For Subscribers

A Nonprofit Gives Tampa Kids Resources to Do Their Homework An IT company leader works to provide technology and education to Tampa kids.

By Gwen Moran Edited by Frances Dodds

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Tony DiBenedetto: Connecting Tampa's next generation.
Tony DiBenedetto: Connecting Tampa's next generation.
Photo © Kevin Garrett

Tony DiBenedetto was two years into his charitable effort to help bridge the digital divide when evidence of its effectiveness hit home.

The defining moment occurred at a Boys & Girls Club in Tampa, Fla., where DiBenedetto's nonprofit association, the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, was unveiling a batch of computers for use by children who had none. It was an eye-opening experience for DiBenedetto's 9-year-old daughter, who heard from a few young teenagers that to finish their homework, they had to go to the library to access computers--and that, sometimes, enough computers weren't available or they had no transportation there, so they weren't able to complete their assignments.

"My daughter [said], 'What do you mean you don't have access to a computer?'" DiBenedetto says. "And these kids were just astonished and excited about the simplest thing because they wanted to do well in school."

It was exactly the kind of change DiBenedetto, chairman and CEO of Tampa-based information technology and consulting firm Tribridge, had hoped for when he helped launch the Tampa Bay Technology Forum in 2000. He and other local tech leaders formed the business group to equip disadvantaged youths in the area with the resources they need to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Computerific, the forum foundation's first program, was a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa to provide hardware, software and tech support to the organization's area clubs. Since its founding, Computerific, with the support of companies such as Microsoft and IBM, has donated more than $1 million in products and services, funding an average of 10 new workstations and accompanying tech support for each of the 20 clubs in the Tampa area.

Wired by the Numbers
Computer stations provided by TBTF Foundation: 200 plus

Scholarships awarded: 38

Value of scholarships: $200,000

Once the kids had better access to technology, the next step was to give them better access to education, DiBenedetto says. So the TBTF Foundation launched scholarships for students interested in pursuing careers in STEM. The goal is to identify prospective scholarship candidates in middle school and early high school and nurture them to follow their dreams, he says. The scholarships are for students interested in two-year technical schools and state universities.

The foundation's biggest fundraiser--its annual Tech Jam, a party that attracts more than 1,000 attendees--has raised as much as $120,000 for the organization in a single night.

"Today, getting a college degree isn't enough. You have to be tech savvy and, in some cases, you have to really understand a lot about business," DiBenedetto says. "Bringing those skills to kids is the most fun I've had while truly helping kids who need it."

Gwen Moran

Writer and Author, Specializing in Business and Finance

GWEN MORAN is a freelance writer and co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Business Plans (Alpha, 2010).

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Amazon Tells Thousands of Employees to Relocate or Resign

Amazon says the move to bring teams together will make them more "effective."

Business News

Federal Judge Rules It's Legal to Train AI on Copyrighted Books, Marking Major Win for AI Companies

This precedent-setting case is the first time a federal judge has sided with tech companies in an AI copyright lawsuit.

Starting a Business

After This LGBTQ Couple Lost Their Jobs Within 30 Days of Each Other, They Started a Business — With Goats. It Led to More Than $150 Million.

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge bought a farm in upstate New York as a weekend getaway — but a series of unexpected events led to a global brand.

Branding

Why Storytelling Beats Bullet Points and Facts Every Time

Bullet points fade. Stories stick. If you want your message to land, not just get heard, use these five proven storytelling frameworks to turn dry content into something people actually remember.