support these pillars of local communities, especially for historically underserved groups, like the Latino community, which have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to start a business, but in the past few months alone about 32% of Latino-owned businesses have been forced to close due to COVID-19. 


In September, Google.org announced a $3 million grant to Hispanics in Philanthropy PowerUp Fund to directly support Latino-owned small businesses across California, Texas and New York. Through this effort, 500 small businesses were selected and will receive $5,000 in cash grants as well as a year's worth of business training from Ureeka, a community-based platform that connects underserved small business owners to peers, mentors and coaches, to help these businesses grow. We’re optimistic that through cash and training like this, small businesses will be able to build the resilience they need to withstand economic downturns, especially during the holidays. 


The PowerUp Fund grant recipients represent more than 55 industries including food and beverage, health and wellness, childcare, technology and more. Nearly 60 percent of these businesses are Latina-owned and more than 15 percent of business owners identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, a U.S. veteran or persons with disabilities. We asked recipients to share how this support will help keep the lights on, here’s what some of them had to say: 


  • Gisselle Hernandez, CEO of Glamlite Cosmetics

    Gisselle Hernandez, CEO of Glamlite Cosmetics

    Gisselle Hernandez founded Glamlite Cosmetics, a food inspired cosmetics brand. Giselle is a Caribbean immigrant that lives by the motto: "beauty isn't one-size-fits-all." Our brand is grateful to be one of recipients of this outstanding support from the PowerUp Fund,” says Gisselle. “Through the Ureeka coaching we will continue to learn how to use social media to expand our audience and create engaging content for our current customers.”


  • Alejandro Cuadra, owner of Urban Barber College

    Alejandro Cuadra, owner ofUrban Barber College 

    Urban Barber College prepares students to become licensed professionals within the beauty industry. “This funding and coaching will help bring some stability in this very unpredictable year,” said Alejandro.“I can look forward to growth and sustainability with the opportunity to learn from a Ureeka business coach.” 


  • Laura Bruce, Director of Mi Casa Es Tu Casa

    Laura Bruce, Director ofMi Casa Es Tu Casa 

    Mi Casa Es Tu Casa offers highly-rated online baby and toddler music classes to teach Spanish through music, sign language, and games. “The PowerUp funding and coaching from Ureeka will help us have a solid plan to move forward with our small business by setting our priorities straight, recover from the damages done by COVID-19, and have a more efficient business strategy to make 2021 our best year yet,” says Laura. 


  • Joe Melig, Co-owner of 2M Smokehouse

    Joe Melig, Co-owner of 2M Smokehouse

    2M Smokehouse is one of the most popular barbeque and catering restaurants in San Antonio. “With all the uncertainty that lies ahead for small business owners, this grant is helping us by allowing us to make the necessary improvements and adjustments during these ever-changing times,” says Joe. “However, it is the support brought to us through the coaching course and a sense of community with fellow business owners that will last a lifetime.” 


  • Carmen Rodriguez, CEO of Brooklyn Cupcake

    Carmen Rodriguez and Gina Madera, Founders of Brooklyn Cupcake

    Brooklyn Cupcake is a family owned and operated cupcake shop with a menu of Puerto Rican and Italian inspired cupcakes. “We’ve seen a spike in our internet shipping since the start of the pandemic,” says Carmen. “This grant will go towards building a much needed shipping department so that we can capture every single sale and continue to grow our shipping platform.”


  • Javier Castaño, Director of QueensLatino

    Javier Castaño, Director of QueensLatino 

    Queens Latino is a monthly bilingual newspaper that provides  local news from Queens, New York—one of the most diverse regions in the U.S. "COVID-19 has transformed New York City’s Latino community,” says Javier.  “In response to the disruptive impacts the QueensLatino community-based platform has endeavored to report on the systemic socio-economic dislocations–thus contributing to reactivating the local economy. This grant money will be used to pay reporters, videographers, and acquire new technologies. The coaching will assist in making our newsroom more robust, strengthen our business strategy and help us navigate the digital ecosystem and develop new perspectives that will ensure growth and prosperity."


Google.org’s funding for the PowerUp Fund builds on Google’s $180M commitment to support minority and women-led small businesses across the country through the Grow with Google Small Business Fund and Google.org grants. Read on to learn more about the other PowerUp Fund recipients and consider supporting a small business this holiday season— whether it’s buying your favorite candle from the shop around the corner or giving a shout out to your go-to dinner spot on social media—every little bit counts. 


