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TECHNOLOGY TOURISM
Markevis Gideon
NERDiT NOW
NERDiT NOW CEO Markevis Gideon built the company off a simple idea: what can donating 100 computers
do? From there, he launched the first I.T. recycling company in the state, while also opening a shop to repair electronics. Through the company’s nonprofit arm, it has donated more than 10,000 computers to at-risk communities in the state and started an apprenticeship program for those who live in the Riverside community. Last year, NERDiT NOW transitioned to focus on bulk orders and electronic recycling. To solidify this transition, Gideon cut the ribbon on a new office in the Riverside Opportunity Center with plans to hire around 75 employees by 2026.
ALMA MATER:
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Q&A:
Tariq Hook
Code Differently
In 2019, Code Differently was founded to increase diversity in technology
for people of all ages through hands- on, practical instruction. Tariq
Hook founded the organization
with Stephanie Eldridge, connecting over their drive to best position Delawareans for the next generation
of jobs. In his role, he is tasked with leading the educational staff and developing program curriculum. Hook was an early educator of Zip Code Wilmington, and spent 15 years as a software engineer in Philadelphia and teaching at Temple University’s College of Engineering MESA program.
Alexandr Vinokurov
M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust
M&T Bank has invested millions
to its financial technology hub in Wilmington, doubling down on the former Wilmington Trust’s client services would serve as a great foundation for growth. In the next chapter, M&T Bank hired Alexandr Vinokurov as its Head of Institutional Client Services Technology to lead the charge. Vinokurov is a fintech veteran, who has served as an institutional finance executive who also spent time at JPMorgan Chase and Deustche Bank. He has been recruiting tech center workers as well as junior to senior full-stack UI developers, server-side developers, database developers, and UX designers and testers.
Q&A:
Jennifer Hastings Boes
Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau
New Castle County’s tourism sector generates $2.5 billion in tourism spending per year, and the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau is the chief marketing organization to boost its visibility. Executive Director Jennifer Boes has served as the chief marketer since 2021, leveraging her more than 25 years of experience in tourism and hospitality marketing, branding and tourism research. She took the top
job as the state was working its way out of the COVID-19 pandemic which cut into revenues and President Joe Biden shined a spotlight on the region. Boes has overseen a new advertising campaign launch, opened a new visit or center and continued to spread
the word of northern Delaware on regional panels.
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