Founders

Sherry Bates

Ms. Bates received her Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College majoring in Communications. In 1993 she produced her first feature documentary. What Is Liberty? The Haitian Refugee Crisis. The film (What Is Liberty? The Haitian Refugee Crisis) won the Independent Project Award for Independent film makers and the Sony Innovators Award. In 1996 she followed up with a second documentary Whatever Happened to the Dream. She toured with the film speaking on college campuses across the Midwest.  In 1997 she entered into a partnership with Street Level Youth Media and Gallery 37 to teach inner city youth how to create documentaries about their communities. In 1999 Sherry and Gallery 37 teamed up to create a media lab. The media center focused on graphic and animation projects for the City of Chicago. In 2000 she was asked to take a position at West Wood College teaching graphic design.  In 2001 she started her own design firm SB Design. Some of her clients are Batteast Construction, Tuffhouse Multi Media Group, and DMV Properties.  In 2005 Sherry teamed up with Santana Peck and Serena Peralta to co- found KidTek, NFP as the Program Director to begin the journey of working with low-income communities to bring technology to these areas. "Every child should have the ability to have a computer within their grasp seeing how this is a technological world that we live in."

Serena Peralta

Ms. Peralta is a co- founder and the Site Director for KidTek, NFP. Ms Peralta received her Bachelors degree in Network Communication from DeVry University and her Masters in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. She has over 17 years of combined hospitality and management experience.  Ms. Peralta facilitates and oversees the Microsoft classes for KidTek and adult classes in partnership with the Gary Comer Youth Center. Ms. Peralta has been an IT professional for over ten years serving in the capacity of desktop support and corporate trainer facilitating Microsoft application training and other software programs for Reebie Storage Warehouse, Palmer House Hilton Hotel and Brookdale Senior Living. 

Santana Peck

Santana Peck is a co-founder and Technical Director for KidTek, NFP. She has worked in the corporate sector as a systems administrator for over 11 years. Her expertise includes corporate trainer, networking and IP telephony. Ms Peck has worked in several industries with most of her years concentrated in financial, government and healthcare. She obtained her Bachelor degree in Telecommunication Management from DeVry Institute of Technology and received dual Master degrees in Business and Public Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management.