NEWS ROOM
CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell
Ian Brock, a 15-year-old high schooler from Chicago, is offering coding classes through his organization "Dream Hustle Code." He also helps with personal development advice. His parents help him run the non-profit full time.
Adriana Diaz shares his story.
FOX 32 Good Day Chicago -
Dream Hustle Code inspires next generation with Teen Tech Live
November 16, 2023 - Chicago non-profit Dream Code Hustle aims to inspire Black and Brown youth's confidence while also providing access to computer science education. Their annual event Teen Tech Live was created to get kids excited about new technology.
A Dreamer’s Odyssey: Teen Tech Entrepreneur Ian Michael Brock
Marketing Madhouse with Moira Vetter
Listen to Podcast - S1 Episode7
October 5, 2023 - Get ready for a heartfelt reunion as Moira Vetter reconnects with Ian Michael Brock, the teen entrepreneur extraordinaire and co-founder of Dream Hustle Code. After their Forbes interview in 2017 when Ian was 12, Moira knew he was destined for greatness. Join us as we talk about Ian’s remarkable journey from teen tech titan to financial literacy advocate. Tune in for a reminder on how far dreams and determination can get you
The Top Thiel Fellows of 2023
Medium - Power in Numbers
July 5, 2023 - Billionaire Peter Thiel created the “Thiel Fellowship” which gives $100,000 to young founders building brilliant startups.
Alumni include founders of Embark, Ethereum, Figma, Luminar, OYO, and DoNotPay.
Previous Fellows have founded companies collectively worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
We took a look at the top Thiel Fellows of 2023 to keep an eye on:
5. Dream Hustle Code — creating a three-tiered approach toward a sustainable Gen Z workforce development pipeline.
Founder: Ian Michael Brock
Location: Chicago, IL
Here Come the Zoomers: Silicon Valley Greets a New Generation of Teen Founders.
At the tender age of 8, Ian Michael Brock co-founded Dream Hustle Code with his parents, and they worked together to teach over 3,000 students the basics …
Written by Margaux MacColl
March 3, 2023, The Information
Covid-19 lockdowns chained a generation of teenagers to their computers. For a lucky few dozen, it opened up a world of opportunity. For most teenagers, the remote learning spurred by the pandemic was disastrous for their education. In some U.S. school districts, students fell behind by an entire grade level, according to researchers from Stanford's Graduate School of Education.
Super Bowl Week | ”TechSlam Phoenix” — WayMaker, Microsoft, World Youth Horizons, Thunderbird Global School of Management @ASU
February 10 , 2023, Phoenix, AZ - Powered by WayMaker, Dream Hustle Code invited 250 middle school students to participate in a high-energy event called “TechSlam.” Teens learned Binary Code, Artificial Intelligence, and Deconstructed an Xbox Console. TechSlam gave teens a unique opportunity to "see themselves in tech."
Super Bowl Week | ”Beyond The Finish Line” — The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation, NASCAR/Phoenix Raceway, Microsoft, and Dream Hustle Code
February 6 , 2023, Phoenix, AZ - The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation (TLFF) is bridging the digital divide in communities that have been disproportionately underrepresented when it comes to access to technology through our BEYOND THE FINISH LINE initiative in partnership with Microsoft and the Phoenix Raceway kicking off during the 2023 Super Bowl week in Arizona.
2022 CS Heroes | “Celebrating Our Progress”
CSEdWeek - December 2022
Computer Science Teachers Association's (CSTA) - We recognize those whose work has contributed and harnessed the good in computer science while encouraging classroom discussion and debate around the nuances of both intended and unintended impacts.
CSEdWeek is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field.
Learn more CS Heroes
America's Black Forum | Episode #22-20 Hosted by Marc Morial, President & CEO - National Urban League
November 11, 2022 - This week on America's Black Forum we introduce you to Ian Brock of Dream Hustle Code, and his mission to grant access and opportunity to kids of all socio-economic backgrounds to Computer Science & Coding Education.
