I’m delighted to announce Andela co-founder and COO Christina Sass will be joining me on stage for a fireside chat at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco next month.

Backed by Mark Zuckerberg and a slew of other Silicon Valley heavyweights, Andela is part of a wave of startups looking to increase diversity at technology companies. The team works with companies like Microsoft and IBM to identify the “top 1%” of tech talent in Africa.

Andela says it sifts through “tens of thousands of applicants” in Africa, what they consider “the largest pool of untapped talent.” With a six-month vetting process and a .7 percent acceptance rate, Andela only selects people it believes are the best-of-the-best to be considered for the potentially lucrative job opportunities.

They say they vet candidates for more than just skill set, but also compatibility with the company’s values. Then once the candidates are hired, they help the developers integrate into the corporate team.

We’re excited to catch up with Christina and learn about this unique approach to sourcing talent and what’s in store for Andela’s future.

Disrupt SF is returning to Pier 48; early-bird tickets are still available, though the sale ends soon.

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