Ignite Hub

The Brand Accelerator: Your Business Reimagined for Success
2025-04-10 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-08 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-03 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-01 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-27 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-25 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-20 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-18 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) and 2 more dates
The Brand Accelerator: Your Business Reimagined for Success
A free, 6-week intensive digital marketing course for entrepreneurs at the ignITe Hub! Join the instructor, Lateasa Polito, Owner and Creative Curator, Polito & Co, for an exciting HYBRID learning experience.
Take your branding and marketing to the next level and grow your business with confidence. Business owners with at least three years of experience will learn to:

Develop a compelling brand identity that captivates your audience
Create actionable marketing plans using modern tools and techniques
Refine your messaging to align with your business goals
Build confidence in presenting your business vision to stakeholders

Prerequisites:

Business Experience: At least three years of owning or operating an established business with active products or services.
Basic Knowledge: Familiarity with fundamental business operations, such as budgeting and customer management.
Access to Business Data: Availability of marketing materials, branding assets, and performance metrics for use in assignments.
Engagement: Willingness to actively participate, accept feedback, and apply concepts to improve your business
Technology: This course requires a laptop with Windows or MacOS, webcam, microphone, and speaker. If you do not have a laptop, one can provided for in-person instruction only and will remain in the ignITe Hub.

Dates:
Tuesday and Thursdays
March 11 – April 24, 2025 (No class April 15 and 17)
Time: 1:00-4:00 pm
Format: Hybrid
Location:
ignITe Hub at Montgomery College – Mannakee Building
900 Hungerford Drive, #107,
Rockville, MD 20850
Register for this event:
Registration is now closed.
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Sponsored by Montgomery College’s ignITe Hub, Information Technology Institute (ITI) and Verizon.

Hybrid Career Coaching and Workshop: Career Exploration
2025-04-08 12:00 - 13:30
Hybrid Career Coaching and Workshop: Career Exploration
The ignITe Hub in partnership with Career Catchers, Inc. will provide individualized career coaching and monthly career workshops. Each month a hybrid workshop will be presented with a different job readiness topic or skill. These services are free and open to the general public who are interested in pursuing a tech career.
Spring 2025
April 8, 2025 – Career Exploration
May 13, 2025 – Job Search Strategies

Time: 12 – 1:30pm
In Person Location:
East County Education Center Room 122
Montgomery College
2221 Broadbirch Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20904

Register for this hybrid event:
In-Person Registration
Virtual Registration

Fireside Chat Career Series: Journey from Healthcare Provider to Tech Founder
2025-04-07 18:00 - 20:00
Fireside Chat Career Series: Journey from Healthcare Provider to Tech Founder
Monday, April 7, 2025, 6 – 8 pm
6 pm – Dinner for In-Person Guests | 6:30 pm – 8 pm – Presentation
This is a hybrid event and dinner will be provided for in-person attendees.
In-person Registration
Virtual Registration
The ignITe Hub hosts a monthly Fireside Chat Career Series. Each month, we will host a trailblazing guest speaker to explore their unique tech career path. We will learn what sparked their interest in this area, meaningful experiences that impacted their journey and career advice for aspiring techies. Thank you to Verizon for their generous sponsorship of this series.
Our featured guest speaker is Kamilah Mantle, Founder of EPICC Technologies, a mobile app designed to increase the language, speech, and cognition in individuals with neurological conditions. Kamilah has been driven by a lifelong passion to work with geriatric and elderly populations and is deeply committed to providing care, support, and evidence-based therapies to multicultural communities, striving to bridge gaps in healthcare access and equity.
Kamilah holds a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, with a focused concentration on medical populations from Howard University and has over a decade of experience in medical settings specializing in stroke and neuro-rehabilitation. Kamilah has had the privilege of working with diverse communities across cities such as New York City and Washington, D.C. with a primary focus on the adult neurogenic population, particularly those affected by stroke, aphasia, and dementia.
Guest Speaker

