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Reggie Gaudino, Morgan Diamond, and Kay Monelle were selected among Crain’s Notable Black Leaders.Reggie Gaudino, Morgan Diamond, and Kay Monelle were selected among Crain’s Notable Black Leaders. Photo by Alex Garcia.

Three DPI team members have been selected among Crain’s Chicago BusinessNotable Black Leaders: Morgan Diamond, director of workforce education for Pritzker Tech Talent Labs (PTTL); Reggie Gaudino, director of the Cannabis Research Institute; and Kay Monelle, director of high school programming for PTTL.

Notable Black Leaders is an annual feature recognizing leaders with significant accomplishments within their industry and/or community.

Morgan Diamond
Through Morgan’s efforts, more than 120 people have completed DPI’s Tech Apprentice program since its 2022 launch. Following a 12-week paid training program, participants are placed into yearlong apprenticeships with partner tech organizations, ideally transitioning into full-time, permanent positions.

On average, trainees placed into apprentice-level technology roles coming out of the apprenticeship saw their annual income rise from $19,000 to nearly $65,000. Trainees placed in full-time tech jobs earn more than $97,000. Morgan feels energized by the growing number of tech opportunities for her trainees as they become more career-ready in an ever-changing sector.

“Morgan has vision, backed up by relentless execution as she brings bold yet efficient workforce solutions to market,” said Matthew Klein, director of corporate partnerships at PTTL. “It is perhaps by virtue of Morgan’s remarkable emotional intelligence that she can so effectively galvanize teams, deliver results, and extract the very best out of people.”

Reggie Gaudino
With years of experience in industry as a molecular geneticist focused on biochemical networks in plant phytochemistry, Reggie has dedicated his career to sharing research in the public domain. His leadership and public profile were primary reasons to bring him to DPI in February. Here, he works to establish programs that will help state governments and local stakeholders to develop science-based policy around cannabis regulation, with an eye toward social equity and social justice reforms.

He’s already seen real-life examples of the medical benefits of cannabis. He met Rylie Maedler when she was a child suffering from aggressive central giant cell granuloma (ACGCG) bone tumors. Oil from a specific variety of cannabis was shown to be effective against ACGCG tumors, and Reggie is working to isolate the compound.

Today, in addition to his work at DPI, Reggie serves as chief scientific advisor for Maedler’s Rylie’s Smile Foundation, which aims to help sick children and their families by helping them achieve a better quality of life by providing health education and technology, as well as advocating for research and less-toxic treatments options.

“His experience and research in the cannabis field has given us the knowledge to provide the best support possible,” said Maedler and her mother Janie Maedler. “Without his help, we wouldn’t have the resources needed to help those who need it the most.”

Kay Monelle
As DPI’s director of K–12 programs, Kay oversees programs offering computer science courses to hundreds of middle school, high school, and early college students and tech teachers, including Digital Scholars, which she founded. Her other programs include Discover Computing, and Summer Intensives. Kay also develops 10 annual workshops with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), providing tech education to nearly 600 students yearly. Additionally, Kay builds partnerships with local colleges and leading tech companies including Amazon, CME Group, Synchrony, and Swift.

Kay’s path in educational programming began during her volunteering as a mentor with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) CHANCE program, which focuses on increasing recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of underrepresented students. She continues her work with CHANCE today and is also an academic advisor for UIC’s undergraduate chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., helping students prepare for interviews and recruiting events.

“Since I was 17, Ms. Kay has been a guiding light,” said Chenille Lawrence, a UIC and Digital Scholars alum, now a software engineer at John Deere. “Her unwavering support and encouragement have helped me navigate challenges and seize new opportunities.”

What they’re saying
“The work that Morgan, Reggie, and Kay each do for DPI is a vital part of our mission,” said Deba Dutta, DPI’s interim executive director. “We’re so pleased that Crain’s has recognized their work in community education and, in Reggie’s case, in groundbreaking research as well.”

Read more about Morgan, Reggie, and Kay in Crain’s Chicago Business (sub req’d)

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Author: Jeanie Chung