FOX 32 Chicago - Chicago native Ian Brock, founder of Dream Hustle Code, talks about “STEAM & Dream” event at the Museum of Science and Industry
August 20, 2022- Chicagoan Ian Brock was one of the Keynote Speakers of the STEAM & Dream event at the Museum of Science and Industry. He and JoAnne Sabir of American Family Insurance talked with Good Day Chicago’s Elizabeth Matthews about the importance of getting kids of color inspired in tech careers.
BET’s La'Ron Hines Hosts BET Talks: McDonald's Future 22 | Part IV
Los Angeles, June 9, 2022 - BET Talks: McDonald’s Future 22 is a series that spotlights dynamic, young leaders impacting their communities. La'Ron Hines sits down with these Gamechangers, including 17-year-old Ian Michael Brock
WGN-TV’s Daytime Chicago -
Providing students of color access to computer science education
Interviewed by Tonya Francisco and Amy Rutledge of Daytime Chicago
March 4, 2022 - Dream Hustle Code aims to inspire the city’s Black and Brown youth to develop their interest and education in computer science. Joining us now with more is co-founder and computer science activist Ian Michael Brock.
Dream Hustle Code is Revolutionizing Tech for Underrepresented Youth
February 1, 2022 - For Ian Michael Brock, inclusion in the tech space is a top priority. If you can see it, you can be it!
Ian and his team have hosted several events where they reinforce the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset while building technology to advance their communities. Most recently, Teen Tech Live 2.0 featured speakers including Kyrie Irving as well as representatives from Microsoft, Amazon, and McDonald’s.
Looking to the future, Ian expects to plan for even larger events, both virtual and in-person, on his way to establishing a center in every city that teaches necessary coding skills. Personally, he’d like to get into real estate and investing in the future, with an emphasis on passing his knowledge to others.
How 17-year-old Ian Michael Brock is Using Dream Hustle Code to Diversity the Tech Industry
What is Dream Hustle Code?
By Two Average Gamers
Read the full article here
December 28, 2021 - Dream Hustle Code is an organization that aims to inspire Black + Brown Youth’s confidence and interest in computer science and computer coding education. They show youth that creating and shaping technology is possible for them.
The non-profit was founded by entrepreneur Ian Michael Brock, who wants to give every student access and opportunity to learn computer science. He and his team have organized computer science events to show underrepresented and underestimated communities how they can become creators of technology.
Young Social Impact Heroes: Why and How Ian Michael Brock of Dream Hustle Code Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Penny Bauder
Published in Authority Magazine
Read the full article in Medium here
October 3, 2021 - As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ian Michael Brock.
Ian Michael Brock (www.ianmichaelbrock.com), co-founder of Dream Hustle Code® and New Nerd, is a 17-year-old computer science activist and public speaker. For the past seven years, Ian has been on a mission to inspire confidence in Black and Brown children, while empowering them to believe that they too can be creators of new cutting-edge technology.
Q&A with Ian Brock, 17-year-old founder of Dream Hustle Code
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer
Report for America Corps Member
Read full article here
September 28, 2021 - Ian Brock, co-founder of Dream Hustle Code, started his organization to provide engaging computer science and technology education to Black and Brown youth. Its programming has grown to include virtual tech field trips, after-school coding leagues and tours to Silicon Valley.
Computer Science Activist, Teen Entrepreneur and GenZ Change Maker! ft: Ian Brock - Dream Hustle Code
By Kriti Sarav
Featured in WhyFI Matters
Read the full article here
September 25, 2021 - We are definitely in store for fun and even more so inspirational episode today. I am so excited to introduce you all to Ian Brock 17 year old from Chicago. Woo hoo. And co-founder of Dream Hustle Code and New Nerd. Ian is the coolest teenager I've met.