Kamilah Mantle
Founder
EPICC Technologies

Hybrid IT Career Pathways Workshop Series
2025-04-03 18:00 - 20:00
Hybrid IT Career Pathways Workshop Series
The ignITe Hub offers a hybrid workshop on IT Career Pathways to demystify the 6 most common IT careers, required certifications, recommended coursework and resources at Montgomery College to get started in a program of study.
Thursday, April 3, 2025: IT Career Pathways – General Overview
Time: 6 – 8pm
In Person Location:

ignITe Hub
Montgomery College – Mannakee Building
900 Hungerford Drive, Room 107
Rockville, MD 20850

Register for this event:
In-Person Registration
Virtual Registration

Bootcamp Series Part 1: Intro to Coding with Swift
2025-03-27 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-03-26 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-03-24 18:00 - 20:00
Bootcamp Series Part 1: Intro to Coding with Swift
The ignITe Hub is offering a free, 2-part Intro to Coding and App Design Bootcamp for adults. Community members will learn coding concepts with Swift Playgrounds – a free app for iPad that makes getting started with Swift code interactive and fun, and how to design mobile apps for Apple devices, build a prototype, and present their projects. The bootcamps are in-person at the ignITe Hub at Montgomery College.
Part 1: Intro to Coding with Swift Bootcamp
Monday, March 24 – Thursday, March 27 (6:00 – 8:00 pm, In-person at the igniTe Hub)
This 4-day bootcamp is an introduction to coding concepts. Participants will learn basic coding skills through interactive activities and projects with Swift Playgrounds. No coding experience required.
Part 2: Intro to Mobile App Design Bootcamp
Monday, April 21 – Thursday, April 24 (6:00 – 8:00 pm, In-person at the igniTe Hub)
This 4-day bootcamp will introduce how to define, prototype, test, validate and iterate to design a mobile app using Swift code. Participants will present their unique design in Keynote. No coding experience required.
Location:
ignITe Hub
Montgomery College
900 Hungerford Dr., #109,
Rockville, MD 20850
Register for this event:
In Person Registration

Bootcamp Series Part 1: Intro to Coding with Swift
2025-03-25 18:00 - 20:00
Coding Bootcamp Series Part 1: Intro to Coding with Swift
The ignITe Hub is offering a free, 2-part Intro to Coding and App Design Bootcamp for adults. Community members will learn coding concepts with Swift Playgrounds – a free app for iPad that makes getting started with Swift code interactive and fun, and how to design mobile apps for Apple devices, build a prototype, and present their projects. The bootcamps are in-person at the ignITe Hub at Montgomery College.
Part 1: Intro to Coding with Swift Bootcamp
Monday, March 24 – Thursday, March 27 (6:00 – 8:00 pm, In-person at the igniTe Hub)
This 4-day bootcamp is an introduction to coding concepts. Participants will learn basic coding skills through interactive activities and projects with Swift Playgrounds. No coding experience required.
Part 2: Intro to Mobile App Design Bootcamp
Monday, April 21 – Thursday, April 24 (6:00 – 8:00 pm, In-person at the igniTe Hub)
This 4-day bootcamp will introduce how to define, prototype, test, validate and iterate to design a mobile app using Swift code. Participants will present their unique design in Keynote. No coding experience required.
Location:
ignITe Hub
Montgomery College
900 Hungerford Dr., #109,
Rockville, MD 20850
Register for this event:
In Person Registration

