Dunni Dayo-Kayode, 22
Beyond Boundaries: How Dunni Dayo-Kayode Champions Access in Tech
Refusing to be limited by conventional boundaries, Dunni Dayo-Kayode has built his journey around a single driving question: "What if this worked differently?"
Growing up as the youngest in a Nigerian household, Dunni was the constant observer. He learned early on to pay attention to how systems functioned, who they served, and who they quietly left out. Middle school brought a distinct sense of isolation for Dunni as the only kid around interested in development, watching his brother leave for hackathons while he stayed behind. “Whenever I would go to summer camps I was the only kid of color in those rooms. That isolation led to me wanting to create a solution to a problem I had; a problem I was sure I wasn’t the only one experiencing.” Dunni founded Color Hacks - a diversity-focused hackathon and virtual safe space designed to increase accessibility to programming for Black and Latinx high school students. "Color Hacks began with me emailing sponsors at fifteen who had absolutely no reason to trust me. I just refused to accept that the event didn't exist yet," Dunni reflects.
Securing partnerships from organizations like Google, Major League Hacking (MLH), ColorStack, OpenNote, and the 1517 Fund, Color Hacks has helped over 500 underrepresented students experience their first hackathon. For Dunni, however, creating access meant looking far beyond the weekend deadline. "We're building scaffolding around the access, not just a hackathon, but mentorship pipelines and technical skill workshops that outlive the weekend, because showing up to the room is different from knowing what to do once you're inside it," he explains. That vision took a major leap forward when Color Hackspartnered with Northwestern University's NSBE chapter, expanding the event directly onto a major university campus and bridging community college and university networks. Seeing high school and college students connect and collaborate reinforced the lasting weight of the project. "Color Hacks gave me proof that I could create something that outlasts me," Dunni notes.
As an MLH Coach, Dunni doesn’t just mentor teams, he guides them so they can prove “to themselves they're capable of more than they thought.” That work is rooted in empowerment rather than simple answers - helping first-time builders break through technical walls, build confidence under pressure, and realize that their perspective matters in technology. Whether he is staying up past 3 AM helping exhausted teams debug pitch decks or guiding hackers through their very first deployment, his coaching creates a space where curiosity replaces intimidation. "The hacker community taught me something I didn't expect: that building is an act of optimism," Dunni reflects.
That optimism carried into his academic life as a student at Oakton College, where he continually challenged conventional limits. Balancing leadership roles in Phi Theta Kappa, SGA, and the Black Student Union, Dunni also picked up a tennis racket for the first time in July 2025 and earned an NJCAA tennis scholarship and secured the #4 spot. His impact on campus culminated in delivering the commencement speech at his Oakton graduation.
Now studying Computer Science, Ethics & Society on a full scholarship at Georgetown University, Dunni continues to apply that same observer-led mindset to broader, systemic challenges. Whether in the classroom, at a hackathon, or on the court, his journey remains defined by a refusal to accept artificial boundaries. As he prepares for his next chapter, his approach to shaping tech ecosystems remains as grounded and bold as ever. "I've never been able to see limits the way other people do," Dunni reflects - a perspective that guarantees whatever he builds next will continue opening doors for others.
Quick Facts
Dunni Dayo-Kayode, 22
Beyond Boundaries: How Dunni Dayo-Kayode Champions Access in Tech
Refusing to be limited by conventional boundaries, Dunni Dayo-Kayode has built his journey around a single driving question: "What if this worked differently?"
Growing up as the youngest in a Nigerian household, Dunni was the constant observer. He learned early on to pay attention to how systems functioned, who they served, and who they quietly left out. Middle school brought a distinct sense of isolation for Dunni as the only kid around interested in development, watching his brother leave for hackathons while he stayed behind. “Whenever I would go to summer camps I was the only kid of color in those rooms. That isolation led to me wanting to create a solution to a problem I had; a problem I was sure I wasn’t the only one experiencing.” Dunni founded Color Hacks - a diversity-focused hackathon and virtual safe space designed to increase accessibility to programming for Black and Latinx high school students. "Color Hacks began with me emailing sponsors at fifteen who had absolutely no reason to trust me. I just refused to accept that the event didn't exist yet," Dunni reflects.
Securing partnerships from organizations like Google, Major League Hacking (MLH), ColorStack, OpenNote, and the 1517 Fund, Color Hacks has helped over 500 underrepresented students experience their first hackathon. For Dunni, however, creating access meant looking far beyond the weekend deadline. "We're building scaffolding around the access, not just a hackathon, but mentorship pipelines and technical skill workshops that outlive the weekend, because showing up to the room is different from knowing what to do once you're inside it," he explains. That vision took a major leap forward when Color Hackspartnered with Northwestern University's NSBE chapter, expanding the event directly onto a major university campus and bridging community college and university networks. Seeing high school and college students connect and collaborate reinforced the lasting weight of the project. "Color Hacks gave me proof that I could create something that outlasts me," Dunni notes.
As an MLH Coach, Dunni doesn’t just mentor teams, he guides them so they can prove “to themselves they're capable of more than they thought.” That work is rooted in empowerment rather than simple answers - helping first-time builders break through technical walls, build confidence under pressure, and realize that their perspective matters in technology. Whether he is staying up past 3 AM helping exhausted teams debug pitch decks or guiding hackers through their very first deployment, his coaching creates a space where curiosity replaces intimidation. "The hacker community taught me something I didn't expect: that building is an act of optimism," Dunni reflects.
That optimism carried into his academic life as a student at Oakton College, where he continually challenged conventional limits. Balancing leadership roles in Phi Theta Kappa, SGA, and the Black Student Union, Dunni also picked up a tennis racket for the first time in July 2025 and earned an NJCAA tennis scholarship and secured the #4 spot. His impact on campus culminated in delivering the commencement speech at his Oakton graduation.
Now studying Computer Science, Ethics & Society on a full scholarship at Georgetown University, Dunni continues to apply that same observer-led mindset to broader, systemic challenges. Whether in the classroom, at a hackathon, or on the court, his journey remains defined by a refusal to accept artificial boundaries. As he prepares for his next chapter, his approach to shaping tech ecosystems remains as grounded and bold as ever. "I've never been able to see limits the way other people do," Dunni reflects - a perspective that guarantees whatever he builds next will continue opening doors for others.