Googler volunteers teach (and learn) important lessons

The COVID-19 pandemic has made distance learning the default option for many school-age children around the world. But many students, especially those in underserved communities, still aren’t familiar with using technology to learn.


Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to help address this challenge as a Google volunteer mentoring with Ini Budi, a nonprofit organization in Indonesia that creates digital learning materials for teachers and students. This volunteering opportunity was part of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public’s Changemaker Journey program, supported by Google.org and aimed at helping nonprofits get the tools, knowledge and skills to meet their immediate priorities and sustain their efforts over the long term. 


It was really rewarding to work with Indi Budi’s team to help them develop a learning hub using YouTube, and teach staff members how to use Google’s analytics tools to see how engaged students were with their classes. But what surprised me most was just how much I gained from the experience. 


Despite being the mentor, I felt I was learning from the Ini Budi team as much as they were learning from me. I started to better understand the challenges the education sector faced, and how we can begin to tackle these systemic issues. I realized that you can solve any problem with the power of collaboration. 


I want to highlight a few other Googlers who have been dedicating their time as mentors to help various Google.org grantees and show how helping others can lead you to learn more about yourself. 

Pat Choa

Pat Choa, gTech Ads Operations Director, Philippines

Being Filipino, I want local businesses to succeed, so I signed up to be a mentor to Filipino startups through a local enterprise, QBO Innovation Hub. 

Tapping my media and digital marketing knowledge, I reviewed these startups' media plans and shared my perspective on using digital platforms to grow their businesses. 

These group mentoring sessions made me feel like I was part of a broader community, where I, too, was learning from these startups’ challenges, motivations and ideas.

Talking to these entrepreneurs and hearing what they're trying to achieve brings me so much joy— just knowing that there are so many businesses trying to create better opportunities for other Filipinos inspires me to strive to do more to help my own community.

Brian Weidenbaum, Software Engineer, Singapore

I had the chance to be a hackathon mentor to pre-college students working on exciting software ideas at Engineering Good, a Singaporean nonprofit that empowers disadvantaged communities through engineering.

Brian Weidenbaum

Our hackathon team worked on a feature to make it easier for visually-impaired people to read screens that lack integrated screen readers. 


I was deeply impressed by how motivated the students were and how quickly they picked up machine learning techniques to create a prototype. Watching them build some compelling features in such a short period of time was inspiring, and seeing their idea come to life during the hackathon was a proud moment for me. Volunteering is such a great way to serve the community and, in this case, to help build the next generation of engineers. I want the engineers of the future to be more skilled than I am, and I am happy to see what people are capable of when you invest in them.

Max Tsai, Google Customer Solutions Direct Sales Lead, Taiwan  

I spent the last few months volunteering with the Institute for Information Industry, a local nonprofit that supports the development of the information industry in Taiwan.

Max Tsai

I was tasked with designing and developing a series of webinars to help local businesses gain new knowledge on topics like finding the right talent for building a great workplace culture. 

Together with five other Google volunteers, we were able to produce three webinars, with more sessions to come in the coming weeks. 

More than 900 entrepreneurs attended these sessions, with many reaching out to share how useful our insights and tips were. 

Through this experience, I learned how valuable knowledge-sharing sessions could be. It felt good knowing that we had this opportunity to use our skills to help these organizations as they continue to evolve.

Computer Science Education Week: More help for more students

Recent research shows that only 45 percent of U.S. schools offer computer science (CS) courses, and that Black, Latinx and Female students especially lack equitable access to a CS education.  So I beat the odds: I am a Black, female, computer engineer at Google.

Majoring in systems and CS at Howard University opened up so many opportunities in my life and career. Computing jobs are the number one source of new wages in the U.S.; clearly, these skills are becoming as important as reading and writing and we can’t afford to leave anyone out. Code with Google is our commitment to closing equity gaps in CS, and this year for Computer Science Education Week we're announcing two new initiatives to create more access.

 

Code Next goes virtual 

This year, as part of Code with Google’s portfolio of CS education programs, Code Next is expanding. Launched in 2015, Code Next offers free CS education with a focus on Black and Latinx high school students, providing the skills and inspiration they need for long and rewarding careers in computer science-related fields. Originally available only in New York and California, it’s expanded to 16 virtual clubs under a program called Code Next Connect.

Nadirah Pinney, a 2020 Code Next Oakland graduate, said she was reluctant to join the program at first because she wasn’t interested in CS. “I quickly learned to love the way that Code Next taught CS. It not only taught me lessons I didn’t think I could learn, it actually made me more comfortable with myself.” Having graduated from the program, Nadirah is now enrolled at San Jose State University where she’s studying to be a software engineer.  