He and the team at Dream Hustle Code have also just been so kind as they've let WhyFI Matters host FinEd workshops for some of the Dream Hustle Code's virtual computer programming and personal development mini bootcamps that they hosted over the past two summers. And that's kind of how I got to know him a little bit, but I'm just super excited for this episode to learn even more about him.
How a 16-Year-Old Gets Other Kids Excited About Coding
By Erik Ofgang
Published in Tech & Learning
Read the full article here
August 5, 2021 - Founded by 16-year-old Ian Michael Brock, Dream Hustle Code is a computer science and education program geared toward students from diverse backgrounds to spark an interest in coding.
When Ian Michael Brock was 8 years old, he didn’t have any interest in coding.
“I only cared about playing video games, going to hang out with friends at recess, and also playing basketball and sports,” he says.
His parents showed him a video about the importance of teaching the topic in school, featuring some prominent voices, but Brock was bored at first and unimpressed with what the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg said in the video.
WBEZ’s Reset Talk Show - Chicago Innovators: 16-Year-Old Tech Activist Wants To Level The Playing Field For People Of Color
Reset is Hosted by Sasha-Ann Simons, WBEZ Chicago
By Stephanie Kim
Read or listen on WBEZ here
June 30, 2021 - When Ian Michael Brock was 8, his parents showed him a video about how coding isn’t taught in most classrooms. And one person in particular caught his attention: NBA player Chris Bosh. That interview started his tech journey and sparked the beginnings of Dream Hustle Code, a nonprofit he runs with his parents to connect kids of color with coding opportunities and personal development classes.
Reset talks to the Chicago teen about how he’s trying to level the playing field in the tech industry and what keeps him motivated.
Chicago Museum of Science & Industry: The Year 2020 Reflected in Art at the Black Creativity Art Exhibition
By Danielle Sanders - Published in the Chicago Defender
Read the full article here
April 16, 2021 - Held at the Museum of Science and Industry, The Black Creativity Art and Activism exhibition showcases some incredible and powerful images in response to the protests that occurred during the Summer of 2020.
Since 1970, the Museum of Science and Industry has displayed the works of Black professional and student artists from around the country. The Black Creativity Juried Art exhibition is the nation’s longest-running exhibit of art created by Black Americans in the country. This year’s exhibit extends into a three-month program and welcomes guests to explore the scientific and creative innovations of African Americans.
Medium: Digital Additive Thoughts - Black Youth in Tech
By Breanique Geddes - Published in Digital Additive Thoughts
Read the full article here
February 25, 2021 - It’s Black History Month and we didn’t just want to highlight the past but also take a peek into the future of technology! In an ever-evolving digital and technological space, Black youth are looking for valuable opportunities to put their technical skills to use.
Featuring organizations that are making great strides to ensure tech education and experience is readily accessible, especially in lower-income communities, and we found some wonderful organizations that are dedicated to offering these experiences.
Encyclopedia Britannica
December 29, 2020 - Teenagers are changing the world in many fields, from social and political leadership to new technologies to battling the effects of climate change. Many of them continued to do so in the difficult year of 2020, even while facing great challenges of their own, such as autism, violence in their countries and social structures in their home communities. All of the exceptional teenagers profiled below are from Encyclopaedia Britannica’s forthcoming Shapers of the Future series, highlighting 200 brilliant, already highly accomplished young people under 40.
Ian Brock, 16, of Chicago, was fascinated by computers and mathematics at an early age. After Brock became aware that many people of color were not widely encouraged to enter technological professions, at the age of 12, he founded Dream Hustle Code, an organization that teaches coding and other work-of-the-future skills to people in underserved communities. Hundreds of students of all ages and ethnicities have passed through the online academy’s virtual doors.
McDonald’s USA Launches New Mentorship Program
By Tia Carol Jones - Citizen Weekly
Read the full article here
December 2, 2020 - McDonald’s USA has launched the Black & Positively Golden Mentors program. The mentorship program will pair industry leaders with up-and-coming changemakers from the same field. The goal of the program is to provide access and leadership opportunities to young people and connect them with industry experts.
