The NYTechWomen experience inspired Bella Minds — a women-only educational environment that bridges the digital divide and gives women in underserved communities the resources to succeed in the new economy.

Like many Americans, Jenn Shaw's roots come from a small community with little opportunity. And every time our founder, Jenn, visits her hometown of Alliance, Nebraska, she sees the struggles her female peers deal with, like lack of college completion and service jobs that pay less than $9 an hour.

This is their reality, but we know it doesn’t have to be.

Our programs are designed to bring women together in an intensive, yet supportive environment over the course of multiple days, providing training in basic elements of success in a tech-savvy world. The learning objectives of our courses will center on job readiness for new-economy careers in technology.

Learning opportunities are scarce in rural areas like Alliance, Nebraska.

While online training programs abound, allowing people to learn on their own, nearly 93% of them go unfinished. While availability is important, completing the learning is key. We strongly believe in the importance of community and face-to-face connections in teaching adults effectively.

Women outside major metro areas deserve the chance to benefit from the amazing experiences tech has to offer.

We are looking to collect $25,000 to run a pilot program (25 women) Spring 2014 and lay the groundwork for a 2nd pilot.

Contribute Here: fund.plumalley.co/bella-minds