One Year Later: How a Vision Became a Movement
A year ago, FEDTC was an idea scribbled in notebooks and debated over late-night calls between a few passionate professionals. It didn’t launch with a major press release or a polished brand deck. What it had instead was a shared belief: that people in data and technology — from beginners to seasoned professionals — needed more than information. They needed community.
As we mark one year since the founding of the Federation of Data and Technology Council (FEDTC), it’s clear that something powerful has taken root. What began in 2018 as a vision for connection and mentorship has quietly grown into a global network of learners, teachers, builders, and innovators who are committed to growing together, not just moving fast alone.
The First Steps: Slow, Intentional, and Community-First
In early 2019, FEDTC opened its virtual doors. There were no sponsors, no funding, and no paid ads — just organic reach and word-of-mouth referrals. We didn’t chase scale. We chased value.
Instead of overwhelming members with content, we focused on building trust:
1.) We hosted our first “Tech Talks Roundtable”, inviting professionals from four countries to casually share how they got started in data analytics.
2.)We published a simple roadmap for beginners in Python and SQL, which ended up being shared in university groups across Nigeria, India, and the UK.
3.) We launched a peer-matching experiment that paired early-career professionals with mid-level mentors — no forms, no fees, just shared experience
Lessons We Learned from Our Members
Our community taught us more than any whitepaper could:
1.) People don’t just want to learn tech skills, they want context, application, and confidence.
2.) Accessibility matters. We had members joining webinars from shared phones, unstable Wi-Fi zones, and café lobbies — and they stayed because it mattered to them.
3.) Progress looks different for everyone. Some members landed jobs in six months. Others were learning to use Excel formulas for the first time. We celebrated both.
We also learned how powerful it is to say, “I don’t know — yet.”
Behind the Scenes: Building Without Burnout
FEDTC’s growth wasn’t powered by a 20-person team. It was built by a few committed individuals making time between full-time jobs, family responsibilities, and graduate studies.
We kept things real:
1.) Every newsletter was hand-written.
2.) Every Q&A session was live, not pre-recorded.
3.) Every blog post had the voice of someone who actually lived the experience.
This authenticity created a culture where members didn’t feel like numbers — they felt like contributors.
What’s Next
As we move toward 2020, we’re not in a hurry to be everywhere. But we are intentional about being present where we can create meaningful impact.
Here’s what we’re working on:
1.) A structured mentorship initiative that actually matches based on goals and learning styles
2.) Launching FEDTC “Office Hours” with guest professionals from industry and academia
3.) Rolling out learning pathways curated by members for members (not just another Udemy list)
Final Thoughts
The truth is, this first year hasn’t been perfect. There were delays, missed emails, and technical hiccups. But the heart of the work the commitment to showing up, building others up, and learning through community never changed.
So here’s to our first year not because of what we built, but because of who we built it with.
Thank you to everyone who believed early, contributed freely, and stayed curious.
— The FEDTC Team