About
Define Your Best Life in Technology with Confidence
The Have Not Story is a program committed to inspiring young people. Our mission is to encourage them to thrive, ignite and create career paths in the technology industry. We also seek to empower underserved communities with tools, resources, and interactive programming designed to ignite a more productive environment.
Speaker
Volunteer Leadership
Rokeya Jones
Global Product Executive | CompTia 2019 Technical Pacesetter Award Winner | Storyteller
During the last 15 years, Rokeya has been a force of positive change, encouraging human innovation within technology design and as a diverse engineering leader she is has inspired so many to select Technology as the industry of choice for a career path. She is the co-founder of Tech Worlds Half while advocating for equality & equity among all minority diverse groups. Also, as an executive advisor for Cloud Girls and she is a Board Member on WorkSource Atlanta, in her hometown.
Workshop Facilitator
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Rokeya has dedicated her time and resources as a strategist, community champion and a change agent. Currently she serves as the co-founder for a global technical online community, Tech Worlds Half while advocating for equality among all ethnic groups. She finds joy in paying it forward and mentoring high potential inner-city youth interested in Engineering. Additionally, she is serves as an executive advisor for Cloud Girls and believes in connecting talent development of the next generation of innovative talent.
As a servant leader, she is a natural problem solver who acts as an advisor, a changemaker, and most passionate about students and educators. She is a high performer and impact communicator who serves as a public speaker or workshop presenter for national organizations, youth groups, women Venture Capital organizations, school districts and most recently U.S. News STEM Solutions on topics such as diversity and inclusion, leadership development, career development, strategic leadership and mentorship/advisory.
Clayton County Public Schools Partners with The Have Not Story to Bring Tech Empowerment to Atlanta
Over 200 high school students in STEM will attend a multinational tour in the new Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
June 5, 2019
SEATTLE, WASH.— On June 14, 2019, over 200 students from one of Atlanta’s largest school districts will experience The Have Not Story’s Tech Empowerment Tour, a flagship program designed by technology evangelist and storyteller, Rokeya Jones.
Mission-driven and focused on fostering inclusivity for minorities, The Have Not Story is an organization committed to inspiring young people by creating paths to join and thrive in the technology industry.
Atlanta is not only Jones’ hometown, but is the official third stop of the tech program. Destiny Adams, web designer for The Have Not Story, shares her excitement around the event, calling Jones a “prime example of what black excellence looks like in the tech community.”
The event takes place in Atlanta’s newest incubator and coworking space, the Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RCIE). Previous locations of the tour include Johannesburg, South Africa and Seattle, Washington, with more growing tech hubs on the horizon.
Dr. Eboni C. Chillis, Director of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) at Clayton County Public Schools, has partnered exclusively with Jones to make the Tech Empowerment Tour possible with the Georgia-based school district.
“The Have Not Story’s stop in Atlanta is an amazing opportunity for students to authentically visualize who they will become, what they can do and the necessary strategies to get there,” shares Dr. Chillis. “The event places students in a networking hub with direct interaction with company executives, designers, programmers, cinematographers, athletes, and entrepreneurs who are willing to share key secrets to accelerate their college, career and entrepreneurial trajectories.”
The tour will end the school system's Summer T.I.M.E Camp, brought together by K-12 Science Coordinator Janetta Greenwood. This partnership marks what Jones and Dr.Chillis envision to be the first of a highly-anticipated annual event moving forward.
Students from ages 13 to 19 will participate in a variety of activities and workshops designed to build confidence, helping them to connect the similarities in principles between personal growth and product development.
“I want underserved students to harness the superpowers they already have to realize a brighter future made possible by applying diverse experiences to a career in technology,” says Rokeya Jones, Founder of The Have Not Story.
In addition to Clayton County Public Schools, The Have Not Story proudly partners with International Women’s Think Tank, founded by Brenda Morant, and Roddy White’s Keep The Faith Foundation. Refreshments are made possible by Hint, Chick-Fil-A, and Edible Arrangements.
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About Rokeya Jones: Entrepreneur, activist, speaker, and mother, Jones is a distinguished global executive and catalyst for equality recognized for enterprise integrations at Disney, Verizon, Microsoft Azure, and IBM. She is a recipient of the 2018 “Woman of Excellence” Award by the Atlanta Tribune, and honored as a “Distinguished Speaker” by Jackson County Public Schools of Mississippi. Jones is well-renowned for her influence in providing technical jobs to the Southeast market. Her product designs and innovation in cloud-native emerging technologies have impacted billions of users around the world.
About The Have Not Story: An organization committed to inspiring young people by creating paths to join and thrive in the technology industry. #TheHaveNotStory, #DesignYourStory, and #LivingInTech #RokeyaEmpowers are all hashtags associated with The Have Not Story. Learn more at www.thehavenotstory.com. All sponsors and general inquiries should be directed to info@thehavenotstory.com.
