Tech in the Hood

Aug 06 2024 24 ep. 57 mins 3
Tech in the Hood Podcast artwork

Tech in the Hood is a podcast that celebrates Chicago's contribution to the digital age by showcasing the personal and professional journey of its host, Ahmed "Flex" Omar, and conversations with innovators and old friends.

  Society & Culture  Arts  Technology  Business  Education
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Ahmed "Flex" Omar

Feb 20 2023 20 mins  
In “Episode Zero” of the podcast, Host Ahmed Flex Omar talks to our producer, Tom Brown, about the genesis of Tech in the Hood, and what listeners can expect from Season 1. We’ll hear about why Flex has chosen this moment to launch Tech in the Hood, and how his own journey has led to here.

Shawn Michael Warren

Mar 06 2023 55 mins  
Ahmed Flex Omar sits down with fine artist and Chicago native, Shawn Michael Warren, to talk about his journey as an artist, and how technology increasingly plays a role in the artistic process. The two also discuss the role of Shawn’s work in building equity and representation for marginalized communities, as well as confidence-building strategies for young Black artists, and wh

Bashir Muhammad

Mar 14 2023 52 mins  
This episode, we go back to where it all started, as Ahmed Flex Omar sits down with his friend and mentor, Bashir Muhammad, to talk about tech in the West Side of Chicago in the early 2000s. Their conversation covers the history of “internet deserts” and racial inequity in Chicago, the role of tech in community learning, and an honest conversation about our successes and lesson

Stephanie Yousif

Mar 21 2023 52 mins  
In Episode 3 of Tech in the Hood we welcome Stephanie Yousif, whose dynamic journey in tech has spanned a variety of roles in the corporate sector and beyond. Flex and Stephanie talk about nontraditional careers in tech, social enterprise and entrepreneurship, and emerging positions and opportunities in technology. They also discuss gender disparities in tech and why diversity and

Sara Agate

Mar 28 2023 52 mins  
In the start-up world, we hear about B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) business models all the time, but what about B2G? Business-to-government is the central topic of this week’s episode with this week’s guest, Sara Agate, founder and CEO of Munitask. Sara and Flex talk about the barriers to access in government tech careers, and the challenges of eng

Dominic Gaziano

Apr 04 2023 61 mins  
This week’s episode is good for your health! We’re talking to physician, author, and community leader, Dr. Dominic Gaziano about everything from Medtech to meditation. Flex and Dr. Dominic talk about the rapid acceleration of telehealth during the Covid-19 pandemic, and discuss the intersection of mental and physical health in the workplace and at home. In addition to tech in

Martina Matthews

Apr 11 2023 50 mins  
What does it take to launch a successful startup? A great idea? A great team? A whole lot of tenacity? You need all three, according to this week’s guest Martina Matthews. Martina has helped to launch and build some serious businesses in her career, including Chegg, GetNectar.com, SitterCity.com, HelloChime.com, and many others.

Temitayo Ade-Oshifogun

Jun 18 2023 50 mins  
Tech in the Hood is back with a special Juneteenth Bonus Episode! Flex sits down with Temitayo "Tayo" Ade-Oshifogun, an MBA entrepreneur and founder of Real Ppl, for a real talk about putting in the work. Flex and Tayo talk about centering intentionality and service in their professional lives, and the discipline it takes to become indispensable in any role.

The Human Element: Engineering Effective Relationships

Sep 19 2023 76 mins  
In Season 2 of Tech in the Hood, Martina Matthews, Bashir Muhammad, and Flex recap Season 1, discuss their summer activities, and explore the theme of relationships in technological innovation, including maintaining long-term partnerships and the impact of technology on parent-child relationships, with a fun mention of AI-powered soccer-playing robots.

Diversity & Recruitment in Chicago's Workforce: Past, Present, Future

Sep 26 2023 53 mins  
It's all about recruitment this week on Tech in the Hood with our guest, Kevin Davenport, Author, Founder, and CEO of The Ideal Candidate. On the show, Kevin and Flex discuss trends in recruitment, and dig into some of the biggest challenges facing young people entering the workforce. It's an inspiring conversation that covers everything from Kevin’s upbringing on the Southside,