When Bryan Johnson returned to Vancouver after travelling around the world, he asked himself, “Now what?”

By then, he had worked in corporate Canada for decades. He contemplated going back to consulting, then buying a place in Costa Rica and retiring. Instead, he decided to pursue an idea he’d had as he progressed through his career: doing something for his community. That’s when he founded Black Boys Code to equip youth aged eight to 17 with digital literacy and STEM skills.

“I sat in many meetings and was the only Black person in the room,” Johnson shares, reflecting on his past experiences. “I said to myself, ‘One of these days, I will do something to give back.’ [...] My plan was to do that for about four-to-five months, and now here I am nine years later.”

Black Boys Code was founded in 2015, and has since grown to include chapters in 17 cities in Canada and two in the U.S. Over that time, the organization has expanded its initiatives to include a program exclusively for girls, an after-school introduction to math program, a two-week summer tech camp, and a tech reskilling workshop for adults aged 18 to 29. Significantly, all its offerings are free.

The nonprofit’s mission is to help students realize their full potential as future leaders and innovators in STEM fields. Research shows that of the nearly one million tech workers in Canada, only 2.6 percent are Black. Black tech workers earn the least among visible minorities, with an average annual salary of $70,955 — marking the largest wage disparity in the sector.

Black Boys Code employs various approaches to help students build and apply their technical knowledge. These include learning programming languages, exploring machine learning and AI, participating in hackathons, and visiting major tech offices like Microsoft. It also supports the development of soft skills, such as presenting, through a Shark Tank-style workshop.

“One of the things that I speak to the team about is that you can have the best idea in the world, but if you can't present it to funders, VCs, bankers, or whoever, then you're just another person with a great idea,” explains Johnson. “So we encourage the kids to stand up and talk about who they are, what they do, what their expectations are, and so on.”

Collectively, each initiative aims to have a long-term impact. Preparing students to navigate the job market broadens their economic prospects — contributing to a positive cycle that uplifts families, suggests the founder. That’s why the organization upholds principles such as having instructors from the community who can serve as role models, and hosting all workshops on university campuses, like Emily Carr in Vancouver, to help youth become comfortable in that environment early on.

“[We’re] defining the educational or career pathway for participants starting from eight years old, and we go until 30 with the reskilling program,” highlights Johnson. “So we're able to affect generations — getting them engaged in the tech space.”

According to Black Boys Code, it has reached more than 12,000 youth to date. The number of participants has grown by 53 percent compared to last year, and 80 percent have reported increased confidence and interest in the tech sector.

Looking back on what the non-profit has accomplished so far, Johnson says it’s been “incredibly rewarding” and a “feel-good thing.”

“I never thought I would find myself in this space because I’m not someone who previously worked with kids or in education,” he says. “So it's been a really great run. I'm really proud of the young men and women who volunteer with us. And, of course, if there's anyone out there who would like to provide funding for our organization, you know where to find me.”

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