Written By: Tracey Khan
As technology reshapes nearly every aspect of work and daily life, The Knowledge House (TKH) is expanding its mission to ensure low-income and historically overlooked communities are not left behind in the digital economy.
Founded in 2014 in the South Bronx, the nonprofit provides free technology education, workforce training and digital literacy programs for youth and adults. Today, it serves more than 500 students annually across five major cities: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City (headquarters); Newark and Washington, D.C.
From left, Claudia Soriano, Anna Veridayan, New York State Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia and Jerelyn Rodriguez Williams attend a digital equity event in New York City. (Photo: Alejandra Araujo)
“We started The Knowledge House to make sure Bronx residents and other low-income communities have access to tech training and tech careers,” said Claudia Soriano, senior director of development and external affairs. “Without that access, people get locked out of opportunity.”
Headquartered at 79 Alexander Ave. in the Bronx, New York, TKH has grown from a small grassroots effort operating with borrowed space and equipment into a multi-city nonprofit focused on closing the digital divide through education and access.
The organization operates three core programs. Its workforce development track prepares adults for careers in technology through job training and professional readiness. Its youth programs introduce students to coding, STEM education and technology careers, helping them explore college and alternative pathways. A third program centers on digital literacy, offering foundational technology skills for learners of all ages, from students and parents to seniors, including instruction on emerging tools such as artificial intelligence.
As the digital divide evolves, so does the organization’s approach.
“Today, the gap isn’t just about internet access,” Soriano noted, “It’s about digital literacy, critical thinking and understanding the tools people need for everyday life and work…“It means leveling the playing field for communities that have been structurally left behind.”
Soriano oversees national fundraising and partnerships across five U.S. cities, focusing on collaborators who view technical education as a pathway to economic mobility. The organization prioritizes serving women, immigrants and communities of color.
For Soriano, mission-aligned partnerships are about shared values, not just funding. The organization prioritizes collaborators who see technical education as a pathway to long-term economic empowerment, particularly for women, women of color, immigrants and communities of color. “It’s not about a lack of talent,” she said. “It’s about access, to opportunity, to networks, and to people who believe in you.”
That belief system is rooted in Soriano’s own story. A first-generation Dominican American raised in the Bronx, New York, she spent part of her childhood living in Argentina before returning to New York in her early 20s to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The experience shaped her worldview and deepened her commitment to service.
“As a Bronx girl, I think a lot about access,” she said. “I didn’t step into a museum until I came back from Argentina. That exposure changed how I saw the world and what was possible.”
Equity remains central to the work. About 60% of The Knowledge House’s fellows and alumni identify as women, according to the organization, and recruitment pipelines are intentionally diverse across gender, culture and nationality.
The nonprofit also hosts Tech Empowerment Days, offering community-based digital training for adults 18 and older. The sessions are designed to support entire families, helping participants learn to navigate technology safely and critically.
As it expands nationally, The Knowledge House is formalizing a regional model that combines local leadership with centralized systems and workforce data, allowing the organization to meet local needs while scaling its impact.
Participants pose with Michael Geddes during the NYC TED 2025 event. (Photo: Alejandra Araujo)
Looking ahead, the nonprofit is launching Pathways AI, an in-house education technology platform designed to personalize learning and support students and alumni. It is also expanding its Training Solutions arm, partnering with schools, nonprofits and government agencies to deliver digital and AI upskilling programs nationwide.
“AI won’t replace people,” she added. “It will replace people who don’t know how to use it. We’re preparing our fellows to be leaders in the digital economy.”
The Knowledge House will mark its 12th anniversary this fall, a milestone the organization said underscores both progress and urgency.
“This work is about access, dignity and opportunity,” she said. “And making sure our communities are not left out of the future.”
The Knowledge House (TKH) was co-founded in 2014 by CEO Jerelyn Rodriguez Williams and CTO Joe Carrano.
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