Image shows two women sitting at a white desk talking over an open laptop. One woman has her back to the camera and is looking at the laptop screen, the other women is facing the camera, looking at the other woman, and smiling.

Nadirah working on a Code Next assignment alongside her Code Next coach Alyssa Lui.

Any student ages 14-18 can now apply to the virtual program starting in January 2021, with the ability to choose a CS-related curriculum track including game design, UX, hardware or intro to scripting. 

 

A new Google.org grant for the Scratch Foundation

We’re building on our work with the Scratch Foundation—a creative coding platform used by more than 2 million students—with a new $5 million dollar Google.org grant. Last year, Google supported Scratch and the Office of CS in Chicago Public Schools to host Family Creative Coding Nights at New Chance Fund elementary schools so that students and their families could come together and create using code.
A woman looks at a laptop that is sitting at a table while two young children gather around to look at the laptop as well. Everyone is smiling.

Champika Fernando (center) from the Scratch team at a Family Creative Coding Night.

The work in Chicago inspired Scratch to create the Scratch Education Collaborative (SEC)—a global network of community led organizations, providing high-quality resources and training, based on the Scratch coding platform, for educators and young people who are historically excluded from computing. Scratch is currently accepting new applications for the pilot year of the SEC; visit the website to see if your organization would be a good fit.

These new initiatives are a part of Google’s larger commitment to CS education. Since 2013, Google.org has given more than $80 million to organizations around the globe working to increase access to high quality CS learning opportunities.

If you’re an educator, make sure to check outCS First Unplugged—our first Hour of Code activity that can be used completely offline and without a computer to support a variety of learning environments. Happy #CSEdWeek, everyone.

Expanded funding for Indigenous businesses in the U.S.

Danielle Greendeer is the owner of Wampanoag Trading Post and Gallery in Massachusetts, which sells handmade Eastern Woodland art made by Indigenous artists. She is also a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation. The Wampanoag are associated with what became known as the “first Thanksgiving.” 

Danielle Greendeer

“The year 2020 marks the 400th year since the arrival of the Mayflower and the introduction of the Pilgrims to the Wampanoag Nation,” she told our team at Google.org earlier this month. “For the Mashpee Wampanoag people, it is important to tell the history from our perspective and educate the public on the challenges that our Tribe is still trying to overcome. The survival and evolution of our art is an example of how resilient our culture is.”

November is also Native American Heritage Month. As an Indigenous person, I see this moment as a reminder for society to reflect on, honor and celebrate the resilience of the people who are the first inhabitants of the United States. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit these communities especially hard, both in terms of health and economic stability. Earlier this year, we awarded $1 million in loans to Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Center through Grow with Google, and $250,000 in Google.org grants to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), to provide immediate relief to small businesses owned by Native Americans/American Indians. We’re also working with NCAI to offer Grow with Google training for small businesses and job seekers in Native American communities. This embedded digital training program will train more than 5,000 Native businesses owners to better leverage their online presence by April 2021.  

Danielle’s business received financial support from Google.org and NCAI, which helped her hire temporary part-time workers, support six more Indigenous artisans and schedule workshops and screenings of Native films. For Native American Heritage Month, they have opened an extension space and are screening a documentary film called Mashpee Nine. “Offering this film to the public at no charge is part of our commitment to educate our community about the history of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe,” she says.

We know there are many more amazing businesses like Danielle’s, which is why we’re announcing an additional $1 million in funding through Google.org to NCAI which will directly support hundreds of businesses. The fund is open to Native American/American Indian business owners for applications today. Head to the NCAI fund website for more information or to apply. 

Expanded funding for Indigenous businesses in the U.S.

Danielle Greendeer is the owner of Wampanoag Trading Post and Gallery in Massachusetts, which sells handmade Eastern Woodland art made by Indigenous artists. She is also a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation. The Wampanoag are associated with what became known as the “first Thanksgiving.” 

Danielle Greendeer

“The year 2020 marks the 400th year since the arrival of the Mayflower and the introduction of the Pilgrims to the Wampanoag Nation,” she told our team at Google.org earlier this month. “For the Mashpee Wampanoag people, it is important to tell the history from our perspective and educate the public on the challenges that our Tribe is still trying to overcome. The survival and evolution of our art is an example of how resilient our culture is.”

