Advance IT Minnesota congratulates Shonnah Hughes, recent recipient of the 2016 Ambassadors of Beauty Award

Advance IT Minnesota congratulates Shonnah Hughes, recent recipient of the 2016 Ambassadors of Beauty award, for being a champion of change, introducing and influencing youth and women of color to experience aspects of the technology profession.

According to the award ceremony program, “Shonnah’s thirst for technology and solving problems drove her to succeed in the IT space even though she had no college experience. As Shonnah became an expert in Salesforce, she noticed a lack of women in the IT field, and an even greater lack of minority women.  With only 2% of the IT workforce being women of color, Shonnah felt that it was her mission to advocate and champion a change in the narrative.”

The awards program further states, “she knows that technology is the future, wants to make it more accessible to communities of color, and feels that introducing more youth to the world of IT is a cure for the lack of hope she often sees in many communities.”

Shonnah and many of her Salesforce colleagues have volunteered through Advance IT Minnesota’s  SPARCS program to offer middle and high school girls the opportunity to learn database skills, and earn badges through an interactive game, Trailhead, the fun way to learn Salesforce.   Way to go Shonnah Hughes!

For more information about the 2016 Ambassadors of Beauty, visit: https://www.timeout.com/minneapolis/things-to-do/ambassadors-of-beauty-brunch