HBCU Impact

When co-founders Terry Comer and David Calloway dug deeper into the conditions surrounding their beloved Atlanta University Center, a collection of five historically black colleges & universities, the disparity in technology, connectivity & community learning resources led them to create a “new class” of integrated digital “learning” infrastructure. Their focus — to close the digital skills gap nationally while delivering corporate partners better avenues to securely store and process their data, locally. They believed that a community transformation data center model alongside colleges and universities, particularly HBCUs, would better assist enterprises in securing their data while developing a more diverse, career ready pipeline of talent and broader connectivity options within historically underserved communities.

Their vision included four core elements of value to HigherEd institutions and their surrounding communities with a cumulative value to each host HBCU well exceeding $70 million. Each Dream Center would deliver the following key benefits: (1) Meaningful recurring revenue streams to help financially sustain HBCUs (2) Access to research level connectivity and community on-ramps within “technology deserts” (3) on-campus product innovation & entrepreneurship labs to spur advanced student learning, and (4) newly commissioned workforce development spaces for local training & digital programming, ensuring everyone an opportunity to participate in the New Digital Economy.