Who We Are
Kevin Wang
Desiree Briel Rodi
Erica Thomas Chen
Founder and Program Director
MinT is the 2nd social good venture that Kevin has founded in an overlooked and underserved part of the tech talent pipeline that directly impacts economic mobility. Kevin founded the Microsoft TEALS program, which has helped over 1,000 high schools across the US build successful, sustainable, and diverse computer science programs with industry volunteers from over 700 companies investing 1.2 million hours in the classroom.
Kevin's work has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, Geekwire, and Univision, and the founding and growth of TEALS is the subject of a Yale School of Management Case Study. Kevin holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and a Master of Education from Harvard University.
Erica Thomas Chen
Desiree Briel Rodi
Erica Thomas Chen
Community Manager
Erica has dedicated her career to helping others unlock their potential through job advancement.
Her experience includes over a decade at Microsoft in roles including marketing communications, talent acquisition for business and technical roles, and building career development programs to unlock internal opportunities for nontraditional employees.
She has been a trusted recruiting partner to entry-level through senior candidates, college/university students, engineers, and business leaders, among others.
Erica holds a Bachelor of Arts and MBA from Yale University.
Desiree Briel Rodi
Desiree Briel Rodi
Desiree Briel Rodi
Student Success Consultant
Resilient, bold, fiercely determined, Desiree leads with authenticity and courage.
An ACC certified coach, she harnesses the power of Emotional Intelligence to drive awareness, action, and accountability to support individuals seeking change, purpose, and adaptability.
Desiree holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, an MBA from Seattle University where she serves as Adjunct Faculty, and a Certificate in Evidence Based Coaching and Master of Arts in Organizational Development and Change from Fielding Graduate University where she is currently pursuing a PhD.
Nathaniel Granor
Nathaniel Granor
Desiree Briel Rodi
Curriculum and Training Consultant
Nathaniel is a Brooklyn-based consultant with a background in computer science, education, and music. Nathaniel spent nearly a decade working in engineering and philanthropic roles at Microsoft.
Nathaniel started his career on the Microsoft Sharepoint team as a program manager where he also volunteered with TEALS. As one of the first team members of the Microsoft TEALS program, he helped to bring computer science courses to hundreds of high schools in eastern United States serving as a lead program manager.
Nathaniel holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Yale University.
Tyler Menezes
Nathaniel Granor
Emily Tyson Shu
Technical Consultant
Born in Canada but raised in the Pacific Northwest, Tyler briefly attended the University of Washington before dropping out to start a Y Combinator and venture-backed social video startup in 2011. This, combined with stints working in machine learning at Microsoft Research and as a programmer at several Seattle startups, led to his work finding data-driven solutions to increasing CS diversity and enrollment since 2014.
Tyler Menezes is also the Executive Director at CodeDay, where he works to provide welcoming and diverse opportunities for under-served students to explore a future in tech and beyond.
Emily Tyson Shu
Nathaniel Granor
Emily Tyson Shu
International Student Sucess and Legal Consultant
Emily is an attorney at Tyson Shu Law, PLLC. Previously, Emily worked as an attorney for a firm in Seattle. In that capacity, Emily advised hundreds of clients with customized immigration planning, and represented clients in state courts and immigration tribunals concerning criminal or immigration issues. Emily has committed her practice to immigration and estate planning to help people start and protect their families in the U.S.
Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts from National Taiwan University, a Master of Art from UC Santa Barbara, and a JD from Seattle University School of Law.
Mina Kalyan
Mina Kalyan
Mina Kalyan
Program Ambassador
Mina is a MinT mentor and a certified coach who has been mentoring and coaching MinT students by leveraging both her technical background and coaching experience,
She serves as a MinT program Ambassador as part of her role as Mrs Universe US West Coast work. Mina also advocates for beauty standards beyond age, size, shape, and color.
Mina holds an IT Bachelor's Degree from Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College and a graduate degree in Computer Science and Software Engineering from UW Bothell.