The tools that shape the future should be accessible to everyone.
Technology shapes how we learn, work, and connect. Access shouldn't depend on where a child grows up.
Unity Foundation was founded by Dr. Ebrahim Moshiri, who spent 30 years building Object Computing, Inc. (OCI) — the company behind the Iridium satellite network and the training ground for more than 50,000 engineers at Fortune 1000 companies. That expertise is where Unity Foundation's work originates. Today, Unity applies it to expand access to workforce development, digital literacy, and education in St. Louis.
Technology plays an increasing role in daily life, yet many people are not given the opportunity to understand it, question it, or create with it. We're working to change that by opening access to the tools, knowledge, and support systems that shape the modern world.
Be part of the work.
The Numbers Behind What We've Built
In 2025, students without prior programming experience completed a 7-course Python curriculum — building 6 working programs each, using $0 in licensed software.
Talent Is Everywhere. Access Is Not.
The gap starts early.
Open source is built on the principle that the foundational blueprints of technology should be transparent and available to all. It is designed to keep the systems shaping our collective digital future open, collaborative, and community-driven. Yet while open-source software now drives global infrastructure, active participation in building it remains concentrated among a remarkably small number of contributors — and the communities with the most to gain are most often left out.
In many classrooms, educators are working to prepare students for a rapidly changing world without access to modern tools or training. Families face the same barriers, limiting early exposure and the confidence that comes with it. The challenge is never a child's potential. It is access to the conditions that allow that potential to grow. When access is limited, opportunities narrow — and over time, that narrowing affects not only individuals, but entire communities.
In St. Louis, the digital divide is a neighborhood-level barrier that directly shapes a child's relationship with technology. Nearly half of households across the city and county face at least one core obstacle — unreliable internet, unaffordable service or devices, or limited foundational digital literacy. In lower-income areas, particularly in North St. Louis City and North County, many families navigate multiple barriers at once.
Progress is possible.
In 2025, St. Louis was recognized by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance as a Visionary Digital Inclusion Trailblazer for its work expanding access through community-based learning and support systems.
At the national level, these early gaps do not close on their own — they compound. Access to foundational computer science and AI education remains deeply uneven, particularly in high-poverty schools. Participation in building open-source technology remains highly concentrated even as its economic importance grows.
Unity Foundation's approach is grounded in something most programs cannot claim: three decades of proven workforce development expertise and practitioners who have built global-scale technology systems from the ground up. That established capability is now deployed directly within your community — creating a foundation for lasting, compounding change.
Why It Matters
Technology profoundly influences access to education, employment, healthcare, communication, and civic participation. Despite its pivotal role, access to the systems and skills that shape modern life remains deeply uneven. Many communities face significant barriers to reliable technology, technical education, mentorship, and entry into the workforce. That divide affects individuals, families, and long-term economic mobility.
Open technology is founded on the principle that digital blueprints should be transparent and accessible to all — yet participation in building those foundational systems remains highly concentrated, excluding the diverse perspectives needed for infrastructure as critical as healthcare, civic institutions, and national communications. Closing this talent gap is not a local initiative. It is a national capability challenge.
How We Help.
Unity Foundation addresses this by creating the conditions for sustained, compounding progress rather than temporary solutions. We build practical pathways into technology education and workforce participation.
The goal is a living ecosystem — building capability, confidence, and connections that extend outward into communities and industries. When access expands, everyone benefits.
Whether you're a student, educator, community partner, or funder — there's a role for you here.
From volunteering and mentorship to funding programs that expand opportunity, every path helps.