Atlanta Entrepreneurs Make ‘Impact’ on Black Colleges and Universities with “Tech for Good” Data Centers

ImpactData Founders David Calloway and Terry Comer

ImpactData Founders David Calloway and Terry Comer

ImpactData Dream Center Concept

ImpactData Dream Center Concept

ImpactData is Bridging the Digital Divide

ImpactData is Bridging the Digital Divide

It’s time to use Tech for Good to transform our communities and prepare a technology rich talent pool for the New Digital Economy.”

— Terry Comer and David Calloway

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, August 11, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ —

It’s that time of year again when millions of college students prepare to head back to campuses nationwide, but reports show that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”) are woefully underfunded, which means fewer resources and opportunities for over 300,000 students of color. One “dynamic data duo”, however, is leveling the playing field with an imaginative concept to turn the tide toward a more diverse pool of tech-talent. Meet Terry Comer and David Calloway, two Atlanta University Center alum on a mission to open digital opportunities to underserved communities across the country.

Comer and Calloway founded ImpactData to reinvent the tech-talent pipeline by creating a distributed network of Edge data centers on the campuses of HBCUs. Through an unprecedented partnership with DigitalBridge, the world’s largest digital infrastructure firm, with more than $32 billion under management, ImpactData is attacking the growing digital divide with its novel “Dream Center” initiative. This monumental undertaking involves combining digital learning infrastructure with secure, carrier neutral colocation as global companies aggressively make plans to modernize their data infrastructure to meet accelerated demands stemming from the pandemic. The innovative project is the first of its kind, with a goal to create more interconnected campuses and communities in the new digital economy.

“This partnership offers a cost-effective, yet secure, hybrid multi-cloud solution that extends digital connectivity to the edge, giving enterprises greater flexibility and agility to access their data, while housed on HBCU campuses. Through these partnerships, ImpactData will deploy $1 billion in digital infrastructure over the next decade, the largest technology investment in the history of higher education” said Comer, the company’s CEO.

The flagship Dream Center will launch on a soon to be announced HBCU campus in early 2022, with the company’s sights set on a collection of attractive Edge markets, including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, St. Louis, Birmingham and Charlotte. The pilot Dream Center will create a framework for subsequent colleges and universities to gain a foothold in emerging technology fields. A recent Pew study reports that only 7 percent of Black undergraduates are enrolled in degree seeking STEM fields, but these new data architects are challenging the status quo by developing a more career-ready workforce of students and up-skilled local residents.

Each Dream Center — roughly the size of two football fields — will connect underserved populations with the mission-critical technology and connectivity necessary to compete in the modern global economy. According to Calloway, the company’s COO, “Dream Centers provide a dynamic range of opportunities to enterprise clients, students, higher-ed and corporate partners, nonprofits and local communities. The results will cultivate a more skilled, diverse workforce while deploying corporate partnerships and digital learning infrastructure into underserved communities that need them the most.”

With Dream Centers, students gain access to state-of-the-art technology, universities receive millions in investment, local residents benefit from more affordable broadband, and the tech industry gains both secure data processing and a more diverse pool of digital talent. Through its comprehensive Tech-for-Good platform, “data deserts” can be reimagined as Data Centers Empowered. That means ‘back to school’ wins for local communities, colleges, and the country at large, as ImpactData extends the technology narrative to a more inclusive workforce.

For more information about the Dream Center, contact the ImpactData team at info@impactdatacenters.com.

About ImpactData
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, ImpactData is bridging the skills gap by deploying secure, high-powered data centers alongside our nation’s colleges and universities. Anchored in hybrid, multi-cloud technology, ImpactData is building a network of distributed, interconnected “Dream Centers” that integrate purpose-built data infrastructure with dedicated academic, innovation, and community workforce training spaces. In its first phase, ImpactData is partnering with HBCUs to deliver mission-critical infrastructure in key Edge markets.

About DigitalBridge
DigitalBridge (NYSE: DBRG) is a leading global digital infrastructure REIT. With a heritage of over 25 years investing in and operating businesses across the digital ecosystem, including towers, data centers, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure, the DigitalBridge team manages a $32 billion portfolio of digital infrastructure assets on behalf of its limited partners and shareholders. Headquartered in Boca Raton, DigitalBridge has key offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Singapore.

Terry Comer
ImpactData
+1 678-860-5363
info@impactdatacenters.com
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August 11, 2021, 10:00 GMT

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