Chicago native Ian Michael Brock, a 16-year-old technology activist who is also the founder of Dream Hustle Code is a golden mentor. He appears on the first episode of the one-on-one masterclass, @wearegolden on IGTV. Brock mentored Erin Chapman, a 16-year-old who attends Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. Chapman is an up and coming computer science star, who aspires to be an orthotic doctor who uses technology to create prosthetics.
Celebrities and Industry Leaders Join McDonald’s USA for the Launch of Black & Positively Golden Mentors Program
The New Virtual Content Series Gives Young Pioneers Exclusive Access to Renowned Industry Experts
Read the full McDonald’s article here
Chicago, IL - November 18, 2020 – McDonald’s USA is proud to announce the launch of the Black & Positively Golden Mentors Program. This initiative pairs industry leaders in coveted sectors, including technology, entertainment, business and more, with up-and-coming changemakers in the same fields. Award-winning rapper, singer and songwriter Big Sean, popular gospel music vocalist and entrepreneur Kierra Sheard, journalist and activist Jamilah Lemieux, and technology activist Ian Michael Brock are among the stars who are serving as “golden mentors” for the online series that kicks off today.
The first episode features 16-year-old technology activist, Dream Hustle Code founder and Chicago-native Ian Michael Brock, who mentored up-and-coming computer science star Erin Chapman. This underscores Brock’s passion for supporting Black and brown youth, as demonstrated through his non-profit organization that seeks to level the technology playing field for multicultural students interested in computer science. Chapman is a 16-year-old double-honors high school student from Chicago who aspires to become an orthotic doctor who uses technology to create prosthetics.
Cracking the Code - Ian Brock on Changing the Future of Tech
Nike Zine - Chicago, IL
Read the full article here
November 2020 - Chicago, especially the South Side, teaches survival, grit and resilience. That’s why the city produces some of the most extraordinary individuals the world has ever seen, from basketball stars and businesspeople to groundbreaking artists.
And now it’s poised to give the world its newest changemaker: Ian Brock. At just 16, Brock is already a computer science activist, entrepreneur, public speaker, and soon-to-be author. He and his family run Dream Hustle Code, a not-for-profit that provides access to computer science education and personal development for kids that he calls “underrepresented and underestimated” in tech.
7 Ways Tech Is Changing for the Better in 2020
By Ellen Glover - BuiltIn
Read the full article here
October 13, 2020 - Fifteen-year-old Ian Brock started a nonprofit called Dream Hustle Code, which aims to introduce minority communities to computer science. This summer, the organization held the New Nerd Virtual Summer Camp, an eight-week-long program that teaches basic Javascript to kids and teens of color. The hope, said Brock, is to inspire the next generation of Black and brown kids to pursue computer science as a career path and bring more minority representation to the tech industry.
25 UNDER 25 - 25 Rising Chicago Entrepreneurs and Technologists 25 and younger
By Cassidy Beegle - Inno Chicago
Read the full article here
September 24, 2020 - Whether it's a student entrepreneur balancing college courses and building a startup, a teenager in their bedroom learning to code, or a fresh college grad excelling in their new tech role, young people are contributing to Chicago's tech and startup industry in impactful ways.
15-Year-Old Seeks $250,000 to Host Free Computer Science Camp for Kids
By Lori Orlinsky - Chicago Parent
Read the full article here
July 9, 2020 - This summer, most high schoolers are enjoying downtime before the hustle and bustle of school begins in the fall.
Not Ian Brock. The 15-year-old high school junior from Pilsen is busy launching a virtual camp to teach computer science to 1,000 Black and Brown youth in Chicago.