November is also Native American Heritage Month. As an Indigenous person, I see this moment as a reminder for society to reflect on, honor and celebrate the resilience of the people who are the first inhabitants of the United States. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit these communities especially hard, both in terms of health and economic stability. Earlier this year, we awarded $1 million in loans to Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Center through Grow with Google, and $250,000 in Google.org grants to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), to provide immediate relief to small businesses owned by Native Americans/American Indians. We’re also working with NCAI to offer Grow with Google training for small businesses and job seekers in Native American communities. This embedded digital training program will train more than 5,000 Native businesses owners to better leverage their online presence by April 2021.  

Danielle’s business received financial support from Google.org and NCAI, which helped her hire temporary part-time workers, support six more Indigenous artisans and schedule workshops and screenings of Native films. For Native American Heritage Month, they have opened an extension space and are screening a documentary film called Mashpee Nine. “Offering this film to the public at no charge is part of our commitment to educate our community about the history of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe,” she says.

We know there are many more amazing businesses like Danielle’s, which is why we’re announcing an additional $1 million in funding through Google.org to NCAI which will directly support hundreds of businesses. The fund is open to Native American/American Indian business owners for applications today. Head to the NCAI fund website for more information or to apply. 

Help for Asia’s change-making nonprofit leaders

As someone who came to Google from the nonprofit world, I understand how challenging it can be for nonprofit organizations to find the right resources and talent to tackle some of the world's complex challenges. 


COVID-19 doesn't make it easier. So in June this year, Google.org granted $600,000 to Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, helping them launch a six-month capacity-building program for 28 nonprofits from Singapore, Indonesia and India. The Changemaker Journey program has two main goals. First, to help nonprofits get the tools, knowledge and skills to meet their immediate priorities and sustain their efforts over the long-term. Second, to build a community where organizations can learn from one another, collaborate, and discover new ideas together.


I spoke to Janine Teo, founder and CEO of Solve Education, a Singapore-based nonprofit working to make high-quality education more accessible, to learn about her personal journey and how the program has helped her during the pandemic.
The Source team

Tell me about yourself. What led you to the nonprofit world? 

It started with two questions from my mentor. He first asked, "What are you working so hard for?" My parents grew up in poverty. Both of them had to drop out of school to support the family, but they knew the importance of education. My father put himself back to school and graduated when he was 30. My mother paid off her brothers' education fees then enrolled herself in night school to get her diploma. My parents showed me how you could still learn and grow even at a later age. 


He then asked, "What's your purpose?" I was trained as a software engineer but tried different industries, including hospitality. While I appreciated these experiences, I knew I wanted to solve deeper problems, contribute to society and help others. So five years ago, and with my mentor’s support, I’d started Solve Education to help people of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds get a high-quality education. 


Has it been challenging being a social entrepreneur in 2020? 

Definitely—we can all agree education creates opportunities. But COVID-19 has made learning challenging, especially for those in underserved communities. Some of the families we support in India don't have the luxury to socially distance themselves — or even study — because of the lack of space. For others, being a daily wage worker means they need to find work every day to put food on the table. The people we serve are more afraid of dying of hunger than the pandemic—it’s survival mode for many of them. We had to be creative to solve this problem, so we introduced Game for Charity, a point-based program where beneficiaries could earn points by completing learning modules and exchange these points for food packages. 


What inspired you to be part of the capacity-building program, and how did it help your organization? 

The concept of finding solutions to complex problems that have positive effects in changing the system fascinates me. As a social entrepreneur, I think it's important to look at the root causes of the problems we’re looking to solve. I also wanted to widen my network through the Ashoka Foundation and Google.org—and continue learning, too. In fact, one of my most memorable sessions from the program was attending a Google Ads coaching session led by Google volunteers with my team. The session was so useful because it was exactly what we needed help with! 


This program also gave us a fresh perspective one some of the issues we’re dealing with. It helped us question ourselves more and home in on projects that will have the biggest impact. 


The truth is, capacity-building is often overlooked. It's hard to expect nonprofits to contribute to systemic change without building their ability to think critically, as well as the broader skills they need to run their organization effectively. After all, we are solving problems that no one has solved before. When we look at education, we still have a world where 263 million children and youth aren’t attending school. We are nowhere near solving the problem, but joining this program gave me and my team the inspiration and excitement to continue challenging ourselves.

