gabemiddleton

gabemiddletonCEO and co-founder of human-I-T, a Long Beach-headquartered nonprofit dedicated to equipping low-income populations across Los Angeles with free technology, Gabe Middleton has been selected as one of 12 Coors Light Líderes for his commitment to empower the Latino community.

“I am honored to represent my community for this year’s Coors Light Líderes program,” Middleton said in a statement. “Coors Light has made a commitment to the Hispanic community to recognize and reward the dedication and tenacious spirit of emerging Latino leaders. I am grateful for the nomination and the opportunity to use the grant to set a positive example for the generation of Hispanic leaders across the U.S.”

The public can vote for Middleton via this link through August 18. The winner will receive a $25,000 grant to implement a program to improve and empower the local Latino community.

In 2012, Middleton co-founded human-I-T by opening an electronic repairs shop in the lobby of a cell phone repairs shop. Gradually he and a partner earned enough to expand to a warehouse. By assembling a diverse team of experts and volunteers, their vision to become a philanthropic solution for used technology became more of a reality.

Middleton had dedicated his career to equipping low-income families, veterans, persons with disabilities, LGBT community centers, homeless shelters and other certified nonprofits with free technology, internet, tech support and bilingual digital literacy training. The majority of recipients are adults living in South and East Los Angeles, which is predominantly Hispanic, according to human-I-T.

“The Coors Light Líderes program allows Coors Light to highlight 12 outstanding Latino leaders who have taken on challenges to climb higher and are now inspiring others to make a difference in communities across the country,” Alberto Senior, who leads MillerCoors’ national Latino community efforts, said in a statement. “For more than a decade, the Líderes program has highlighted the outstanding accomplishments of 160 Latino leaders. Coors Light looks forward to awarding the 2017 Líder of the Year with a $25,000 grant that will help support the Latino community.”

For more information on the Coors Light Líderes program click here. Learn more about human-I-T here. 

Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].