Since 2006, Jacob Martinez has been a leader in the fight against social, educational, and economic inequities in the underserved rural communities of Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. As an educator, he worked to provide STEM training for Latinx student and was deeply troubled by the way his students and their communities are historically locked out of the economic opportunity and digital innovation brought by tech to other California communities. In 2014 he built Digital NEST, a thriving center for technology and empowerment that prepares young people for academic success and provides them with the technical and essential skills to prosper in the 21st Century workforce. A safe, collaborative space for youth between the ages of 14 to 24, Digital NEST has so far connected more than 2,400 local youth to the latest digital technology, powerful skill-based, STEM-inspired training programs, and a transformative community of mentors and advocates. Jacob’s visionary model includes on-the-job training where NEST members gain valuable experience as paid consultants on video, web development, and graphic design projects for local businesses; work that stimulates community-driven economic development and launches careers.