Google.org Fellows help NY State respond to the pandemic

With the help of 10 Googlers, New York State launched a web-based tool that helps connect residents to critical social services. As a result of the pandemic, millions of New Yorkers are seeking out help for daily necessities such as food, housing and COVID-related services—and many are doing so for the first time. To make it easier to find relevant services, residents simply have to answer a few questions from their phone or computer. The app is also open-sourced, so other states and civic organizations can implement it for residents.

This tool was the main project that Googlers worked on during a six-month pro bono Google.org Fellowship, making it the fifth civic entity to receive support from Google.org Fellows to date and the first working directly with a state administration. In April—during the height of New York’s COVID-19 outbreak—Google.org Fellows were tasked with helping Governor Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 Tech SWAT Team respond to the pandemic. Using their skills in engineering, product management and user experience research and design, they helped build the recently launched social services application in collaboration with the New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) and Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). 

Image of a phone with the social services app introduction page.

To make it easier to find relevant services, residents simply have to answer a few questions from their phone or computer. 

We sat down with Malika Chatlapalli, one of the Google.org Fellows, to hear more about her experience working with New York State. 

What drew you to this Google.org Fellowship? 

I’ve been an interaction designer out of the Google NYC office for two years, and I grew up in East Fishkill, NY. One of things I love about Google is the responsibility we feel to do the right thing, and I thought this fellowship was an opportunity to do that. With COVID-19, I wanted to do more to help—whether it was New Yorkers or people in general.

What was unique about this project for you?

When designing products, you start with the user. In this case, that meant designing for a wide range of age groups, reading levels, languages and familiarity with technology. 

That’s why working closely with the state’s UX team was so invaluable. I learned so much working with them—they are experts on who New Yorkers are and what they need. For example, we learned that when exploring social services New Yorkers want to follow instructions carefully and do things right the first time around, so we experimented with a variety of different ways to phrase questions throughout the tool so they were clear and direct, while also showing empathy. Asking for help can be very personal and we wanted to respect that.  

Having the opportunity to work with the UX team and test the design with actual New Yorkers was an incredibly enlightening and humbling experience. 

A grid image of a video conferencing call showing the Google.org Fellows who worked on this project.

Google.org fellows worked with New York State on a number of projects, including a web-based tool that helps connect residents to critical social services. 

What was it like working on these projects at the beginning of the pandemic?

It was a time of unknowns. The unemployment claims were at an all time high, more and more people were looking for social services. We wanted to jump in and solve problems that the state was facing in that moment—anything that could make people’s lives a little bit easier—but we also knew that in order for us to be successful, we needed to act as a cohesive team first. We invested time in getting to know each other and found moments to pause and reflect on the work we were doing. Despite being 100% virtual, we were able to build trust and camaraderie as a team. 

What were you most proud of? 

Together with the state, we built and launched a web app in three months—that rarely happens! It’s also configurable, meaning the state can easily update and customize the tool to quickly adapt to the changing needs of residents, in real time, no coding necessary. While developing the web app, we also worked with the state on a design sprint and hackathon project which helped us get a deeper understanding of the challenges New Yorkers were facing. 

How did the Google.org Fellows and New York State make that happen?

The NY State team advocated for this fellowship and partnered with us—it felt like we were one team!  The state truly welcomed us with open arms, allowing us to build with them and not for them. The UX team even included us in their daily standup meetings and chat rooms. We were all so proud of the work that we accomplished together, and without that close collaboration it wouldn’t have been possible.

How we’re supporting the transgender community

I log onto work, with my long black hair down and my nails freshly painted red. I keep my pronouns (they/them) visible on my email signature, my company profile and for a time even on my shirt. Joining my first meeting, I immediately hear: “David, he’s here!” I wince, I correct my colleague and continue to increase awareness of who I am in my gender identity. 

As I’m a first-generation Salvadoran American who’s gender nonconforming (GNC), it’s important to me to create spaces for allies to educate themselves and for trans and GNC people to feel seen and included within Google. And as a small business marketer, I work to uplift stories of people who are frequently unseen—in particular, Black or Latino trans business owners.

One of these business owners is Marli Washington, who like many trans or GNC people, began realizing that his gender identity was not aligned with his body. This feeling of incongruity (sometimes called gender dysphoria) can be a daily reality, and can compromise a person’s well-being, comfort and physical and psychological safety. 

Marli recognized a need in the broader trans and GNC communities for accessible and safe chest binding options—garments used to flatten the chest. So Marli founded gc2b to create better products that allow people to align their bodies with their gender identities—products designed by trans people, for trans people. With the help of Google, gc2b has continued to grow its digital presence to meet a critical need of trans and GNC people around the world. 

