With just the click of a button, anyone on the internet can unlock a wealth of vital resources like job applications and affordable online schooling. Those resources, however, are useless unless you actually have the technology to access them.
“There’s a divide between people that can’t afford laptops and the necessity of having technology,” Ron Taylor, the operations manager for HubZone Technology Initiative (HTI) said.
HTI was established in 2019 by Executive Director Matt Raydo, who was also the CEO of the cybersecurity company Valiant Solutions. Valiant Solutions was part of a HubZone standing—a Historically Underutilized Business Zone recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration, which typically designates areas of low median household incomes or high unemployment.
Recognizing this HubZone standing, Raydo desired a way to give back to the community and bridge the digital divide.
HTI fulfills this mission by taking in used laptops and repurposing them into Chromebooks that are then donated to underserved communities.
How HTI works
Taylor said HTI has hardware that securely wipes the hard drives and then automatically clones a new one with Chrome Flex—a cloud-based operating system that makes existing PCs and Macs faster and more secure.
Donations typically come from consistent donors, such as Easterseals PORT and Henderson Collegiate. Will Sigmon, the business development director, added that they are trying to identify certain entities, such as local breweries, that can develop into partnerships.
“There’s nobody else that donates laptops for free to underserved communities, and so we really want organizations to come alongside of us that love our mission,” Taylor said.
He added the biggest challenge working with partners is getting HTI’s mission and needs to the right ears—people who are able to make decisions and moves that will help HTI thrive.
Sigmon said one of their struggles is also setting themselves apart from other organizations doing similar nonprofit work in the community.
“How we differentiate ourselves from those veterans, if you will, and not only how we do that, but getting that to the ears and the eyes of the people making those decisions so they actually truly understand how we’re different, what makes us different, so they can make an important decision rather than an assumption,” Sigmon said.
HTI’s Impact so far
Since HTI began, it has donated 1,600 laptops, with 575 of those in 2024 alone. After receiving a grant from the N.C. Department of Information Technology, Taylor said they aim to reach their goal of 2,500 donations by the end of 2026.
HTI also works with nonprofit partners across 15 different counties including Wake, Durham, Franklin and Nash. These collaborations with organizations like the Boys & Girls Club of America and the Salvation Army help to reach more individuals in need of laptops.
Partnerships also make it possible to host initiatives like “12 days of Christmas,” whereby 12 recipients receive a new laptop for each day of Christmas. This past year, Taylor said, two recipients were women hoping to start their own business.
“One of the ladies was so ecstatic because that’s the first one she had ever owned,” he said.
Other programs include a collaboration with the Raleigh Dream Center to give individuals either struggling with addiction or coming into reentry from incarceration the opportunity to take online classes.
QUICK BITS
Startup: HubZone Technology Initiative
Founder: Matt Raydo (Executive Director)
Founded: 2019
Location: Henderson, NC
Website: www.hubzonetech.org
Today, HTI is also looking to provide digital literacy courses that will span topics such as Chromebook use, internet basics and online security. The goal is to give individuals who receive these laptops the tools they need to succeed.
The pilot curriculum for these courses has been completed and HTI is currently looking to implement pilot classes. Once the course has been revised, they plan to train people to teach the classes in the 15 counties they work across.
“We want to actually create programs like that as well to create value outside of ourselves, I guess you could say,” Sigmon said.
HTI is seeking volunteers to teach these digital literacy courses, assist with laptop conversions and help at community events. They are also looking for financial donations to help fund operational costs as well as businesses undergoing teach refreshers to donate laptops.
