New Documentary Series Showcases Diverse Tech Entrepreneurs Who Are Bringing A Better Future into the Present

Costa Mesa, California, June 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nonprofit career exploration company Roadtrip Nation is excited to kick off the summer with their new documentary series, “Venture Forward.” Presented by KQED, “Venture Forward” will air nationally on public television stations starting on June 6, and is available to watch online at rtn.is/venture.

Fueled by AT&T, “Venture Forward” explores how people from diverse backgrounds are building innovative businesses and enterprises in the world of tech. The series follows three aspiring tech entrepreneurs, Carissa, Jordane, and Alicia, as they travel from New York City to San Francisco in Roadtrip Nation’s green RV, interviewing entrepreneurs who are building tech-driven companies around women’s health, community development, entertainment, and more.

Carissa has already started her own at-home marketing agency. But as a young woman in tech, she’s plagued by imposter syndrome and can’t bring herself to ask for the money she deserves for these projects. She wants to build confidence in herself, learn how to network, gain bigger clients, and find out what it takes to run a successful tech marketing agency. Jordane wants his career as an entrepreneur to help give something back to the community he came from. His ultimate desire is to use technology to create social impact as an entrepreneur, mentor, and philanthropist rolled into one. Alicia wants her skills in tech to meld with her aptitude for entrepreneurship and drive toward social justice. She’s at a crossroads and wants to find a mentor to help her decide whether she should pursue tech entrepreneurship right out of college, go to grad school, or switch focus to become an Asian American studies professor.

“Roadtrip Nation is all about inspiring forward movement,” said Mike Marriner, president and co-founder of Roadtrip Nation. “We wanted to explore how diverse tech entrepreneurs are overcoming obstacles and driving change, to show young people of all different backgrounds that they can be tech founders. We want as many people to find fulfilling work and meaningful lives as possible, and we’re proud to have AT&T fueling this initiative.”

Along their journey, Carissa, Jordane, and Alicia cross paths with tech entrepreneurs like bestselling author, motivational speaker, chairman of VaynerX, and CEO of VaynerMedia, Gary Vaynerchuk; Black Girls Code founder and CEO, Kimberly Bryant; the third Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Megan Smith; and the co-founder and CEO of MoviePass, Stacy Spikes, as well as many other inspiring tech founders. Through these stories, the roadtrippers learn that failure and challenges are to be expected when you make a life in entrepreneurship, but the only limit to what they can build is their own imagination.

“AT&T is committed to supporting organizations working to empower the next generation of tech entrepreneurs,” said Mylayna Albright, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at AT&T. “Roadtrip Nation is a leader in equipping young people with the skills they need to succeed, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for the inspirational individuals profiled in ‘Venture Forward.’”

To learn more about “Venture Forward,” visit rtn.is/venture.

You can also learn more about the series by following @RoadtripNation and @ATTimpact on Twitter.

About Roadtrip Nation
“What should I do with my life?” Since 2001, Roadtrip Nation has made it their mission to help individuals answer this question. Through best-selling books, an acclaimed documentary series, and interactive classroom curricula, Roadtrip Nation empowers people to turn what they like into careers they’ll love—and helps them navigate any obstacles encountered along the way. For more information, visit roadtripnation.com/about.

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. We have a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities, promote academic and economic achievement, and address community needs. Our AT&T Aspire initiative uses innovation in education to drive student success in school and beyond. With a financial commitment of $500 million since 2008, AT&T is leveraging technology, relationships and social innovation to help all students make their biggest dreams a reality.

About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. www.kqed.org

About APT
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. For more than 10 years, APT has annually distributed one-third or more of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. Founded in 1961, among its 250 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies. “America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated,” “Cook’s Country,” “AfroPoP,” “Rick Steves’ Europe,” “Chris Kimball’s Milk Street Television,” “Front and Center,” “Doc Martin,” “Nightly Business Report,” “Midsomer Murders,” “A Place to Call Home,” “Lidia’s Kitchen,” “Globe Trekker,” “New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton,” “Simply Ming,” and “P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home” are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. Entering its 13th year, Create®TV — featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming — is distributed by American Public Television. APT also distributes WORLDTM, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.