Dell Technologies is Changing the Face of Tech at HSI Battle of the Brains

Originally Published: September 20th, 2023

The Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Battle of the Brains is an academic national championship paired with an experiential recruiting showcase that allows participating students to compete for scholarship funding while also providing visibility into career opportunities at top organizations. This program was founded in 2020 as a way to help foster a community across HSIs as well as promote great, diverse talent to large companies that otherwise might not engage with these schools and students.
Dell Technologies has been involved with the sister program, HBCU Battle of the Brains, since 2018, so when the HSI one was established, the partnership was a no-brainer.

Our mission is to support underrepresented talent in technology through engagement, education, and employment opportunities. HSI Battle of the Brains is the perfect program to do this because events happen all week long, giving us ample opportunities to meet the students, get to know what their career aspirations are, and determine if Dell is the right place for them based on the roles we have available.

Throughout the week, we are invited to 10 events to engage with the students, HSI faculty, and HSI Battle of the Brains staff. The first event, kicking off the entire week of activities, is the Dell Technologies Company Tour. This event allows us to show students what Dell’s culture is like, host a career panel where Latinos and HSI Battle of the Brains alumni discuss their career paths at Dell, tour multiple labs that allow us to continue to be innovative in the technology space, and have a career fair where various business units come together to share details about internships and full-time roles for next summer. On top of that, we host a Dell mixer, participate as coaches and guides during the 24-hour case competition, help judge during preliminary rounds, recruit, and connect with faculty to see how we can continue to better partner with higher education institutions.

More than that, though, this is an opportunity for us to connect with the students and the Latino community. As the current Diversity Partner Relations Program Manager overseeing our partnership with HSI Battle of the Brains, I know this event impacts students far longer than the five days they’re in Austin, TX. Seeing the support that our organization has for their career goals and hearing from current team members with similar backgrounds gives them the confidence to apply and know they can be successful. We show students how to network, develop skills, understand more about the corporate environment, and highlight the accomplishments of our Latino team members, so these students can really see what they’re capable of.

The HSI Battle of the Brains is taking place from Wednesday, September 20, 2023, through Sunday, September 24, 2023, this year, and we cannot wait to meet the incredible students who will be participating!
 
About Franzi: 
Franzi Masche is the Diversity Partner Relations Program Manager for the Changing the Face of Tech team under North America Talent Acquisition. She has been at Dell for five years, starting in the HR Rotation Program and then moving into the Emerging Talent Recruiting team to oversee Dell's relationships with external student-focused diversity organizations. Throughout her time in HR and TA, Franzi has proven to be a strategic thinker who consults with her stakeholders and influences decisions across the organization to complete high-level and large-scale projects.

The Changing the Face of Tech team is responsible for the talent attraction of underrepresented minority students interested in securing internships and entry-level roles within a wide variety of business units. We leverage relationships with HBCUs, HSIs, community colleges, and partner programs to continuously diversify our talent pipelines to help us achieve our 2030 Moonshot Goals for Cultivating Inclusion.

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