BY ALLISON POTTERMAN
Duana Malone is a force of nature in a realm often policed by gates and guarded by hidden paths. At the helm of Tech Queen Elite Training Institute, a Las Vegas-based 501(c)(3), she's on a mission that bends the arc toward equity, one tech apprentice at a time.
"I’ve had the pleasure — or perhaps the fate — of navigating technology's twists and turns for over 40 years," Duana shares, eyes sparkling with the kind of tenacity that sees potential where others see obstacles. "Everywhere I looked, potential was waiting at the gate, while the demand for cyber-savvy, compliance-ready talent surged unabated."
Her revelation led to the birth of TQETI, a launch pad that propels young adults on the autism spectrum and those from underserved communities into the orbit of tech careers. Here, training transcends the theoretical and becomes a tactile bridge into the workforce, complete with industry-aligned curricula and real-world apprenticeships registered with the U.S. Department of Labor.
Success at Tech Queen isn’t just a dream fulfilled, it’s meticulously quantified. Duana outlines, "Our north star is the career-start rate, the percentage of learners who transition into paid, career-track roles within six months. We go beyond gongs and certificates to track how much our graduates earn compared to their pre-program lives, their retention at 90 days, 180 days, and even a year out."
And it’s not just dreams she’s counting; they’re shaping how industry responds. "How many apprentices become full-time hires? How often do companies return to hire more of our graduates? And crucially, how quickly do our apprentices hit their stride independently on the job?" Each question is a compass needle, pointing her aspirations true.
As Duana ponders Tech Queen's trajectory into the next five years, she isn’t keeping it circumscribed. The vision is expansive, ambitious. "We’re scaling what works. We’re going regional with our hybrid programs, keeping our eyes on quality. By then, I want a 70% career-start rate and for a majority of those placements to come from underrepresented groups. Employers should see our graduates as nothing less than day-one dynamos."
But let's peel back the glossy strategic forecasts, because Duana is driven by something more profound. She sees K-12 educators as the first domino in a cascade of change. By equipping them with the tools to train future technocrats, she's lowering starting ramps for tech careers, ensuring every young learner has credentials tucked in their backpacks beside their dreams.
The long-term story she pens is one of open doors and transformative impact. Each chapter unfolds not with platitudes but with specificity and transparency - outcomes published annually, not tucked away in fine print, but placed boldly for partners, learners, and communities to see, to marvel, and to join.
Readers can connect with this beacon of change by visiting Tech Queen's digital home, or better yet, engage directly with Duana on LinkedIn @thetechqueen. In a world often veiled in opacity, it’s a rare invitation into the workings of a vision fused with purpose. Log on to https://techqueenelitetraininginstitute.org to support The Tech Queen's mission.
Below is our interview with Duana Malone.
Duana Malone is the leader of Tech Queen Elite Training Institute, a nonprofit workforce development organization building equitable pathways into technology careers. With 40+ years in the industry spanning public, private, and government sectors, she brings hands-on expertise across hardware installation, programming, mobile and front-end web development, multimedia production, software development, artificial intelligence, and visual design.
Duana currently leads a U.S. Department of Labor–registered National Apprenticeship Program sponsor in Cybersecurity, Help Desk Support, and Digital Marketing—bridging education and employment for diverse learners. Her work has been recognized nationally, including the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Woman of the Year award, Cox Business Top Tech Award (2024), and selection as STEM Woman of the Month by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (2021).
A frequent trainer and mentor, Duana partners with schools, employers, and community organizations to deliver industry-aligned training and job-ready talent. Her guiding mission: open doors, remove barriers, and help learners translate skills into meaningful, upwardly mobile careers.
Tell us about Tech Queen Elite Training Institute, and what inspired you to launch the business?
