The son of a single mom, he was born in Roxbury, MA, and bounced around low-income, crime- ridden Section 8 neighborhoods in and around Boston. With each move, the chances of survival became tougher. 

Milhouse used his street smarts to stay out of trouble and focused on his studies and video games – building them, not playing them.

When the neighborhood he lived in became too dangerous, Arnell’s mother moved the Milhouse family to Cape Cod. Milhouse was in seventh grade, lived on the edge of the Dennis Pines Golf Course and, for the first time, witnessed racial inequity. Those he met on the Cape had fully stocked refrigerators and some owned two homes. Milhouse would often visit his family and friends back in Boston and watch them continue to struggle to find quality jobs. Shocked and outraged by the disparity, Milhouse made a promise to his mother that one day he would make quality jobs available for everyone.

Milhouse has lived up to his promise, focusing his energy on providing opportunity and equity through his career as an entrepreneur.

A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, where he received a full scholarship, Milhouse is now one of the leading entrepreneurs in the region. A self-proclaimed geek, he is also one of the top innovative technology educators in Rhode Island, with nearly two decades of experience as a startup entrepreneur in high tech.

He is the co-founder of CareerDevs Computer Science Institute, which compresses a four-year computer science education into an innovative 12-month program. CareerDevs was developed on the heels of Milhouse’s IntraCity Geeks, a K-12 STEM program recognized by President Barack Obama.

The 2019 and 2020 Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Brown University, Milhouse is empowering the next generation of creators. Frequently asked to speak throughout the country, Milhouse has shared his passion and vision through his TEDx Talk, “The Silicon Rhode,” and his Google Talk, “Rebooting Emerging Domestic Markets.” 

Milhouse also recently launched BlackLivesBiz.com, the nation’s largest directory of Black-owned businesses.

Why is Papitto Opportunity Connection and its mission of bettering the BIPOC communities so important to you?

“I’ve lived most of my adult life bettering the lives of other people. Since the 1990’s, I have dedicated a significant amount of time annually to helping to improve the lives of others. POC is in perfect alignment with my mission and vision.”

Did you experience a defining moment that triggered your deep desire to help others?

“When I was an adolescent, I remember hearing numerous conversations that involved my parents, aunts, uncles and their friends discussing how difficult it was for people of color to get jobs that they were qualified for. At the age of seven, during one of these conversations, I interjected and told my family that when I grew up that I was going to create a company that would enable any person that needed a job, to get one.”