I’ve been quiet. At first, I was quiet because it takes a while to get your sea legs when you are starting a new gig. I thought TechBridge was special when I accepted the role of CEO. I now know that TechBridge is extraordinary. We have a team of passionate and wicked smart employees, a fantastic board, wonderful sponsors, and the support of the Atlanta technology community, all who are committed to leveraging technology to do more good.

Then the pandemic hit, 6 weeks in. BOOM! I was quiet because I could barely find my voice. My mom had the coronavirus and was very ill. One of my cousins took ill also. I had a front row seat to COVID-19’s devastation and I could hardly find the words to express the pain of knowing that those I love were suffering. Thankfully my mom survived. My cousin did not. We laid him to rest a few weeks ago.

And now, pandemonium. America felt clean and quiet, almost asleep, with everyone sheltered in place. Now that we’ve awakened, it feels dirty. It feels heavy — the weight of it similar to a ton of bricks on the back of a horse or the weight of a man with his knee on your neck. What are we to do America? Again, I ask, What are we to do? What if each of us commits to taking a brick off — one at a time? We remove the bricks with love. We remove the bricks by identifying the value that each of us can contribute. We remove the bricks by providing hunger relief to those that need it. We remove the bricks by alleviating homelessness. We remove the bricks by offering legal justice to those that can’t fight for themselves. We remove the bricks by helping vulnerable families earn living wages. We remove the bricks by leveraging technology to innovate, to expand reach and impact. We remove the bricks by speaking out peacefully. We remove the bricks by voting. We remove the bricks by breaking the cycle of generational poverty. We remove the bricks with love. If we focus on removing the bricks together, real sustainable change will happen.

So, if you don’t hear from me as much as you might hear from others, please don’t mistake that as complacency. I am not being quiet. I am here. TechBridge is here. We are working feverishly in the background, supporting our nonprofits and communities — removing bricks. One at a time.

Nicole Armstrong | Chief Executive Officer
TechBridge | Business smart. Community focused.