Introducing IT Outreach Coordinator, Derek Richard

April 3, 2015

by admin in IT Outreach Project, Ontario Trillium Foundation

Hackforge is proud to introduce our new IT Outreach Coordinator, Derek Richard. He’s currently wrapping up his final semester in Computer Systems Technology: Networking at St. Clair College. Derek will be helping local non-profit organizations with their tech needs and help match new IT workers to these projects. This is part of the IT Outreach Program funded by The Ontario Trillium Foundation.

How did you first get into tech?

As a kid, my father use to let me assist him around the house with odd jobs. One day, we sat down with an old Windows 95 PC. This computer, for the time, was a pretty big deal to me since it was also the first real computer in our house. He told me if I could fix it up, I could play on it for as much as I liked. This act alone brought upon my joy for tinkering and creation with tech.

What non-profits have you been involved with in Windsor?
I have been involved with Hackforge prior to being taken on. We did a small job refurbishing computers for the Teen Center in Ford City.
Though the first non-profit I worked with was Computers for Kids, I sat in and assisted with refurbishing some of the computers.

What is your favorite thing about Windsor?
The community, people here are always willing to help each-other and branch out. Many organizations don’t mind working with each-other and assisting one another in a time of need and that’s something I think that is unique in Windsor.

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Stay tuned for more from Derek and the IT Outreach Program. You can reach him at Derek@hackf.org.