This article is part of a series about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in Washtenaw County’s tech sector. Support for this series is provided by Ann Arbor SPARK.
For many jobs in the technology sector, a college degree is the price of admission – and for many who may wish to pursue those jobs, that price is prohibitively high. As conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in tech evolve, some local employers are expanding their mindsets to rethink how they define, recruit, and develop talent.
One of them is Ylondia Portis, principle partner in Brandhrt Evolution. Portis started the Ypsilanti-based strategic communications company in 2016 after a 25-year career in the advertising industry. 
Brandhrt Evolution principle partner Ylondia Portis at SPARK East in Ypsilanti.
“People’s talents are not limited to what they learn in college,” she says.
Portis recalls…