About Tech Queen Elite Training Institute:
We’re a Las Vegas–based 501(c)(3) creating clear, inclusive pathways into tech. Our core tracks are cybersecurity, help desk support, and digital marketing. Beyond the classroom, we partner with the United States Help Desk Academy, a U.S. Department of Labor–registered apprenticeship sponsor, so learners can earn while they learn and build experience employers recognize. We’re also listed in the CyberAB/CMMC ecosystem as an Approved Training Provider, which means our offerings map to the security standards that contractors and agencies are working toward. In short: we connect training to real jobs, and we design for equity from day one.
What inspired me to launch it:
Across my 40+ years in technology, I’ve installed hardware, written software, led projects, and trained teams. No matter where I worked—public sector, private companies, or with government partners—I kept seeing the same gap: talented people without access or a bridge to employment. At the same time, the demand for cyber-literate, compliance-aware talent kept rising. I started TQETI to close that gap with a skills-to-employment pipeline: rigorous, industry-aligned learning; real projects; and an apprenticeship on-ramp so graduates don’t just have certificates—they have experience and a paycheck. That combination is what changes families and strengthens our local cyber workforce.
How do you measure success in bridging the employment gap you've identified?
We measure success on three levels—individual outcomes, employer impact, and equity.
First, individual outcomes: our north-star is the career-start rate—the percentage of learners who secure a paid, career-track role or apprenticeship within six months of completing training. We also track time-to-placement, wage lift compared to pre-program earnings, industry credentials earned, and 90/180/365-day retention to make sure it’s not just a job, it’s a sustainable career.
Second, employer impact: we measure apprenticeship conversions to full-time, repeat hiring from partner companies, and employer NPS/satisfaction. For security-focused roles, we also assess readiness—how quickly new hires reach independence on the job and how well our training maps to frameworks like CMMC.
Third, equity: because our mission is to close access gaps, we monitor the share of placements from underrepresented groups, support utilization (mentorship, tutoring, wraparound services), and how those supports correlate with outcomes.
How do you envision Tech Queen's impact evolving in the next five years?
Over the next five years, I see Tech Queen Elite Training Institute becoming the most trusted bridge from potential to paychecks in cybersecurity and adjacent tech roles. We’ll scale what works—industry-aligned training paired with real work experience—so more learners start paid careers faster and employers get job-ready talent.
Scale & outcomes: expand our hybrid programs to new regions while maintaining quality, targeting a 70% career-start rate within six months, a 30–50% median wage lift, and strong 90/180/365-day retention.
Employer impact: grow a national network of hiring partners and apprenticeships, aiming for high apprentice-to-full-time conversion and repeat hiring as our core signal that the bridge is working.
Equity at the center: ensure a majority of placements come from underrepresented groups, with mentorship and wraparound supports that improve completion, placement, and retention.
K–12 to career pipeline: expand educator training and youth programming so students earn early credentials, build portfolios, and transition into apprenticeships when they’re ready.
Innovation & relevance: keep curricula mapped to evolving security standards and embed AI skills across every track; build more hands-on labs and real-world projects so graduates are productive on day one.
Transparency: publish outcomes annually—placements, time-to-hire, wage lift, and employer satisfaction—so partners can see our impact and help us improve.
Bottom line: by 2030, success looks like thousands of learners launched into durable, well-paid tech roles—and employers who call us first because our graduates ramp quickly, stay longer, and raise the bar for diverse talent in cyber.
How can readers connect with you or learn more?
Our readers can visit our website at https://techqueenelitetraininginstitute.org or Direct Message me on LinkedIn @thetechqueen
MoreArticles
Unleashing Business Potential with AI Infusion Systems Transformation
FEATURING: Jeffery Stuck
From Shadows to Spotlight: How Only Fans Insider Magazine Is Redefining Creator Media
FEATURING: Joseph Haecker
Maestro and the Future of AEC: Building Smarter, Not Harder
FEATURING: Christopher Wiesen
Clarity, Purpose, Execution: Inside The Mindset Genesis with John Bailey
FEATURING: John Bailey