CMD-It
About CMD-It
CMD-It is one of those organizations that keeps the door to computing from narrowing. Through the Tapia Conference, workshops, webinars, and the LEAP Alliance, it supports African Americans/Blacks, Native Americans/Indigenous people, Hispanics/Latinx, and people with disabilities across the field. If you care about who gets access to computing careers, faculty roles, and leadership, this is work worth backing.
CMD-It stands out because its reach is unusually practical. It is not just hosting a conference, it is also building faculty pathways through the LEAP Alliance, offering academic and student career development, and creating spaces where underrepresented people in computing can learn, connect, and keep going. The Tapia Conference alone brings together more than 2,000 students, faculty, researchers, and professionals.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing
A conference created to bring together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals in computing from all backgrounds and ethnicities.
Diversifying Leadership in the Professoriate (LEAP) Alliance
A broadening participation alliance focused on diversifying future leadership in the computing professoriate and increasing diversity across the field.
Academic Careers Workshops
Workshops that mentor assistant- and associate-level faculty, senior doctoral students, and postdocs in computing about academic careers, including tenure and promotion, launching research programs, effective teaching, and proposal writing.
Student Professional Development Workshop
Workshops that give undergraduate and masters level computer science students coaching and development from industry professionals, including resume reviews, interview skills, professionalism, and networking.
CMD-IT Monthly Webinars
Monthly webinars launched in 2023 on topics based on input from the CMD-IT community.
Partner Program
A program that helps organizations increase recruitment efforts and retention programs with historically underrepresented groups in computing.
CMD-IT GenAI Student Hackathon
A Tapia Conference hackathon that gives students team-based experience developing GenAI solutions to challenge problems provided by conference partners.
About this work
In their own words — what they do, who it reaches, and what your dollars actually fund.
Mission
to drive societal change by providing skill development, opportunities, and resources for our target communities through innovative programs, events and strategies for the computing community.
Who they serve
African Americans/Blacks, Native Americans/Indigenous people, Hispanics/Latinx, and people with disabilities in computing, including students, faculty, researchers, and professionals.
Their impact
- The Tapia Conference brings together more than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals.
How your donation helps
- Support the Tapia Conference
- Support the LEAP Alliance and its university cohorts
- Support Academic Careers Workshops
- Support the Student Professional Development Workshop
- Support CMD-IT Monthly Webinars and other inclusion-focused programs
Stories
The people behind the work.
Events
CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing
annualAnnual conference that celebrates diversity in computing and brings together students, faculty, researchers, and professionals.
CMD-IT Monthly Webinars
monthlyWebinar series on topics chosen with community input.
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles CMD-It has shared.
Current needs
- Industry, academia, and government agencies to partner with Tapia 2026 and provide challenge problems for the GenAI Student Hackathon
- Organizations to engage with the CMD-IT Partner Program
- Resources to share through CMD-IT Communities of Practice
Recognition & press
Awards & recognition
- Tapia Conference, 2023 HPCwire Readers’ and Editors’ Choice Awards, Workforce Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award
- Valerie E. Taylor, 2025 University of California Berkeley Campanile Excellence in Achievement Award
In the media
- CRA CRN, The NSF BPC Alliances: A National Resource for Broadening Participation in Computing
- Cornell University, Students find support and opportunity at Tapia conference
- James Madison University, Computer science students participate in diversity celebration
- Penn State, Celebrating diversity in tech: IST students attend annual Tapia conference
- University of Southern California, Technology is For Everyone
- Carnegie Mellon University, Celebrating diversity in computing at Tapia 2019
- University of Washington, CIS students head to diversity conference as numbers of minorities rise
Press & mentions
Partners & funders
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
Which communities does CMD-IT focus on?
CMD-It focuses on African Americans/Blacks, Native Americans/Indigenous people, Hispanics/Latinx, and people with disabilities in computing.
What is the Tapia Conference?
The Tapia Conference is CMD-It’s celebration of diversity in computing, bringing together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals from many backgrounds and ethnicities.
What does the LEAP Alliance do?
The LEAP Alliance works to diversify future leadership in the computing professoriate through university cohorts, mentorship, professional development, and community building.
What do the Academic Careers Workshops cover?
They mentor assistant- and associate-level faculty, senior doctoral students, and postdocs about academic careers, including tenure and promotion, launching a research program, effective teaching, and proposal writing.
What does the Student Professional Development Workshop offer?
It gives undergraduate and masters level computer science students coaching from industry professionals, including resume reviews, interview skills, professionalism, and networking.
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