Set to begin July 13, the New Nerd Virtual Summer Camp is a free 8-week program for fifth to ninth graders that combines computer science with personal development. For two hours each day, five days a week, Ian will introduce students to JavaScript through code with Google’s Grasshopper Application, while also coaching them how to overcome adversity.
Dream Hustle Code Wants to Teach 1,000 Minority Students to Code
By Nona Tepper - BuiltIn Chicago
Read the full article here
July 7, 2020 - When Ian Brock was in sixth grade, he remembers playing basketball with a group of classmates after school on the North Side of Chicago. After Brock scored a few points, a white kid turned to him and yelled the N-word.
“It really made me upset that I went to the No. 1 school in the city, and I still gotta face being called the N-word,” said Brock, who is half Black and half Filipino. “It’s experiences like that that just really pushed me, and that keep me pushing forward, to helping other Black and brown kids in my community.”
A CHICAGO TEEN IS ASKING YOU FOR $1 TO SCALE HIS VIRTUAL CS SUMMER CAMP
By Henry Kronk - eLearning Inside
Read the full article here
July 6, 2020 - Ian Michael Brock, with the help of his parents Michael and Dulcevita, is asking you for $1. If the Brocks can get 375,000 people to donate 100 cents, they’re going to continue scaling the virtual coding sessions that Ian started back in 2013 at the age of 12. The New Nerd Virtual Summer Camp is the latest version. With this campaign, they want to build the capacity to host 1,000 young coders in a virtual CS camp this summer.
CBS News Chicago
December 13, 2019 - It's called Dream Hustle Code, and it's helping expand tech education to African Americans, Latinos, and young women who've been underrepresented in the field. 300 Students in Middle School join Dream Hustle Code at this year’s Hour of Code during National Computer Science Education Week.
NBC 5 Chicago: Kids Learn Life Lessons While Learning To Code At Unique Event Hosted by Dream Hustle Code
Teen Leads Lesson in Coding during CSEdWeek
December 13, 2019 - Dream Hustle Code is working with companies like Google to get kids coding. NBC 5’s Kye Martin attended one of the group’s events and has the details. Governor J.B. Pritzker, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Congressman Danny K. Davis, and others welcomed students from Andrew Carnegie Elementary, Learn 8 Middle School, and Joseph Kellman during the Hour of Code Event at Google Chicago.
The Jam TV Show - Real Chicagoans: 15-Year-Old Tech Advocate Paving the Way for Chicago Kids
October 10, 2019 - At 12 years old, Chicago teen Ian Brock noticed his peers weren't being given the tools needed to learn how to code. With the help of his parents, he started Dream Hustle Code. An organization that brings opportunities to inner-city kids.
WGN-TV Morning News: 15 year old computer science activist Ian Brock, Co-Founder of Dream Hustle Code
Robin Baumgarten and Dan Ponce interview Lewis Carr and Ian Brock
October 9, 2019 - Ian Brock is just one of several speakers appearing at The Blueprint 2019 Men's Summit, hosted by BET's Louis Carr.
The Summits takes place October 18 - 19, 2019 at the W Hotel City Center.
Rolling Stone
Article by Jamil Smith
August 2, 2019 - Democratic Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg engages with Dream Hustle Code students visiting Nipsey Hussle’s Vector90 during their trip to Los Angeles.
BUTTIGIEG IS DISPENSING the best advice he can, but he is clearly learning as much from these black and Hispanic kids as he is trying to help. The students, all in town from around the country with the STEM education group dream hustle code, sit in the middle of Vector90’s large community space in South Los Angeles, wide open and wooden from floor to ceiling. Real estate investor David Gross, who partnered with Nipsey to launch the space in March of last year, stands off to the side, listening. The children tell him about their experiences in school, ranging from being bullied for their Mexican heritage to feeling overly disciplined due to being black. Buttigieg, never once relating his experiences as a gay man to what they are going through, does his best to offer them comfort first and advice second.
