For decades, the term gender equality has focused on the equal treatment of men and women. Now in the year 2015, all genders are starting to come into focus.

The trans community is slowly being viewed in a new light in pop culture thanks to small screen breakthroughs, such as Jeffrey Tambor winning a Golden Globe for his performance as the transgender character, Maura Pfefferman, on Amazon’s Transparent, and transgender actress, Laverne Cox, being nominated for an Emmy for her role as Sophia Burset in Orange Is The New Black,

But in the business world trans people are not nearly as visible. According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, 90% of the transgender people surveyed reported experiencing “harassment, mistreatment, or discrimination” at work. Transgender individuals are also twice as likely to be unemployed as the rest of the population, and are at a greater risk of poverty.

While more than a third of Fortune 500 companies prohibit gender discrimination, they don’t exactly provide the most inviting environments for transgender people. That’s why Angelica Ross, transgender CEO of the Chicago-based training academy, TransTech Social Social Enterprises, is working to empower and employ members of the trans community through apprenticeships in graphic design and web development, which allow telecommuting opportunities.

90% of the transgender people surveyed reported experiencing “harassment, mistreatment, or discrimination” at work.

“When you are trans and you can’t even get your foot in the door because you are not ‘passable,’ and you can’t even pick up the phone and say, ‘this is Mary’ with a deep voice and not have them laugh at you, there are so many barriers to that,” says Ross. “But technology has totally leveled the playing field for someone like me. I can get on the internet and watch tutorials. I have the drive to spend five hours a day to teach myself a skill.”

A former show girl, Ross carved a new path for herself by teaching herself how to build websites. She then ran a creative design agency for 10 years before starting TransTech without any investments, donors or grants. Through a quick fundraiser, she was able to raise enough money to do a 12-week pilot cycle of TransTech’s apprenticeship program.

Ross says she knew there was a huge need for what TransTech provides, and this was confirmed when the organization received more than 40 applications, but could only accept two, due to budget restrictions. However, a handful of nonprofits have come to the table wanting to sponsor trans people to be in the TransTech program, making it possible for more apprentices to receive a weekly stipend. Ideally, each apprentice will gain the skills to earn 100% of their income as an independent contractor.