Company Profile
The Hidden Genius Project
Company Overview
The Hidden Genius Project trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities.
The Hidden Genius Project’s vision is to be a global leader in Black male youth development, as well as the leading incubator of dynamic young Black male entrepreneurs and technologists.
The Hidden Genius Project will be an influential network for cascading mentorship and social innovation multiplying opportunities through which young people develop personal sustainability and strengthen their communities and society at large.
Through its holistic youth support model, The Hidden Genius Project will bolster both workforce and economic development, as well as youth-driven community leadership, resulting in stronger economies, and more equitable communities.
Over the next five years, the organization is on a trajectory to amplify its reach exponentially, establishing sites in up to five-to-ten cities, and delivering programming to thousands of young people across multiple continents (including North America, Africa, and Europe).
Company History
In 2012, The Hidden Genius Project was founded in Oakland by local Black male entrepreneurs who decided that the disproportionate access and opportunities for young Black men within the local technology sector had to change. The founders developed a groundbreaking, holistic program to connect young Black males with the skills, mentors, and experiences they need to become high-performing entrepreneurs and technologists in a 21st century global economy.
The landmark component of The Hidden Genius Project is the Intensive Immersion Program. This 15-month, cohort-based training component provides participating youth a minimum of 800 hours of holistic, trauma/healing-informed, high-touch mentorship and intensive training that seeks to develop youth into strong and responsible leaders equipped with software development skills, who can identify and develop tech-enabled solutions to address some of society’s most compelling challenges. We currently operate in three sites in California; Oakland, Richmond, and Los Angeles.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Today, The Hidden Genius Project has impacted the lives of more than 7,000 young Geniuses, providing more than 200,000 hours of mentorship and training in technology creation, entrepreneurship and leadership.