About 3percentclub

Closing the gap for women and people of color in tech.

Through hands-on AI education, real projects, and the mentorship that turns curiosity into a career, 3percentclub helps people go from AI-curious to AI-builder.

~400Builders in our community
2,700Newsletter readers
20+Countries

“We aren't just teaching people how to use AI. We are empowering them to lead the next industrial revolution.”

Maria Ashby, Founder

3percentclub founder Maria Ashby

Maria Ashby

Founder, Developer & Educator · Former NVIDIA Developer Relations Manager · USC Alumna

Her Story

Building the room she never had.

Growing up as the only girl in my robotics class, I frequently had components pulled from my hands simply because I took time to master the process. That same dynamic followed me straight into my tech career, where I found myself walking into major conferences only to count panels entirely lacking women. I grew tired of watching talented women be sidelined in an industry that desperately needed them.

I'm a Khan Academy kid. My mom would drop me off at the library and I'd just keep learning, for free. Later in tech, I was usually the only Black person and the only woman in the room, and the events meant for people like me taught networking, never the frontier tools. Everybody says open source is for everybody, because the software is free on GitHub. But free isn't the same as accessible.

So during NY Tech Week, over a working lunch with Meg Thee Stallion on repeat, I pitched my very first workshop. That catalyst launched 3percentclub, named after a sobering reality:

Black women account for less than 3% of engineering jobs, and women receive less than 3% of VC funding.

Drawing on a decade as a technical educator and my years as a Developer Relations Manager at NVIDIA, I built 3percentclub to break down these artificial barriers, open up my industry network, and demystify tech so our entire community can thrive. After two and a half years of teaching free, hands-on AI classes on the side, I left NVIDIA to do it full time. 3percentclub is for anyone who's been left out of tech.

“Make a friend by the end of any 3percentclub event. Eat food, make a friend.”
Maria Ashby, founder

What We Stand For

Our Values

These are the principles that define how we show up for each other and for the world.

Bravery

We believe being brave is about being resilient, persistent, and ambitious, even when the odds are stacked against you.

Inclusion

We believe that diverse ability, culture, identity, and lived experience makes our organization and our community stronger.

Action

We prepare our members not just to enter the tech industry, but to lead it, improve it, and transform it.

Excellence

We hold ourselves to the highest standard of technical rigor, community care, and personal growth, because our members deserve nothing less.

What you can do with 3percentclub

  • Learn

    Free AI classes, in person in NYC or on Zoom. Open to everyone. Jump in anytime. Every class starts with a recap.

    See classes
  • Volunteer

    Mentor, teach, judge, or help at events. Give as much time as you have.

    Volunteer
  • Donate

    Help keep every class free.

    Donate