Emergent Works

Year Founded: 2020

Emergent Works’ builds freedom through digital fluency, education, employment, and economic mobility. They equip Black and Brown youth and adults impacted by incarceration with the tools, networks, and confidence to thrive in today’s digital world.

Emergent Works equips Black and Brown youth and adults impacted by incarceration with the tools, networks, and confidence to thrive in today’s digital world. The organization’s programs merge technical learning with creative expression and healing:

• T.RAP (Technology, Rhythm, and Passion) – a creative-tech fellowship serving youth 16-24, blending music, storytelling, and design while learning skills to succeed in life and work.
• T.E.C.K. (Technology Education and Career Knowledge) – career-focused training serving adults that builds digital fluency and connects participants to high-wage employment opportunities.
• Mentorship & Community – one-on-one support from tech professionals and alumni who model what’s possible.

Emergent Works was founded in 2020 under Alex Qin’s leadership to answer a radical question: What if technology could be a path to freedom? Originally known as Code Cooperative, the organization began as a mentorship circle for formerly incarcerated people learning to code. Under the leadership of Army Armstead—a graduate of the first cohort who rose from mentee to mentor to Co-Founder and Executive Director—the organization was shaped by his journey of turning lived experience into leadership. When COVID-19 disrupted traditional learning, Armstead launched Emergent Works’ first virtual mentorship program connecting software engineers with returning citizens. This initiative became the foundation for a movement using technology, creativity, and community to open doors for those most excluded from opportunity.