“Kendrick saw in me what I did not yet see in myself.”
That is the answer Kendrick Trotter, Founder and CEO of Us In Technology (UiT), provided when asked, “What do you want your community to say about you in twenty years? Who does he see greatness for before they see it in themselves: underrepresented groups in technology. The mission of UiT is to improve representation of women, people of underrepresented ethnicities, first generation college students, members of the LGBTQA communities and veterans. UiT is well on its way towards fulfilling its mission. With Kendrick’s leadership UiT has been working with people from each of these groups for more than two years. This is what we at FIERCE call LEVELING UP and we are here for it!
When you spend any time with Kendrick you immediately feel optimistic, excited and vested in his and UiT’s success. He is truly inspiring. So, what inspires him? His mother and brother inspire him. They both made significant personal sacrifices to ensure he obtained his college education and opportunities outside of the environment he grew up in. He wants them to know that they taught him that it is a privilege to help others, and that their sacrifice was worth it. Kendrick shares that where he’s from there’s typically three different models for “success”: being a professional athlete, becoming a professional entertainer or pursuing a life on the streets. His mother and brother were not having that for Kendrick. They were determined that that would not be his story.
One story that remains with me since my discussion with Kendrick is one of his favorite mentee success stories, about a gentleman named Bolu Olorunfunmi. A former star running back from UCLA, he wanted to break into the tech sales industry, so he did what most of us would – he put his profile up on LinkedIn. From there, he was contacted by a big-name tech firm, completed three rounds of interviews, landed the job and celebrated very publicly on LinkedIn and Instagram. Almost immediately, he realized the process and job were fake. He had been scammed, and his social security number, as well as some of his money, was stolen. Can you imagine the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realized the whole thing was a scam? I’m sick, myself, just thinking about it.
Luckily for him, he heard about UiT within weeks. He joined the UiT community and within a month of joining the UiT program, he was hired, initially accepting an entry-level position at tech giant ServiceTitan. Within his first year he was promoted multiple times, and now holds the coveted title of account executive. The good vibes carried over to his love life, and leveraging his newfound success financially, he was able to get married and buy a house – talk about “building equity and ownership and power,” another goal of Kendrick’s and of UiT for their community!
If Kendrick wasn’t a CEO he would be a foster parent on a grand scale. He lights up talking about a group home he would create that would be a great experience for children with strong values and a positive environment. It is obvious this goal comes from the example his mother has set being active in the foster community over the years as a foster parent.
I encourage everyone to check out usintechnology.com to learn about the enriching program mentees are provided, free of charge, to prepare them to be successful within the technology industry.
Finally, if you are interested in helping UiT accelerate its efforts, Kendrick offers the following ways to show support:
- Invest in UiT – Kendrick is close to closing his pre-seed round and wants to connect with more mission-driven angel investors. You can reach him at kendrick@usintechnology.com
- Refer UiT to SaaS companies looking to expand their BDR, customer success or recruiting teams
- Promote UiT across your network on social media, LI and amongst your peers
- Purchase UiT merchandise to help fund company efforts at usintechnology.com