Byte Back is a Washington DC based nonprofit that provides IT training to people on low incomes so they can get started in the IT profession.

Due to the Covid-19 lock down Byte Back can no longer run classes in their Washington facility so they decided to run the classes online. This solution enables them to continue the crucial work that they do helping people on little or no incomes to learn IT skills and prepare them for the job market.

Byte Back was founded back in 1997 by Barbara Altman and her friend Glenn Stein. At the time, in the early and mid-1990s, people were really struggling in DC, and at the same time the tech industry was booming. They saw a way to create opportunities for people who were suffering. Glenn realized that the computer industry was different than any other.

“As an IT professional, you didn’t need a degree, you just had to prove that you could fix a computer” – with this realization, they knew that they could help people.

The idea was that “we could bridge not only the digital divide but communities in DC, could give people voices, opportunities, and resources to help their families,” Barbara says.

Byte Back’s Core Values

1. We believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.
2. We strive for diversity and inclusion in everything we do.
3. We work with students as partners in their success.
4. We treat everyone with empathy and respect.
5. We believe in yes – yes to innovation, yes to taking risks, and yes to growth.
6. We cultivate an environment of constant growth and improvement.

Chris Scott, Wisetek USA president added “I have known Byte Back for over 10 years and was happy to be able to help when their CEO Elizabeth Lindsay contacted me.   Due to the COVID 19 Outbreak and lock-down their facilities have been closed to training so they wanted to take their classes online but needed laptops in order to do this.   We have hired many of the graduates from Byte Back in the time I have known them, they have always been great, knowledgeable and with a good understanding of IT, a perfect match to work as an IT technician for Wisetek, so we were happy to be able to give something back in their hour of need”

“Thanks to Wisetek’s donation, 20 more Byte Back students will have laptops in their hands. With Byte Back’s virtual courses, they will have the opportunity to access free training and career opportunities for their futures. When companies and non-profits work together, we can help close the digital divide in our communities during these difficult times.” Melissa Stallings, Chief Program Officer at Byte Back

“It was all about hope,” Barbara Altman says. Today, 23 years later, as students graduate from Byte Back and earn their certifications, the feeling remains – they are overwhelmed with hope for the future and the feeling of new opportunity.

To learn more of the fantastic story behind Byte Back and the crucial work that they do go to https://byteback.org/