Future of Technology Lunch & Learn: No AI Slop! Writing with Intention using Large Language Models
2025-03-20 12:00 - 13:30
Future of Technology Lunch & Learn: No AI Slop! Writing with Intention using Large Language Models
Thursday, March 20, 2025, 12 – 1:30 pm
This is a hybrid event and lunch will be provided for in-person attendees. Masks are optional in the Hub.
In-person Registration
Virtual Registration
Description
The ignITe Hub hosts a monthly Future of Tech Lunch & Learn Series. Each month, we will have a cutting-edge guest speaker to explore an innovative area in the world of technology. Topics will range from BioTech to Entertainment Technology and beyond. We will learn from notable industry experts about a specific type of technology, how this technology is being used to solve a community problem and what are unique career pathways related to this field. Thank you to Verizon for their generous sponsorship of this series.
Dr. Feldman is the AI/ML Futurist for ASRC Federal and an Adjunct Research Assistant Professor of Information Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. His background includes motion picture production, photography, and even the unique opportunity of recording audio from a line of M1 tanks on a firing line. He has held a beating heart in his hand.
Phil is a prolific writer and speaker, having authored the book “Stampede Theory: Human Nature, Technology, and Runaway Social Realities” and presented at numerous conferences on topics such as AI, ethics, and social media. He has also been featured in media outlets like New Scientist.

Guest Speaker

Dr. Phil Feldman
AI/ML Futurist
ASRC Federal

Hybrid IT Career Pathways Workshop Series
2025-03-19 18:00 - 20:00
Hybrid IT Career Pathways Workshop Series
The ignITe Hub offers a hybrid workshop on IT Career Pathways to demystify the 6 most common IT careers, required certifications, recommended coursework and resources at Montgomery College to get started in a program of study.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025: Careers in Data, Cloud, and Web/App Development
Time: 6 – 8pm
In Person Location:

ignITe Hub
Montgomery College – Mannakee Building
900 Hungerford Drive, Room 107
Rockville, MD 20850

Register for this event:
In-Person Registration
Virtual Registration

Worlds of Work Event
2025-03-18 09:00 - 13:30, 2025-03-17 09:00 - 13:30
Worlds of Work Event
Monday and Tuesday, March 17 – 18, 2025, 9am – 1:30pm
Montgomery College
Rockville Campus
Description
The ignITe Hub is a participating partner at the 1st annual Worlds of Work (WoW) event at Montgomery College. This innovative career exploration experience will welcome approximately 6,000 MCPS middle school students, providing them with hands-on exposure to diverse career paths and industries as part of the innovative MoCo CAP initiative.
This initiative is sponsored by WorkSource Montgomery, Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College. More information: MOCOCAP website.

Hybrid IT Career Pathways Workshop Series
2025-03-12 18:00 - 20:00
Hybrid IT Career Pathways Workshop Series
The ignITe Hub offers a hybrid workshop on IT Career Pathways to demystify the 6 most common IT careers, required certifications, recommended coursework and resources at Montgomery College to get started in a program of study.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025: Careers in Support, Networking, and Cybersecurity
Time: 6 – 8pm
In Person Location:

ignITe Hub
Montgomery College – Mannakee Building
900 Hungerford Drive, Room 107
Rockville, MD 20850

Register for this event:
In-Person Registration
Virtual Registration

Hybrid Career Coaching and Workshop: Resume Writing
2025-03-11 12:00 - 13:30
Hybrid Career Coaching and Workshop: Resume Writing
The ignITe Hub in partnership with Career Catchers, Inc. will provide individualized career coaching and monthly career workshops. Each month a hybrid workshop will be presented with a different job readiness topic or skill. These services are free and open to the general public who are interested in pursuing a tech career.
Spring 2025
March 11, 2025 – Resume Writing
April 8, 2025 – Career Exploration
May 13, 2025 – Job Search Strategies

Time: 12 – 1:30pm
In Person Location:
East County Education Center Room 122
Montgomery College
2221 Broadbirch Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20904

Register for this hybrid event:
In-Person Registration
Virtual Registration

Hybrid IT Career Pathways Workshop Series
2025-03-05 18:00 - 20:00
Hybrid IT Career Pathways Workshop Series
The ignITe Hub offers a hybrid workshop on IT Career Pathways to demystify the 6 most common IT careers, required certifications, recommended coursework and resources at Montgomery College to get started in a program of study.
Wednesday, March 5, 2025: IT Career Pathways – General Overview
Time: 6 – 8pm
In Person Location:

ignITe Hub
Montgomery College – Mannakee Building
900 Hungerford Drive, Room 107
Rockville, MD 20850