U.S. News: Democratic Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg is urging students to speak out against racial bias when they experience it
Article by Associated Press
July 25, 2019 - Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, listens to "Dream Hustle Code" students visiting from Chicago, at Vector90, the workspace created by the late Nipsey Hussle, in Los Angeles, Thursday, July 25, 2019.
ABC News: Students should speak out on bias
Article by MICHAEL R. BLOOD
July 25, 2019 - Speaking to Dream Hustle Code students visiting Nipsey Hussle’s Vector90, Democratic Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg is urging students to speak out against racial bias when they experience it. The South Bend, Indiana, mayor fielded a series of questions about race relations after encountering a group of Midwestern students in Los Angeles. The apparently unplanned encounter Thursday with the group of mostly black students gave Buttigieg the opportunity to reflect on the shooting, as well as listen to their concerns about ongoing racial friction in cities and schools. The group was on a tour of California technology companies and other businesses.
Dream Hustle Code Teens Meet With Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg in Los Angeles
Spectrum News 1 Los Angeles
By Kate Cagle, South Los Angeles
July 25, 2019 - Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg met with a group of teens Thursday afternoon touring Los Angeles. When teen Desiree Quezada woke up for the day, she had no idea she would be meeting Buttigieg. Desiree is part of the group Dream Hustle Code from Chicago. They’re on a trip to Silicon Valley and Hollywood.
The BET Awards
2019 Emerging Leaders
June 23, 2019 - The BET Awards in Los Angeles recognizes Dream Hustle Code’s Ian Brock and his work to inspire young people’s confidence and interest in computer science and coding.
Meet Ian Brock, The 14-year-old Chicago Native Introducing Computer Science To Underserved Communities
By Rachel George
Read the full article in Travel Noire here
June 28, 2019 - Chicago native, Ian Brock, is changing the world one community at a time by providing motivation, entrepreneurship, and computer science to underrepresented individuals.
At 14 years old, Brock is a pretty busy teenager. Outside of school, he partakes in normal adolescent activities like playing basketball, video games, hanging with friends, and reading impactful books that would inspire him personally and professionally. A few of his favorites are Dr. Dennis Kimbro’s A Black Choice and Napoleon Hill’s Think And Grow Rich.
UNCF’s 75th Annual Gala
Robert F. Smith receives Presidential Award
March 7, 2019 - Mr. Robert F. Smith was honored at UNCF’s 75th Annual Gala in Washington DC. During his speech, he recognized the work of Dream Hustle Code.
Windy City Live TV
Val Warner interviews Dream Hustle Code’s Co-Founder
July 1, 2018 - Val Warner sits down with Ian Michael Brock to discuss his upcoming mission to take high school students on their first ever trip to Silicon Valley
He Wants Chicago Kids to Build the Next Silicon Valley. He’s 13.
Ian Michael Brock embodies the hopes and tensions of the ‘Computer Science for All’ movement
By Benjamin Herold, Education Week
Read the entire article here
February 19, 2018 - For as long as he can remember, Ian Michael Brock has considered himself a salesman.
Now, the self-described “nerd with swag” is making his biggest pitch yet.
Flanked by his parents, Ian, 13, is trying to convince dozens of families gathered at a South Side community center to follow in his footsteps and make a pilgrimage to Silicon Valley.
Eighth grader Ian Michael Brock wants to make sure the next billion-dollar tech company is launched by a kid like him. For better or worse, he and his family have taken matters into their own hands.
Ian Michael Brock at Google; “Changing the Equation” Panel
Forbes: The 12-Year-Old Entrepreneur That Will Take Global Tech & The World By Storm
By Moira Vetter, Forbes Contributor
Read the entire Forbes article here
January 16, 2017 - Not everybody has co-founder ‘cred’ at 12. Ian Michael Brock isn’t everybody.
Although he hasn’t co-founded a tech company yet, he and his parents know it’s only a matter of time. ‘Knowing’ is often that priceless quality in an entrepreneur that is so difficult to nurture later in life.