During the spring semester, Syderia Alston, Durham Tech Accounting and Finance graduate and FBLA Collegiate president. and Durham Tech Director of Business and Administration, Dr. LaTonya Steelea worked together on a research project with Needle & Thread Co., a mobile business, as part of Lenovo’s Data Trade Gateway Initiative that is a collaboration with N.C. State and other institutions.
“This was the first time N.C. State reached out and partnered with a community college,” Steele said.
The Data Trade Gateway program, soon entering its third year, pairs local minority business owners with students to serve as interactive data consultants for the business. The students use data visualization to turn complex data into understandable visuals (charts, graphs, maps, dashboards) to reveal patterns, trends, and outliers.
Needle & Thread Co. is based in Raleigh and owned by Derrick Grant. Grant started the business in 2017, specializing in upcycling thrifted and found pieces that he custom makes into something new.
“After analyzing the data for Needle & Thread Co., I suggested he stay consistent, post more of his ‘get ready with me’ videos and share more of his everyday activities,” Alston said.
The three key objectives of the Data Trade Gateway Initiative are to transfer the skill of analysis and data visualization to minority-owned business owners to help them better plan and execute the operations of their businesses, give students hands-on experience using data visualization software by serving as a “consultant” to the assigned business and allow faculty of North Carolina colleges and universities to foster knowledge of data science within their curriculum through a data visualization tool.
“The students got to see how a real-world business would use the tool and benefit from it,” Steele said. “The student learns and becomes more marketable.”
According to Lenovo, Lenovo Evolve Small and the Lenovo Foundation are proud to partner with N.C. State University’s Data Trade Gateway for a third year. This program educates HBCU and community college students from across North Carolina on data analytics and pairing them with local, black-owned businesses to provide real-time data analysis for small businesses to leverage.
Data visualization analysis provides businesses with a competitive advantage in today’s world. Students can also learn from data visualization using a company’s real-time data, which allows them to practically apply data analysis skills they have learned in their college curriculum.