30 Years of Impact Generational Change Support Inspiration
Marvin Ojwang
TTIP | Class of 2001
Engineering Leader
Netflix
The TAF experience completely blew my mind and reset my life's trajectory.
From Curiosity to Career
When Marvin Ojwang arrived in the United States from Nairobi, Kenya, in 1995, he was just ten years old. His family was navigating tremendous change after the loss of his father earlier that same year, and his mother was determined to create opportunities through education for her children. The belief that education could transform lives became a guiding principle that would shape Marvin's future.
Years later, while attending Garfield High School, Marvin joined TAF's Technical Teens Internship Program (TTIP). What began as an after-school activity quickly became something much bigger.
Discovering a New World
As a teenager, Marvin was fascinated by technology, though not in the way many people might expect. His interest started with a love of Dragon Ball Z and endless hours spent using library computers to search for episode spoilers and fan websites. Along the way, he became captivated by the websites themselves and began asking how they were made.
Originally for Marvin, that world of websites and computer technologies, and their source companies like Microsoft felt like a world that existed just out of reach.
As a young Black kid growing up in Seattle, I would hear about Microsoft and all its greatness. But in my mind, Microsoft was part of a world I had no access to.
The Technical Teens Internship Program changed that perception.
At TTIP, he learned how to build his own websites and discovered a passion for technology. This experience helped transform that initial curiosity around technology into real purpose.
After completing his first year after school in the TTIP program, Marvin interviewed for a Microsoft internship. He borrowed a suit from his pastor, leaned on the interview preparation TAF provided, and landed the opportunity. He went on to intern at Microsoft for two consecutive summers.
Finding Focus
Those internship experiences gave Marvin clarity.
While many students enter college unsure of what path to pursue, Marvin arrived at Washington State University with a clear goal. He knew he wanted to build a career in technology and was willing to work through the challenges required to make it happen.
After earning his Computer Science degree, he entered the workforce during the 2008 recession. The job market was difficult, but the mindset he developed through TTIP helped him persevere. Through contract work, persistence, and a willingness to keep showing up, Marvin steadily built a successful technology career.
Today, he leads a team at Netflix responsible for live viewing experiences, the technology behind some of the company's live-streaming events watched by millions around the world.
Lessons That Last
I can say with absolute certainty that without TAF and my experience with TTIP, I would not be a software engineer today.
Looking back, Marvin sees TAF as one of the defining influences in his personal and professional journey.
He credits the program with helping him find focus, navigate college, and persist in an industry where people who look like him remain underrepresented.
One lesson continues to guide him:
You may be the only one in the room, but it doesn't mean you don't belong.
Looking Ahead
After more than two decades in technology, Marvin is committed to opening doors for others. Inspired by the mentors, educators, family members, and community leaders who supported him, he hopes to help the next generation navigate technology careers and recognize opportunities they may not yet see.
Generational Change in Action
Marvin's story reflects exactly what TAF set out to achieve thirty years ago: creating access, building confidence, and helping students see possibilities beyond what they can immediately imagine.
A teenager who walked from Garfield High School to TTIP classes in Seattle's Central District became an engineering leader at Netflix. Today, he continues the cycle of creating opportunity by looking for ways to hold the door open for those coming up in the world after him.
