Ivoire Morrell

Ivoire "Voe" Morrell Headshot

Ivoire Morrell (he, him, his) - Coding Mentor

Creator. Entrepreneur. Visionary.

As a coding mentor at the Academy, Ivoire instructs and equips mentees with IOS coding development skills and inspires mentees to keep striving for greatness regardless of their current circumstances.

Before joining the Academy, Ivoire served as a Civic Tech Evangelist and Program Manager at Microsoft/Data Driven Detroit, helping establish CUTGroup Detroit and the Emmy award-winning documentary Detroit is Limitless, which talks about removing barriers and access to technology for young Detroiters. Ivoire also worked for human-I-T where he helped citizens, nonprofits, and schools across the city gain access to digital resources. Ivoire also served as Manager of Devices & Connectivity for the citywide digital inclusion effort Connect 313 during his time with human-I-T.

Ivoire graduated Magna Cum Laude at Lawrence Technological University in 2017 earning his bachelor's in Computer Science. When not in the Academy, you can find Ivoire in the booth recording classics, working on his businesses, spending quality time with family and friends, or at a local park giving the competition buckets

  • What would your fellow mentors say your greatest strengths are?

    My fellow mentees would probably say my passion for making a positive impact on the community and my teachability/humility are my greatest strengths. I was to see everyone win at whatever they are striving to achieve and I do all within my power to help others achieve their dreams.

  • If you were to offer students one piece of advice as they start their journey at the Academy, what would it be?

    Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. Coding is an art in my opinion and to become a great artist, you must work on your craft daily. You may not like your first few lines of code or projects you create, but with time, discipline, and dedication, you will create masterpieces.

  • Have you always wanted to work in tech? What is your personal history with tech?

    I did not learn about Computer Science until I turned 23. I was in school for business and an aunt of mine encouraged me to take a coding course because of my love for problem solving/mathematics. I took one course, fell in love with coding, and have been blessed to work in tech for the past 7 years as a result of taking that initial Python course. Tech has transformed my life.

  • What was your experience with coding, tech, iOS, or entrepreneurship before the Academy?

    I've been building websites for the past 5 years and working on personal coding projects for business ventures I’m looking to start. I worked as a volunteer school teacher at Detroit International Academy for Young Women through a program called Microsoft TEALS where I taught young women how to code along with a school teacher, who would teach coding the next school year after learning through my mentorship. I have also conducted hours of code workshops across the city through Microsoft and other community partners.

  • What made you want to be a mentor? What are you most excited about?

    My passion for serving other people and teaching made me want to be a mentor. Helping others grow professionally or personally is something that brings me great satisfaction. I’m excited about this opportunity to use my talents and experiences to make a great impact on the Detroit community.

  • Where are you from and where do you live now?
    I’m from the Capital City Lansing, Michigan, born and raised. Graduated from JW Sexton High School and will always love my city because it shaped me into the man I am today. Not telling yall where I live though. Don't want any stalkers showing up lol.