Joshua “TechDev” Walker’s journey from homeless veteran to staple tech boss in the local Orlando area technology scene started when a friend invited him to the JavaScript Meetup seven years ago. That’s where his story begins in his new comedic autobiography, Venti Fried Chicken.
Over the years, Walker became known as the speaker who takes what some may feel are difficult topics and makes them funny and relatable through the use of pop culture. Knowing his own upbringing and seeing the few Black attendees within the tech community, he combined efforts with a few other Black technologists and entrepreneurs in Orlando to create Black Orlando Tech.
Black Orlando Tech is a nonprofit organization working to accelerate minority economic advancement through tech careers. The mission of Black Orlando Tech is to train and inspire 10,000 minorities in Central Florida to pursue careers in technology by 2025. The organization hopes to increase awareness, create activities and resources, and develop networks for the community.
As a AWS-certified architect for a Top 100 firm and co-founder of Black Orlando Tech, Walker knew it was time to write his story to inspire Black people and minorities through pop culture and comedy in order to dispel the myth that a career in technology is unattainable.
“I wrote Venti Fried Chicken due to representation being one of the most important concepts as I’m speaking to a body of historically-disenfranchised groups that were intentionally or unintentionally shut out of the lucrative sectors of humanity, including technology,” stated Walker. “This is also my attempt at Ryu-Hadouken-upper-cutting stereotypes that traditionally narrow the scope of possible careers for people of color. The goal for this book is to give painfully transparent stories, concepts, and principles to help break down mental blocks, elitist folklore, and highlight practical actions to help humanize the landscape for anyone looking to get in the field of technology.”
Venti Fried Chicken is available for purchase on Amazon in print and eBook at https://bit.ly/vfc-book-on-amazon. You can connect with Joshua “TechDev” Walker on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok: @VentiFriedChicken.
Photos by Janet Randolph