Register for this event:
In-Person Registration
Virtual Registration

Fireside Chat Career Series: Beyond the Expected: Building Innovation One Opportunity at a Time
2025-03-03 18:00 - 20:00
Fireside Chat Career Series: Beyond the Expected: Building Innovation One Opportunity at a Time
Monday, March 3, 2025, 6 – 8 pm
6 pm – Dinner for In-Person Guests | 6:30 pm – 8 pm – Presentation
This is a hybrid event and dinner will be provided for in-person attendees.
In-person Registration
Virtual Registration
The ignITe Hub hosts a monthly Fireside Chat Career Series. Each month, we will host a trailblazing guest speaker to explore their unique tech career path. We will learn what sparked their interest in this area, meaningful experiences that impacted their journey and career advice for aspiring techies. Thank you to Verizon for their generous sponsorship of this series.
Josephine “Joey” Tientcheu is a visionary technology leader, military officer and intrapreneur who is revolutionizing how the U.S. Army addresses retention challenges for its Junior Officers. As a Cybersecurity Research Staff Member at a Federally Funded Research & Development Center (FFRDC), Joey conducts critical analyses of complex information systems to ensure their security and effectiveness in supporting the warfighting functions. Her multifaceted career spans roles as a Cyberspace Operations Lead in the Federal Government, Tax Technology & Transformation at EY, and pioneering work as part of PwC’s inaugural class of Tax Digital Accelerators. Currently serving as an Engineer Lieutenant in the Maryland Army National Guard, Joey brings a unique blend of military and civilian expertise to her work safeguarding national security infrastructure.
Her academic pursuits reflect a commitment to continuous growth, having earned an Honors Associates in Political Science, Bachelor’s in Accounting, Master’s in Data Analytics & Policy, and now pursuing a Doctorate of Engineering in Cybersecurity Analytics. This educational foundation, combined with extensive experience in risk management and cyber threat analysis, has established Joey as an influential mentor and leader who excels in dynamic environments where technical expertise meets strategic decision-making.

Guest Speakers

Josephine B. Tientcheu
Cybersecurity Researcher
U.S. Army Engineer Officer

Girl Power STEM Expo
2025-03-01 14:00 - 17:00
Girl Power STEM Expo
Saturday, March 1, 2025, 2 – 5 pm
Johns Hopkins’ Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Campus
Description
The ignITe Hub will be offering Apple Swift Playground demos at the annual Girl Power STEM Expo. Girl Power is a one-day STEM Expo held on Johns Hopkins’ Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) campus designed for elementary and middle school students to explore careers in STEM.

Future of Technology Lunch & Learn: Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into your Brand
2025-02-20 12:00 - 13:30
Future of Technology Lunch & Learn: Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into your Brand
Thursday, February 20, 2025, 12 – 1:30 pm
This is a hybrid event and lunch will be provided for in-person attendees. Masks are optional in the Hub.
In-person Registration
Virtual Registration
Description
The ignITe Hub hosts a monthly Future of Tech Lunch & Learn Series. Each month, we will have a cutting-edge guest speaker to explore an innovative area in the world of technology. Topics will range from BioTech to Entertainment Technology and beyond. We will learn from notable industry experts about a specific type of technology, how this technology is being used to solve a community problem and what are unique career pathways related to this field. Thank you to Verizon for their generous sponsorship of this series.

Lateasa Polito, an accomplished entrepreneur and seasoned brand and marketing professional, boasts two decades of experience transforming brands and businesses. With a formidable track record, she has served as the driving force behind numerous government agencies and non-profits in the DMV and beyond. Leveraging her expertise, Lateasa has secured millions in government funding for corporate clients, orchestrated expansive city-wide marketing initiatives, and collaborated with leading communications firms to craft compelling graphics, websites, and marketing collateral through her esteemed company, Polito Creative & Co.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Lateasa cherishes her role as a mother to two wonderful boys, finding joy in influencing and uplifting other moms through her multifaceted pursuits.

