HITS

Long Beach, Calif.-based human-I-T was first established in order to address two problems: The growing issue of e-waste in the United States, where 150,000 computers are disposed of every day while, at the same time, 80 million U.S. citizens do not have access to computers or the internet.

Brandon Smith, VP of sales for human-I-T, spoke with the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA) about how the co-founders got the nonprofit off the ground, the impact human-I-T has had on e-waste in just a few years, and how it partners with local, state, and federal agencies to mitigate e-waste and connect underserved communities with technology.

MESA: How did human-I-T first come about, what was the impetus for the nonprofit’s formation?
 
Smith: The catalyst occurred in 2012 when co-founder James Jack overhead a conversation that would change the course of his life. As he waited in line at an electronics store, he listened to the retailer advise a customer to discard their virus-infected computer and purchase a new one. Jack was stunned to hear that a valuable, reusable device — full of toxic and hazardous materials — was doomed to a landfill. Alongside his colleague Gabe Middleton, they envisioned human-I-T as a model to prevent reusable technology from disposal and instead be re-purposed for those who lacked access.

Gabe and James opened an electronic repair shop in an office the size of a storage closet to raise money for the launch. Slowly, the two accrued enough overhead to expand into a warehouse. Four months after human-I-T’s designation as a non-profit organization in March of 2013, the first full-scale operations warehouse opened. With the generosity of volunteers and donors, human-I-T has grown into a multi-warehouse operation with a team of 35. Today, we collect over 150 pallets of e-waste per month in hopes of repurposing over recycling and disrupting the global e-waste recycling industry, an industry set to cross $40 billion by 2020.

MESA: What type of impact has human-I-T had on not only connecting low-income individuals and nonprofits to technology and the internet, but also in terms of reducing e-waste?
 
Smith: Our community impact has increased tremendously as of late. Since our inception just five years ago, we have been able to divert nearly one-million pounds of e-waste away from landfills, with a majority of that diverted over the last two years. At the same time, we’ve been able to donate over 5,000 refurbished computers and internet connections to those in need.
 
MESA: In what ways does the organization help people in the areas of digital literacy training and technical support?

Smith: Our organization is proud to open our doors to high school, college, and trade school students that show an interest in technology and exploring a future in IT. We train these individuals to refurbish computer hardware and administer IT support. From learning the basics in configuration and data sanitization to getting their hands dirty on a $10,000 server, human-I-T offers vocational training and internship programs that take future IT professionals out of the classroom and into real-world experiences.

Outside of our training program for in-house volunteers, human-I-T provides technical support to every donation recipient to help them troubleshoot hardware and software issues. We also provide a digital literacy training with each computer so recipients can fully harness the power of their device.
 
MESA: What are some of the local, state and federal agencies human-I-T has partnered with, and in what ways?

Smith: human-I-T works with a number of local, state, and federal agencies to mitigate e-waste and connect underserved communities with technology. Our organization has partnered with the City of Los Angeles, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to increase digital equity:

Our most successful program to date is the OurCycle LA program. Through a partnership with the City of Los Angeles, we have been able to take in old city department computers and wipe and refurbish them to be re-purposed and distributed to low-income residents throughout Los Angeles.

Our goal is not solely to give out the greatest number of computers, but to make the greatest impact on the community. Every recipient receives a complete desktop system with Microsoft Office, 6 months of tech support, and training. Through additional partnerships, we have been able to offer many OurCycle recipients with free internet until 2021 as well!

In addition, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles selected human-I-T as a partner for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s ConnectHome initiative.

As project manager for the Los Angeles market, we distributed technology, connected low-income households with free internet, and facilitated digital literacy training and technical support. Of the 26 markets in the program, human-I-T led the nation in number of people connected.

MESA: And what have been some of the most beneficial private company partnerships human-I-T has managed?

Smith: E-waste is that it is an output of almost any modern business. Any company or organization, no matter the size, location, or revenue, could enter into a beneficial partnership with us. Anyone spending a dime on e-waste and not receiving a return is missing out on an opportunity to write off their items while helping others at the same time.

We’ve have been fortunate to partner with Mobile Citizen, a low-cost internet initiative that actively pursues social equity through internet access. Working with them has enabled us to connect more people and provide them with free technology along the way. In addition, everyone that signs up for this low-cost internet program receives a free HP Chromebook.
 
MESA: What’s next for the organization, what can we look forward to from human-I-T in the coming years?

Smith: The sky’s the limit for human-I-T! Our immediate goals include growing our presence in Southern California and increasing the amount of computers we are able to donate out to low-income families, veterans, people with disabilities, and other underserved individuals and families.

Over the next year or two we also plan to open locations on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Ultimately, we want to be seen nationally as the “Goodwill of E-Waste” where donors have a convenient, secure, and community-focused solution for any and all e-waste and unwanted technology.