Tamar Huggins

Tamar Huggins (born January 7, 1986)[1] is a Canadian tech entrepreneur, author and educator, based in Toronto.[2][3] She is a trailblazer for diversity, equity, and inclusion in tech education and pioneered the development of the Black tech ecosystem in Canada.[4] Huggins founded DRIVEN Accelerator Group,[5] the first tech accelerator for underrepresented founders in Canada. She also founded Tech Spark, Canada's first technology school for Black youth, girls and other youth of colour.

Tamar Huggins
August 2019, Photographer: Yvonne Stanley
Born (1986-01-07) January 7, 1986
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Years active2009-present
Known forFounder of DRIVEN Accelerator Founder of Tech Spark Canada
Websitetamarhuggins.com

Career

Huggins pursued entrepreneurship in 2009 after losing her advertising job during the recession.[6] In 2012, she created the first tech accelerator for BIPOC leaders in Canada, called DRIVEN.[3] The accelerator raised $1.1 million for Black, Brown and women-led tech startups in Canada. In 2015, Huggins launched Canada's first technology school focused on BIPOC students, called Tech Spark.[2][7] The school educated 1500 students in the first two years.[8] In 2017, Huggins released her first book, Bossed Up: 100 Truths to Becoming Your Own Boss, God's Way![4] In November 2019, Huggins founded EDUlytics, later rebranded as Spark Plug,[9] a digital tool that uses data, hip hop culture and artificial intelligence to personalize education and inform education policy.[10]

In 2021, Huggins' technology company was awarded $1 million from TD Canada Trust, to scale Spark Plug to 40,000 North American students. This investment made Huggins the first woman in North America to lead the development of an EdTech platform with the use of AI, Hip Hop culture and data science.[9]

Education

Huggins graduated in 2007 from Centennial College, and studied creative advertising with a major in media planning.[11]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2018 When I Grow Up! Herself Episode: "Technology Educator/Building Apps with Tamar Huggins"

Personal life

Huggins is of Jamaican and Kittian descent and Nigerian ancestry. She was born in Etobicoke and grew up in Brampton, Ontario. She is the youngest of eight children.

Honours and awards
  1. Harry Jerome Awards, Young Entrepreneur, 2015[12]
  2. Canadian Living Magazine, Canadian Superhero, 2015[13]
  3. CIBWE, 100 Black Women to Watch, 2015[14]
  4. Canada's Top 150 Black Women Creating Impact Across the Country, CBC and Herstory in Black, 2017[2]
  5. Move The Dial, Dial Mover, 2019[15]
  6. The City of Brampton, Innovation Award, 2020
  7. TD Canada Trust, TD Ready Challenge Winner, 2021[16]
  8. Centennial College, Alumnus of Distinction, 2021
  9. Womxn in Data Science Toronto, Trailblazer Award, 2022

References
  1. Radhika Panjwani (May 7, 2015). "Young entrepreneur receives Harry Jerome Award" (PDF). Mississauga.ca. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  2. "Rebels and rocket scientists: Ten Canadian women who blazed a trail in STEM". The Toronto Star. 2020-02-11. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  3. Thompson, Wanna (2021-05-25). "Black tech founders to watch in 2021". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  4. "Meet Tamar Huggins Grant: Entrepreneur, Author and Tech Trailblazer". Robertson College. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  5. Evans, Mark (2012-04-23). "Digital startup accelerator targets minorities, women". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  6. "This Woman Is on a Mission to Increase the Number of Women and Minorities in STEM". Black Enterprise. 2017-07-05. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  7. "TVO | Current affairs, documentaries and education". www.tvo.org. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  8. "Tamar Huggins". Black on Track. 2022-02-27. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  9. Inc, The Caribbean Camera (2022-02-11). "Two Black-lead charities get $1.75 million support from TD Bank". The Caribbean Camera. Retrieved 2022-06-24. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. "Tech Education for the Next Generation". DISRUPTION MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  11. "Centennial College - Advertising Grad Tamar Huggins Talks Social Entrepreneurship & Her Company Tech Spark | School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design Blog". www.centennialcollege.ca. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  12. "Tamar Huggins among 15 Harry Jerome award winners". CBC News. April 24, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  13. "Tamar Huggins Grant Superpower Increasing Educational And Economic Opportunities For Youth In Underserved Communities". Canadian Living. 1 Mar 2016. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-16 – via PressReader.
  14. "Meet Tamar Huggins Grant: Entrepreneur, Author and Tech Trailblazer". Robertson College. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  15. "#DialMovers Part 4". #movethedial. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  16. "Meet the 2021 TD Ready Challenge grant recipients". stories.td.com. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
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