Tech901 Secures Grant from the NBA Foundation

Memphis, TN – Tech901 is announcing today that it has won a grant from the NBA Foundation that provides significant funding toward its workforce development training courses. This funding will have tremendous impact in the city, fueling the training Memphians need to attain entry-level employment in the field of information technology (IT).

The grant was the result of a competitive application process, whereby the NBA Foundation selected Tech901 as a new grantee partner that executes its mission in the market area of the Memphis Grizzlies.

"Tech901's mission of economic empowerment through technology career launching aligns with the NBA Foundation's goals,” offered Aaron Lamey, Executive Director at Tech901. “Our students and alumni represent the best of the ‘Grit 'N Grind’ mantra, always hustling to conquer the next milestone towards career success."

Tech901 is one of 82 nonprofits that won grants from the NBA Foundation in this 14th round of funding. This is the first time that Tech901 has ever secured a grant from the NBA Foundation.

“The NBA Foundation is excited to collaborate with Tech901,” said Ruth Jurgensen, Executive Director of the NBA Foundation. “Tech901 has helped hundreds in the Memphis area secure employment in the IT field in Memphis over its ten-year history, and this grant will further accelerate the NBA Foundation’s workforce development objectives to empower under-resourced youth in the markets of the 28 cities where NBA teams are located.”

The grant from the NBA Foundation will fund IT workforce training courses at Tech901’s headquarters in the Crosstown Concourse in Memphis. Tech901 leads several training cohorts each year in computer repair, desktop support, IT networking, cybersecurity, database fundamentals, data analytics, and computer programming. Most Tech901 courses give the student opportunity to achieve a nationally recognized IT certification at the conclusion of training.

Tech901 (tech901.org) is excited to add the NBA Foundation to its family of grantors which also includes FedEx Corporation, the Truist Foundation, the Crawford Howard Private Foundation, the state of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, and several other funders. We look forward to partnering with the Memphis Grizzlies to further amplify our efforts to change the lives of many in our city who are pursuing a new career path in IT.

Tech901 is a nonprofit whose mission is to bridge the gap between hundreds of open jobs in the IT field in the Memphis area and a local workforce that is highly motivated to be trained in this rapidly growing area. Tech901’s training courses are targeted specifically at those areas of IT where Memphis-area companies have a significant workforce need. Thanks to the support of our grantors, Tech901 students pay no more than $250 per training course. Tech901 began operations in 2015. Since that time, it has trained over 2,400 students, and 940 known jobs have been secured by these students in the field of IT spanning about 350 different companies.

The NBA Foundation’s mission is to drive economic opportunity for under-resourced youth, ages 14-24, by funding programs that generate successful transitions from school to meaningful employment with priority being given to organizations operating in NBA team markets.  The NBA Foundation accomplishes its mission by investing in programs and partnerships with and making grants to local and national organizations that promote school-to-career employment opportunities, including job readiness, skill training, job placement, and career advancement.