About
CG Empowers, with your financial support, gives individuals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to learn the latest and updated skills necessary to enter computer graphics in a variety of industries by some of the best in the film and simulation industries.
​
Through courses at the CG Pro online school, we help sponsored students gain the knowledge that will enable them to start careers in film, broadcast, live events, games, simulation, and other high tech fields.
​
Our mission is to empower these individuals with cutting edge job-related know-how, and to connect them with employers in the industry as well as our active community of alumni.
​
We also support other non-profits with education and even create applications to support people working with other challenges the world faces such as climate change and mental health.
​
We believe everyone can embrace who they are,
can define their future, and can change the world.
The Problem
The visual effects and computer graphics fields across industries lack workforce diversity. Women and people of color are woefully underrepresented in both technical and creative roles. According to numerous studies, women make up less than 25% of the technical and creative staff in both the film and games industries, and people of color make up less than 30%.
Our Solution
The teachers at CG Pro have deep industry experience and provide hands-on training for their students. With your financial support through the CG Empowers scholarship program, we connect individuals from underrepresented groups including women, the LGBTQ+ community, Latinos, African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Native Americans, and recent immigrants, to courses that will teach them the necessary skills to enter and thrive in the VFX and CG world.
CG Pro offers a wide variety of courses to help students break into the industry, learn new and refine existing skills, and gain the confidence that they can succeed
Hear From CG Pro Graduates
Shannon Thomas
"The way the course was structured did a very good job of starting from the beginning, and going through all the major components of Unreal Engine, like sequencer. And you can go at your own pace"
Pedro Miralles
"Unreal for Filmmakers gave me the skills and the perfect excuse to finalize a personal Project called "The Kite." I learned a lot of things about Light and Simulation I didn't know before. And then you are part of a cool Community!"
Randy Link
"I just recently took the CG pro course and I give it my wholehearted recommendation. They have a really bountiful amount of knowledge between them and the guest speakers. What I learned in the course was helpful beyond belief. It was really enjoyable, it really helped me get my film off the ground and it was great to be around the others."
See What We Have Done
A Letter from the Founder
As a freshman in high school, I found myself at a crossroads after being fired from my first job at fifteen. It was a challenging time, but my mother arranged an internship for me at the local public access channel. This opportunity was a turning point in my life. Working at the station for four years not only boosted my self-esteem but also ignited a passion for film. It led me to pursue a major in film at college and eventually secured me a rewarding position in visual effects at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
​
As I progressed in my career, working on major motion pictures, I noticed a recurring pattern: I was often one of the only women in the studio working as an artist. Despite having great mentors who supported and guided me, it was clear that there was a significant gap in educational opportunities, post-grad mentorship, and diversity within the production and post-production industries.
​
The rapid evolution of filmmaking and visual effects, driven by advancements in software, hardware, and cloud computing, presents a unique opportunity to address these inequalities. We can strive to bring a diversity of viewpoints, cultures, and perspectives to our education system, AI models, jobs, and potentially to our very existence.
This vision led to the creation of CG Empowers, a non-profit organization founded by myself and like-minded colleagues. Our goal is to broaden the mix of students taking courses at CG Pro, an Unreal Authorized Training Center, to enhance diversity within the industries we serve. We are now seeking funding to develop targeted training and scholarship programs to achieve this goal. We invite you to support this important endeavor and help us make a lasting impact on the future of our industry.