Meet Peter

Peter was working for a charter school in North Minneapolis and distributing school fliers at the local library when he was approached by a Librarian who encouraged him to check out some computer literacy courses that were being held in the library’s upper level that day.  The Librarian also mentioned he knew there weren’t enough Black people in the tech field, and that was enough to pique Pete’s interest.  The IT certification courses were offered through Urban League, and after he passed the initial competency test, he was informed class started the following Monday.  Prior to enrolling in the onsite courses at Urban League, he’d be involved in many teaching opportunities with at-risk kids in addition to mentoring and coaching.  In the interest of making positive life change, Pete decided to jump on the opportunity.

“Education is a tool for self-determination, so it’s important to me to pave the way for people who look like me.”

The certification courses couldn’t have come at a better time.  After leaving his teaching position in North Minneapolis, he was in the market for a new job when the pandemic hit.  Following graduation, recruiters were especially interested in his skillset.  He wanted to pursue a career in IT but only entry-level positions were being offered.

Then in December 2021, one of Pete’s instructors alerted him to a 16-week internship with Minnesota Tech for Success, for which he immediately applied.  Halfway through his internship, he was approached about a full-time Computer Technician position in the MTFS warehouse (refurbishing donated computers for our programs).  Then in December 2022, a position opened in our educational department, an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.  Pete now serves as MTFSLearn’s Training Navigator helping applicants get their tech careers started.

Pete maintains education will continue to remain an important part of his life, and he’s excited to help people change the trajectory of their lives.  Pete is also an NBA-certified trainer and is owner of Optimal PROformace Training, LLC.  Young people interested in pursuing a career in technology are encouraged to reach out to Pete for mentorship by calling him at (612) 383-2398 direct, or by email: peverett@techforsuccess.org.

Following graduation from Brown College with an Associates Degree in Computer Science, Demond “Dee” Bryant began his career as an IT Hardware Technician and served as a Workstation Analyst, Executive Support, and IT Analyst with various businesses throughout the Twin Cities. At 3M, where he then worked for over 10 years, Dee served as an IT Security Analyst, IT Change Management Coordinator, and IT Service Manager, specializing in process efficiencies, management, and risk mitigation.

His desire to make a difference in his community led Dee to Minnesota Tech for Success in 2022, and his excellent customer service skills led him from the Production floor to his current position as Sales Manager for schools and nonprofits, a career path in which he’s been interested for a long time.

“MTFS saw the potential in me, that gave me a chance to become the Production Manager.  Shortly after I was given an opportunity to apply for the Sales Manager position, which I did.  The company again saw potential in me and they felt I would be a good fit as the Sales Manager, so I took the position and ran with it.”

“Since I’m a Black American, and I come from the hard-core projects on the south side of Chicago, my life span was considered short. A short life span as a Black American male has not changed today.  Today I can say wholeheartedly that I have achieved both of the goals I set for myself as a young, Black 20 year old kid entering the global IT workforce. Giving up was never an option for me, and never will be when I continue to strive to accomplish the goals I’ve set out to achieve.”

Dee is Six Sigma certified, Green Belt certified, A+ certified (a certification course we also offer here at MTFS), and Agile certified.  He has two adult children and resides in Oakdale, and we’re thrilled to have him on staff!  Young people interested in pursuing a career in technology are encouraged to reach out to Dee for mentorship: (612) 383-2388 or dbryant@techforsuccess.org.

Meet Michael, who took our CORE: IT classes and interned with us. He said: “I learned a lot in a short amount of time thanks to Minnesota Tech for Success staff. I got to take apart and rebuild computers ranging from old Macintosh Servers to gaming laptops, and other machines from different manufacturers. I learned a lot about computer resources, troubleshooting, and gained confidence in my abilities to work in IT.”

“I am incredibly grateful for my experiences in class and interning with Minnesota Tech for Success. I’ve started my career working at Maximus as a Help Desk Technician. One of the great things about the IT field is that if you are curious and work hard, the sky’s the limit. I am confident in the career I have ahead of me, and am sure I’ll see more successful IT professionals emerging from Minnesota Tech for Success’s great programs and internships.”