Guest Speaker

Lateasa Polito
Owner
Polito Creative & Co

Hybrid Career Coaching and Workshop: Transferable Skills
2025-02-11 12:00 - 13:30
Hybrid Career Coaching and Workshop: Transferable Skills
The ignITe Hub in partnership with Career Catchers, Inc. will provide individualized career coaching and monthly career workshops. Each month a hybrid workshop will be presented with a different job readiness topic or skill. These services are free and open to the general public who are interested in pursuing a tech career.
Spring 2025
February 11, 2025 – Transferable Skills
March 11, 2025 – Resume Writing
April 8, 2025 – Career Exploration
May 13, 2025 – Job Search Strategies

Time: 12 – 1:30pm

Register for this online event:
Virtual Registration

Fireside Chat Career Series: Curiosity as Your Driver: Lessons in Science, Advocacy, and Entrepreneurship
2025-02-03 18:00 - 20:00
Fireside Chat Career Series: Curiosity as Your Driver: Lessons in Science, Advocacy, and Entrepreneurship
Monday, February 3, 2025, 6 – 8 pm
6 pm – Dinner for In-Person Guests | 6:30 pm – 8 pm – Presentation
This is a hybrid event and dinner will be provided for in-person attendees.
In-person Registration
Virtual Registration
The ignITe Hub hosts a monthly Fireside Chat Career Series. Each month, we will host a trailblazing guest speaker to explore their unique tech career path. We will learn what sparked their interest in this area, meaningful experiences that impacted their journey and career advice for aspiring techies. Thank you to Verizon for their generous sponsorship of this series.
Dr. Arti Patel Varanasi is President and CEO of the social enterprise, Advancing Synergy, LLC. She has over 25 years combined experience in cancer research, advocacy, capacity building, public health and project management. Dr. Varanasi is passionate about developing innovations that build stronger communities and enable all individuals to lead healthier and longer lives. Her focus has been on leveraging technology to address chronic disease and advance health equity and justice.
She has extensive leadership involvement with notable organizations such as the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Leadership Howard County, Noncommunicable (NCD) Disease Roundtable, American Cancer Society, Health Resources and Services Administration’s National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice. Dr. Varanasi is also an educator as a senior lecturer in the Master’s in Biotechnology Program at The Johns Hopkins University and has taught Health IT Fundamentals at Howard Community College.
She received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and MPH from Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, she is also a graduate of the National Science Foundation funded ACTiVATE® program for women technology entrepreneurs.
Guest Speakers

Arti Patel Varanasi, PhD, MPH, CPH
President & CEO
Advancing Synergy, LLC

EmpowerTech DMV - Transitioning Into and Thriving in a Cybersecurity Career
2025-01-29 18:30 - 20:30
EmpowerTech DMV – Transitioning Into and Thriving in a Cybersecurity Career
Join us for “Transitioning Into and Thriving in a Cybersecurity Career,” a free, insightful event, and networking night featuring guest speaker Simeon Kakpovi, Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst at Microsoft and founder of the KC7 Cyber Initiative. Gain valuable tips on breaking into the cybersecurity field and learn strategies for advancing your career as a newcomer in this exciting industry. Presented by Montgomery College’s Information Technology Insitute, TechMAP, and the ignITe Hub, this event is designed to inspire and equip you with the tools for success in cybersecurity. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow your knowledge and network with professionals in the field!
Complimentary refreshments will be provided!
Our guest speaker will offer insights on:

What key skills and certifications are most valuable for individuals transitioning into cybersecurity
How aspiring professionals can stand out in the competitive cybersecurity job market
Trends in cybersecurity newcomers should be aware of to future-proof their careers
And more!

In-Person Registration
In Person Location:
ignITe Hub
Montgomery College – Mannakee Building
900 Hungerford Dr., MK109
Rockville, MD 20850
