MINNEAPOLIS -- Amazon announced Thursday plans for a new technology development center in downtown Minneapolis. It will create 100 full-time jobs focused on technology.
The company will also be donating $10,000 to Code Savvy to fund the nonprofit's Technovation[MN] program.
Technovation[MN] focuses on getting more girls, ages 10-18, involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.
"I saw that there was a lack of innovation in the female area and so I wanted to make sure that we were part of the population. We need everyone creating innovative ideas and technology can absolutely support in solving some of the world's greatest needs," said Shawn Stavseth, co-founder of Technovation[MN].
The girls (mainly from the Twin Cities metro area and Rochester) design code, creating their own mobile apps to solve local community problems.
Stavseth said the program is focused on recruiting girls from low-income and diverse communities.
"It's important for us to reach those girls because they don't always have the technology available to them and so we want to make sure that we are bringing that technology to them," she said.
With Amazon's donation, they will be able to do more recruiting and provide more tools girls need to code. Amazon employees will also serve as mentors to the kids.
"Larger corporations are actually having a hard time recruiting. Recruiting period, let alone a diverse community. When you have a diverse community, you have much more creativity and a better product," Stavseth said.
Amazon is also in the process of hiring an additional 1,000 full-time employees for its new Shakopee fulfillment center.