“Some people might not have the vocabulary or the experience to connect with being transgender; they might be feeling body dysphoria and they don’t know what that is,” Marli says. “So they hop on Google, which has helped us become discoverable to them, and eventually they will find that gc2b exists to serve them.”

While Marli’s products are predominantly for trans men and transmasculine folks, he recognizes the need to do more to support the broader trans and GNC communities’ full diversity. Through special partnerships, like gc2b’s Black Trans Liberation Collection, Marli’s products are able to support nonprofits like The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, whose mission is to end violence against all trans people, especially Black trans women, across the United States.

I’m proud that Google is also a supporter of this critical organization. In June, Google.org donated $500,000 to The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which will provide direct cash assistance to Black trans people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Institute has already distributed $250,000 in cash assistance in 2020. Googler volunteers will provide technical and marketing skills to help The Marsha P. Johnson Institute garner and process cash assistance applications.  

At Google, we build our products for everyone, and this includes the trans community. Here are just a few product updates that focus on helping the trans and GNC communities at large:

  • On Google Maps, we’re adding points of interest, including cultural landmarks and murals that honor the trans and larger LGBTQ+ community. Check out the Black Trans Lives Matter Mural in San Francisco, for example.

  • On Search, users will find a celebratory banner at the top of the results page when looking for terms like "trans rights,” “trans awareness week” or other related queries.

  • The Google Play Store is highlighting apps that support the trans and GNC communities.

  • Google Assistant is sharing facts about the trans community. Just ask, “Hey Google, how are you celebrating Transgender Awareness Week?”

  • Grow with Google, our economic opportunity initiative, is partnering with a number of trans-serving organizations, including local LGBT Chambers of Commerce, to provide free training and resources that help people grow their career or business. Other nonprofit organizations interested in partnering with us can sign up here.

We’re using our social media accounts to help uplift and celebrate the trans community. In September, we launched our Black Trans Lives Matter campaign as part of Google’s ongoing commitment to racial equity. 

Marli, and many others in the trans and GNC communities, spread awareness every day by being their authentic selves. Over the past few months, many Googlers—in collaboration with The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, GLAAD and journalist and equality advocate Raquel Willis—have worked to make this Transgender Awareness Week one that uplifts and centers the trans and GNC communities. I’m proud that my colleagues and so many others are working to support and celebrate trans lives. If you’re interested, you can visit GLAAD’s website to learn more about Transgender Awareness Week. 

$10 million to increase diversity in Bay Area STEM classrooms

Editor's Note:This guest post comes from Dr. Allison Scott, Chief Research Officer of the Kapor Center, a nonprofit aiming to increase diversity and inclusion in technology.


Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (also known as STEM) play a critical role in our society, touching every aspect of our lives. STEM occupations are among the fastest-growing and highest-paying, and contribute significantly to our nation’s economy. To get students on track for STEM careers, they have to start early: students who take advanced STEM courses in high school are much more likely to major in equivalent subjects in college and specifically, Black and Latinx students who take advanced Computer Science (CS) in high school are 7-8 times more likely to major in CS in college. 


AP Stem

But unfortunately, access to advanced STEM and CScourses is not evenly distributed. Low-income students and students of color across California are less likely to have access to computer science courses than their peers, and as a result, students of color are underrepresented across every AP® math, science, and CS course in California. But we can change these trends.

AP Stem

With a $10 million contribution from Google.org, we’re launching the Rising STEM Scholars Initiative to increase the number of low income students and students of color in AP STEM and CS courses across the Bay Area. Through a partnership with Equal Opportunity Schools, UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education, Kingmakers of Oakland, Donorschoose.org, we’ll collaborate with districts, schools, administrators, educators, students and families to place and support 3,000 students of color and low income students in Bay Area AP STEM and CS classrooms. The project started last year in 15 schools across the Bay Area. Within the first year, the number of Black and LatinX students taking AP STEM classes doubled. 

The Rising STEM Scholars initiative will address the challenges in STEM and CS equity by providing data insights on equity gaps, coaching schools to address these gaps, and providing professional development opportunities for teachers. We’ll also provide money for educators to get resources for their classrooms and find ways to inspire students to take AP courses.

Students sitting in high school classrooms right now have the potential to become future leaders in fields from technology to education—they just need the opportunities to get there. Let’s ensure all students in the Bay Area have access to the classes they need to succeed. If you’re located in the Bay Area, help us spread the word to join the movement.