Minnesota Tech for Success provides low-cost technology solutions with quality computer equipment for schools, educational organizations and nonprofits that want to provide students and individuals with digitally-empowered learning opportunities. Our refurbished equipment (which is sometimes even available brand-new in the box!) inventory changes often and can help you maximize your budget! Please contact Sales Manager Dee Bryant if you are interested in computer models other than what is listed here.

Minnesota Tech for Success also supplements our operating budget with online sales to the public. Check out our eBay store for additional inventory, and please contact Online Sales Manager Rob Cardinal with questions.

September Product of the Month

HP EliteBook 850 G5 laptops – 8th gen $200
i-5 Core Intel / 8 GB Ram / 256 GB SSD /
15″ screen / Windows 10 OS / power supply.
1 year warranty included, excluding battery.
Windows 11 compatible
Upgrades to HD & memory and warranty available		HP EliteBook 840 G5 laptops – 8th gen $180
i-5 Core Intel Processor / 8 GB Ram / 256 SSD
14″ screen / Windows 10 OS / power supply;
1 year warranty included, excluding battery.
Windows 11 compatible
Upgrades to HD & memory and warranty available		HP EliteBook 830 G5 laptops – 8th gen $150
i-5 Core Intel Processor / 8 GB Ram / 256 SSD
13″ screen / Windows 10 OS / power supply;
1 year warranty included, excluding battery.
Windows 11 compatible
Upgrades to HD & memory and warranty available		Free 22″ Monitor with purchase of any desktop computer
6th Gen desktops $55
7th Gen desktops $75
8GB RAM, 256 HDD
Windows 10

Upgrades are available on most units:
Ram upgrade to 16 GB / 256 GB SSD = $50/unit.
Upgrade to 3 year warranty = $25/unit.

One year of tech support is included with the sale of each unit.  Please contact techsupport@techforsuccess.org.

Please contact Sales Manager Dee Bryant if you have questions about bulk pricing: (612) 383-2388 direct,
or dbryant@techforsuccess.org.

Our Technology

Thanks to our corporate donors, community partners and public donations, we have many brands and models available in both laptop and desktop format, including HP, Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Apple. Following refurbishment and testing, our computers are loaded with Windows, backed with a warranty, and supported with Tech Support (upgrades to warranty available). Schools, educational organizations and nonprofits in Minnesota are encouraged to inquire about quantity purchasing and past customer discounts. Please contact Sales Manager Dee Bryant to inquire about available units as our inventory constantly changes!

Remember to also check our eBay store for more available units for sale.

Note: Windows Certificates of Authenticity (COAs) are no longer loaded on units as this process has changed across the industry.
Product keys are activated upon purchase and units are ready for use upon arrival.

Meet Markus, who received a computer with our Tech Connect (formerly Lifelong Learners) program. His Mom said, “Markus is all caught up on his online learning programs! He was very behind in his hours before he received such a wonderful gift of a home computer. During school hours, Markus would focus his free time on getting caught up. Now he’s able to play and truly enjoy his free time doing fun things with his classmates!” Every student deserves the opportunity to thrive, which in today’s digital world means access to technology.

Louis is a veteran who moved to Minneapolis from Chicago when he was six. As an African American, he’s seen how institutionalized racism has steered people away from certain areas of society, including the technology field.

Louis wants to change that. He would like to start his own business and make the IT field more diverse. To achieve this, he attended not only MCTC but graduated from one of our free CORE: IT classes.

About our classes, he said: “You’re not eating and regurgitating book knowledge, you’re actually getting hands-on training. They’re teaching you the basics of the job, what you’re going to experience when you go into the IT field, and that means a lot. So anyone that’s just coming off the streets, someone that’s had some training, whatever the case may be, this is a shorter path to getting what you need to get into the field. With the help of this program, … I’m not gonna hope, I will get into network administration.” 

Our mission to create digital equity in Minnesota means that we have to provide access to technology for all people, especially marginalized communities. All people deserve the opportunity to thrive, and in today’s technological world, that means creating digital equity.

“Our world is technologically driven, and schools must make a concerted effort to bridge the technological divide in order to avoid losing parent trust in public education.”

– Paul Creager, Curriculum & Media Arts Coordinator, Gordon Parks High School

Many students in Minnesota don’t have access to reliable technology – making it difficult for them to complete schoolwork, apply for jobs and correspond with teachers, friends, and employers. This leads to disconnected students and oftentimes causes them to disengage from school.

