[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 102 (Monday, June 12, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING SDI PRESENCE FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

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                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 12, 2023

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I wish to highlight SDI Presence, a 
Chicago-based IT consultancy and managed services provider, for its 
distinguished service to the community. Through its ongoing engagement 
with Chicago's educational institutions and initiatives, SDI has helped 
create a pipeline for students from underserved communities to prepare 
for rewarding careers in the city's emerging technology sector.
  SDI Presence, led by Executive Chairman and founder David Gupta and 
CEO Hardik Bhatt, has played a pivotal role in new apprenticeship and 
mentorship programs that support the city's vision of cultivating 
talent as diverse as the communities it serves.
  One of these programs, aptly named DiverseTech, is an innovative 
partnership between leaders in the private sector IT space, including 
SDI Presence, and the City of Chicago, DiverseTech fulfills a critical 
role in the human infrastructure of Chicago's economy by preparing 
students and recent graduates to fill some of the city's most in-demand 
IT jobs. The partnership recruits apprentices from historically 
underrepresented communities, leveraging the talent of our region's 
community college system. This year alone, DiverseTech will train, 
guide, and mentor at least 25 apprentices in areas such as 
cybersecurity and digital services to meet the growing IT needs of city 
government and Chicagoland's advanced technology sector.
  Additionally. through a unique partnership with Chicago's Kennedy-
King College, SDI has supported the college's Tech Launchpad program, a 
pipeline drawing talent primarily from the city's South and West sides. 
With gifts from SDI and access to the firm's unparalleled 
apprenticeship network, Tech Launchpad has grown rapidly, extending its 
reach with plans to help transform the lives of more than 600 students 
in the next two years.
  Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to recognize and extend our 
collective gratitude to SDI Presence for its contributions to the 
people of our area. I look forward to seeing the impact of its work 
across the Chicagoland region and the Nation as the graduates of its 
programs go on to become a new generation of America's tech leaders.

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