Our Mentors

Computer Mentors is a place where passion meets empowerment.

Our mentors are credible, business professionals from the technology sector who believe in the growth of our students. Our programs are designed to ensure each of our students’ receive personalized attention from their mentor. This specialized attention ensures students are given the opportunity to develop superior technology skills that are needed to guide them into successful IT careers. Guiding students through each step of the program, our mentors enable students to find courage in their personal abilities. With the help from our mentors there is no limit to success.

The Founder

Founder & Executive Director

Ralph Smith

Ralph Smith is a 60 year-old computer professional with a passion toward underprivileged youth.  He is the founder and current Executive Director of Computer Mentors Group (CMG). CMG was founded in 1997 as a volunteer project by Ralph.  CMG started with five teenagers and the idea of providing computers for the homes as a reward for learning.  The vision was to form a volunteer network of computer professionals that would mentor minority and “at risk” youth, and point them in the direction of Information Technology (IT) careers.  Ralph originally got the idea of starting a “small computer school for youth” when he volunteered with the Juvenile Justice System in Lansing Michigan when he was 25 years old. Ralph came to Tampa in 1993 and has dedicated himself to this community ever since.  Prior to becoming the full-time director of CMG he held professional computer related positions ranging from computer technician, computer operator, to computer programming, systems analyst, network engineer, and manager. His last fifteen years prior to becoming the full-time director of Computer Mentors Group was with Citibank where he was an Assistant Vice President in the North American Trade Finance Division. Ralph has a wide variety of Information Technology experience.  As an owner of his consulting company R & L Computing Services, Ralph specialized in non-profits and small businesses.  He positioned R & L Computing Services as a one-stop IT company providing technology consulting, web and email hosting, website development, networking, database design and applications, equipment maintenance, and security.