Board Member Spotlight: Austin Thompson
Austin Thompson is one of the four recently appointed board members at theCO, serving alongside Beth Wilson, Andre Gist, and Kevin Adelsberger. But Austin’s board membership is just the newest thing he has done at theCO. He is the CEO of Thompson Industries, which he conducts out of theCO, specializing in social media marketing and small business consulting. Austin’s side hustle turned business number 2, Random Pieces of Wood, is also run out of theCO, where he makes and sells laser engraved gifts. Austin has lead multiple Meetups; his newest one being “Vets in Business,” where he looks to develop a community for veterans and provide them with personal or entrepreneurial resources.
Dev Catalyst Students Are Leaders in Our TechHire City
Jackson, Tennessee, along with seventy-two other communities across the nation, is a TechHire city. But what does that mean? For CO:member and local business owner Austin Thompson and theCO’s Dev Catalyst program, it means an opportunity to create opportunity for young tech talent in the area.
The TechHire initiative was created by the Obama Administration in 2015. The project, however, lives on today. Its main mission is to support the growing technology fields in the nation. Cities selected have shown dedication to supporting training for technology-related jobs and companies that strive to create a more diverse workplace. The initiative is currently under Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit organization designed to empower Americans in today's economic world.