Gordon Parks High School (GPHS), an Alternative Learning Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, serves many students in a similar situation and wanted to send a strong message of support by helping them realize the importance of education and increase overall engagement.

To do this, Paul Creager, Curriculum & Media Arts Coordinator at GPHS, implemented a Positive Behavioral Intervention System (PBIS) in the spring of 2010 to reward students who maintained 80 percent or better attendance and excellent class performance during a nine-week period. The reward: a laptop from Minnesota Computers for Schools (MCFS). Class performance hinges on attendance, so rewards like laptops propel performance goals through a strategic focus on making attendance a priority.

“The laptop incentive program sends a strong signal to students and parents. We want students to feel our support for them, and laptops help to amplify that message,” said Creager. “Laptops exponentially increase students’ ability to complete homework outside of school, correspond with employers, universities, friends, and teachers via modern communication methods, and become literate with 21st-century technology.”

Thanks to invaluable partners Microsoft, 3M, and Travelers, MCFS donated 80 laptops to be awarded to students. For many of these students, this was the first computer they owned and they had big plans for using them – applying for college, completing schoolwork, finding employment, etc.

For some of the students, this program changed their overall performance and outlook on school and their future. One student who won a laptop said, “Now I’m starting to come to school every day so I can graduate and my grades are getting better.” When asked how she was going to use the laptop, her answer was simple: “For college.”

Another laptop recipient said, “Since I started coming to this school, I decided that maybe I need my education and I should stay in school.”

Students who earned a laptop inspired their peers to strive for excellence – in the fall of 2011, the number of students who qualified for a laptop doubled from the previous semester, and more students showed up on a regular basis because they also want to earn a laptop.

Working with students and schools by donating laptops in reward systems such as this not only helps to create digital equity in Minnesota, but gives students incentives to work hard in school. Every student deserves the opportunity to thrive, which requires investment from the community.

Our free STEM education programming includes classes for teens to explore the world of technology through courses like Game Coding and Design and App Design. 

Andy and Soua, seniors at Humboldt High School, joined our Video Game Coding club when they were freshmen. They liked to play video games and were drawn to the club to learn how to make their own games and join a gaming community.

For Andy, developing games came naturally. He enjoyed the coding aspect and found what he liked about different games to use as inspiration to create his perfect game. “I really enjoy making games, it’s a creative outlet for me.”

For Soua, it was a lot harder. “It took me a while to learn how to make games. It was a different way of thinking that I wasn’t used to and it was confusing for me.”

When STEM Fuse announced its GOT GAME competition, Soua was excited. The first-place winner would be awarded $500 and he wanted to use that money to purchase a new computer. When Andy saw that his friend was planning on entering the competition, he was less enthusiastic but decided to give it a shot as well.

Andy: “I thought Soua was going to win.”

Soua: “I thought I was going to win, too.”

More than 250 games were submitted from around the world and Andy and Soua both ended up in the top 12. Soua was thrilled. “When I found out I made the top 12, it was the whole world to me.”

A few days later, the winners were announced. Andy came in first place. “When I found out I won I was planning on giving the money to Soua because he really wanted the money, but he won’t take it.”

Soua said: “The best part about making a game is watching people play it and have fun. It’s cool to imagine something and bring it to life.” 

To create digital equity in Minnesota, it’s critical to spark creativity and encourage the use of technology in ways teens will enjoy. Our free courses, aim to light the joy in technology, so every student has the opportunity to thrive. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck Minnesota, we pivoted our programming to provide even more computers to students who were stuck at home distance learning. The pandemic hit those at the margins the hardest, and without access to technology, many were unable to apply for unemployment, move to online learning, and stay connected.


Ivery was one of those students. As a single parent, first-generation college student, and person of color, he faced many systemic challenges as the pandemic changed how our society functioned. With the help of his professor, Ruthanne C. Kim, he heard about our program and was able to receive a computer.

He said: “The gift of a laptop is more than just a means for me to continue my education and find employment. It has given me a voice and a platform to speak for forgotten and overlooked communities. It is a vehicle for connection and change in these turbulent times, that ensures that MN cares for ALL of its communities, not just those with privilege.“


To create digital equity in Minnesota, we need to center those at the margins and care for all of our communities. By providing technology and IT course training for free, we aim to do just that, so people can change their lives and communities for the better.