Alexandra DeLucca and Olu Olaleye share a passion for driving equity and economic mobility through community-based workforce development. Olu serves as Strategic Program Lead for Xchange Chicago, addressing challenges at the intersection of business, technology, and policy. Alexandra currently serves as Director of Talent Solutions at P33, where she works to ensure all Chicagoans’ access to high-wage careers in the digital economy. One of five Phase 3 teams in the Learning Landscapes Challenge, Xchange Chicago is now working to develop its multidimensional infrastructure solution through the Phase 3 incubator. Alex and Olu recently spoke with us about their progress and experiences as challenge participants.
What is Xchange Chicago? How does it work?
Olu: Xchange Chicago is solving the gap between education opportunities and wage employment on the South Side of Chicago. We currently see many young adults who have meaningful educational experiences but who are unable to enter high-potential jobs. We really want to build greater access and earning potential because these are traditionally underserved, marginalized communities.
Alexandra: Xchange Chicago is an IT delivery center located on Chicago’s South side that is leveraging commercial IT spend to develop local tech talent. Over $16 billion is spent annually by Chicago companies on third-party IT services. Oftentimes those dollars leave Chicago and even the United States. We’re working with local Chicago companies to staff and service their IT needs. At the same time, we’re working in the community to develop local talent in tech careers through tech apprenticeships. Those apprentices become employees with our IT service provider, SDI Presence, and are staffed on commercial projects.
Olu: I’m a first-generation immigrant who grew up on the South Side. Throughout all my experiences, there are so many things that should not have happened. But in spite of all that, I’m here. I’m a graduate valedictorian of Gary Comer College Prep. I went to Stanford University, where I got my degree in mechanical engineering. As a young, Black boy from the South Side who did not know how to code until I was 19, I didn’t even know what was possible in the tech field until I got to Stanford and saw what was possible in Silicon Valley. I’m really excited to bring the positive aspects of Silicon Valley tech and professional development to the South and West Sides. I think we can really change life trajectories.
We want to ensure that our students have the skills and resources to participate and thrive in their communities, positioning thousands of young people for success in the growing tech sector while building a thriving tech hub right in Chicago’s South Side.
What aspect of the organization are you working on during the Learning Landscapes Challenge?
Alexandra: For the Learning Landscapes Challenge, our solution is Xchange Chicago’s Connected Tech Pathways. It’s an experiential learning model to provide students with opportunities to build essential industry skills and help students see themselves in technology careers. We’re leveraging existing infrastructure, transforming the Comer Education Campus into an innovation campus, and providing project- and work-based learning experiences to create accessible tech career pathways for thousands of students. We believe that learning by doing is a way to empower students to explore what a career in technology looks like and to see themselves in it. At the same time, students are building employable skills, social capital, and the resources critical to successful, long-term careers.
How are you defining success? What are your ultimate goals for Xchange Chicago?
Alexandra: Our ultimate goal is to support youth in pursuing and persisting in tech career pathways and to build an inclusive tech economy in Chicago. We want to ensure that our students have the skills and resources to participate and thrive in their communities, positioning thousands of young people for success in the growing tech sector while building a thriving tech hub right in Chicago’s South Side.
Olu: My big hope for Xchange Chicago is that we become the catalyst for driving inclusion and equity in Chicago’s tech economy. We want to be the premium option for secondary and post-secondary graduates looking to align their professional and personal experiences and break into tech careers. The metrics we are tracking show the value we are delivering: high salaries, growth and promotions, and high participation and retention rates. These are all things that move the needle forward in terms of diversity and inclusion in the tech world.
What aspects of the challenge have you found most valuable?
Alexandra: The Learning Landscapes Challenge has been a great experience for our organization. This challenge has provided us with the flexibility and resources to think about how we drive change in our communities and our city. Having the ability to work with subject matter experts and learn from peers — to learn what’s working and how we can achieve our overall goals — has been really impactful and beneficial. Our team is really excited and proud to be a part of this challenge, and we’re excited to see the success and impact that we can have in our communities and in Chicago.
Looking ahead
Over the coming months, the Phase 3 teams will continue to prototype their solutions, develop sustainable funding streams, and create implementation roadmaps. Phase 3 will conclude with a Demo Day featuring presentations in front of a live audience and judges. Judges will evaluate submissions according to Phase 3 evaluation criteria. Up to two grand-prize winners will receive $500,000 each to support implementation of their infrastructure solutions. Stay tuned for additional updates about the Phase 3 teams and their mentors.
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