About CTAE of Clayton County Public Schools: The Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Program of the Clayton County Public School System provides the interdisciplinary and technical skills to students preparing to enter businesses and industries for high-demand, high-skilled, high-wage occupations.
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About The International Women’s Think Tank: The International Women’s Think Tank works
to empower women and girls. The Youth Initiative promotes, advance, and support literacy and
STEM programs. It provides a platform that identifies gaps in programs to under-served youth and
works to bridge the gap by linking resources to the needs of the community.
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Roddy White Keep The Faith Foundation: Founded by former NFL player Roddy White, the mission of RWKTFF is to educate minds, inspire creativity, enrich healthy habits, empower full potential and encourage integrity for the youth through positive and direct interaction.
Media Contact:
Cheyenne Noelle
Director of Communications
Tech Empowerment Tour - The Have Not Story
info@thehavenotstory.com
+1 919 709 7301
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See what people are saying about Rokeya….
"From her mentorship, I’ve grown as a leader... she empowers people and teaches them how to realize their own strong suits"
"Rokeya is a force... run don't walk to work with her."
"Rokeya was the Keynote speaker at the Women In Tech Summit in Chicago...and she was simply captivating."
"Rokeya is a dynamic and out-of-the-box thinker with a very passionate work ethic."
"Rokeya is a leader who delivers...a great communicator and adept at managing multi level relationships..."
"There are few people in your life you meet, who leave you completely in awe and inspired...Rokeya is one of those people."
“Rokeya mentored me during Microsoft Imagine Cup...offered crucial advice...effectively to my target audience.”
"Rokeya has a strong passion for technology and helping others explore careers in technology."
Past Speaker - Atlanta, GA.
Former American Football Wide Receiver & Founder of Keep the Faith Foundation
Roddy White is a former American football wide receiver who played his entire professional career with the Atlanta Falcons. He was a 4 time pro-bowler and once all pro. He started the Keep The Faith Foundation (www.rwktf.org) in 2008 helping underprivileged kids in the communities of Atlanta and South Carolina. His foundation continues to help young adults go to college with scholarships donations, schools supplies and other things. He loves inspiring the youth and spends a lot of time volunteering at the Boys and Girls clubs around the world.
Past Speaker - Atlanta, GA.
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President and CEO of the Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
James was recently named President and CEO of the Russell Center for Innovation and
Entrepreneurship (RCIE). Honoring the great legacy and visionary business leadership of Herman
J. Russell, he will lead the development of the largest center in America, driven by community
impact, devoted to empowering African American entrepreneurs and small business owners; over
50,000 square feet designed to inspire ideas, create jobs, grow companies, and increase wealth in
the community.
Past Speaker - Atlanta, GA.
Founder of Destiny Adams International
Destiny Adams is a teen Entrepreneur that embraces her majestic powers in Science Technology Engineering and Math! She is a Philanthropist, Trainer, Mentor and Speaker that enjoys sharing her amazing and exciting journey through STEM. Destiny is an advocate for technology and uses her passion and skills to teach coding courses to girls. Her thriving interest in Technology and Engineering has become a major focal point of her life. Her love for Computer Science and her passion for Coding represent Destiny’s purpose and plans for her career. She continuously travels all over the world studying and teaching coding.
Past Speaker - Univ. Of Washington in Seattle, WA.
Senior Program Officer at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Isa is focused on increasing access to education and employment pathways that lead to upward mobility for the most marginalized young people across the U.S. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Isa was national vice president at the Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA), launching the organization’s first national postsecondary and workforce development strategy to increase access to high quality college and career readiness and credentialing programs for Club youth.
Agenda
30 mins
Welcome & Introduction​
Guest of Honor(s)
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90 mins
Design Your Story
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Envision what you want your future to look like and identify the key accomplishments you want to achieve. Use mentorship to assist and advisory to integrate.
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Pitching Your Capabilities & Super Powers
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Identify what key information/training/opportunities is needed to get you from point A-B with your story. Learn how to set intentional goals to stretch yourself to avoid the longest 1-chapter story in history. Focus on your experiences.
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Career Storytelling
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Explore the world of storytelling as it pertains to transitioning from a non-corporate function into a technical role. You will learn how to highlight the pivotal points to help you achieve your goals.
15 mins
Intermission
120 mins
Hands-On, Interactive Session
Hosted by Microsoft Retail Stores
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Tour Dates
Coming soon to a city near you!
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Johannesburg, S.A - April 4
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Seattle, WA - April 27
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Atlanta, GA - June 14
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New Orleans, LA. - TBD
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Dallas, TX - TBD
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San Francisco, CA - TBD
April 4, 2019
