{"668630":{"#nid":"668630","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Alumna Ensures Everyone Wins at Every Stage","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYolanda \u003Cspan\u003EPayne, former Jim Pope Fellow in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/venturelab.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EVentureLab\u003C\/a\u003E, created a startup to help students and those seeking to change their careers, particularly teachers, get certified in fields with applicant shortages, including tech, film, and gaming. H\u003C\/span\u003Eer startup,\u003Cspan\u003E Tech Talent Prep,\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan\u003Eguides them through the certification process via coaching and \u003C\/span\u003Ein-person and virtual \u003Cspan\u003Eclasses.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe fellowship spans three semesters, providing selected faculty members an opportunity to build entrepreneurship into their course curriculum and research. \u003C\/span\u003EDuring\u003Cspan\u003E VentureLab\u2019s Startup Launch summer program\u003C\/span\u003E, Payne worked full-time, managed summer camps and other job duties, and completed 50 interviews with customers while working with her mentors. Most workdays started at 3 a.m. and didn\u2019t end until 10 p.m. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPayne has a bachelor\u2019s in elementary education; a master\u2019s in educational technology; two education specialist degrees; and a certificate in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has taught for 25 years and worked as a librarian, a STEM coordinator, a media specialist, and, at Georgia Tech, as a research associate in the College of Computing.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhy do you think extra support is needed for students and career-changers to get certified?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYou might as well say, \u201cGo learn a new language and a new way of thinking, in addition to your daily responsibilities, all at once and by yourself.\u201d While you may find some students who are intrinsically motivated to do this, there are countless others who, with the right support system, could find themselves along a career path suited to their interests and increasing their earning potential.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhat encouraged you to believe you were on the right path with your startup?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMy mentor, Roberto Casas,\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003Ereally believed in what I was doing. He said, \u201cPeople need options. You\u0027re telling me that I can actually do that? Oh, OK.\u201d When they say the model is instilling entrepreneurial confidence, it really is. It started with saying I could. That\u0027s where the confidence came from. \u003Cspan\u003EI\u0027m not in this by myself. I can do this. \u003C\/span\u003ESome of the problems we want to fix can actually be businesses.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHow was the fellowship program?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYou come in with an idea, and they tell you not to be surprised that it changes. You can\u0027t be so married to the idea. I don\u0027t remember what my first idea was. Every week you would get up and present how many interviews you did. Every week I had to be on top. \u003C\/span\u003EIt was more fun than work.\u003Cspan\u003E This is a whole new level of hard, but it\u0027s equal parts exhilarating.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhat did you discover through the fellowship process?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EJust as you think you\u0027re helping teachers, they\u0027re helping you. Teachers are the most underutilized resource. You\u0027d be surprised how many communities these teachers are plugged into.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice do you have for students interested in entrepreneurship?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYou\u0027re at Tech. While you may have come for the degree, there is this whole entrepreneurial system available. Just knowing the business skills can open up a whole world.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAny final thoughts?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EI get to teach you and you get to expand on it. That is what leaving a legacy does, and I am so glad that I was afforded this opportunity during my time at Tech. I believe that this opportunity will allow me to help others thrive.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPayne completed her\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Epilot teacher trainings during the program. It was so successful that those clients recommended her company across their networks.\u003Cspan\u003E From there, Payne has \u003C\/span\u003Eworked with the Georgia Economic Development Creative Communities Project and with corporations.\u003Cspan\u003E Now, she has \u003C\/span\u003Eenough contracts to work on her company full-time.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESpeak to our next cohort of CREATE-X founders at Demo Day, Aug. 31, 3-5p.m., at the Georgia Tech Exhibition Hall. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/create-x-demo-day-tickets-654262164747?aff=CXNews\u0022\u003ERegister for Demo Day\u003C\/a\u003E today to reserve your spot at this free event!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYolanda Payne, \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eformer Jim Pope Fellow in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/venturelab.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EVentureLab\u003C\/a\u003E, created a startup to help students and those seeking to change their careers, particularly teachers, get certified in fields with applicant shortages, including tech, film, and gaming. H\u003C\/span\u003Eer startup,\u003Cspan\u003E Tech Talent Prep,\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan\u003Eguides them through the certification process via coaching and \u003C\/span\u003Ein-person and virtual \u003Cspan\u003Eclasses.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Yolanda Payne, former Jim Pope Fellow in Georgia Tech\u2019s VentureLab, didn\u2019t pitch an app or new technology to get CREATE-X\u2019s support for her startup, but she did propose a solution for a problem."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2023-07-28 14:51:55","changed_gmt":"2023-07-28 19:24:12","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671273":{"id":"671273","type":"image","title":"Yolanda.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYolanda Payne, founder of Tech Talent Prep, smiles besides an image of a student with headphones on while he\u0027s playing on a professional gaming system.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1690555923","gmt_created":"2023-07-28 14:52:03","changed":"1690555923","gmt_changed":"2023-07-28 14:52:03","alt":"Yolanda Payne, founder of Tech Talent Prep, smiles besides an image of a student with headphones on while he\u0027s playing on a professional gaming system.","file":{"fid":"254299","name":"Yolanda.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/28\/Yolanda.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/28\/Yolanda.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1536990,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/07\/28\/Yolanda.png?itok=-ouL5jt6"}}},"media_ids":["671273"],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}