Creating Coding Careers

What they do

Creating Coding Careers (CCC) recruits and trains individuals who may have otherwise felt a tech career was inaccessible. 

Through their three-phase program—pre-apprenticeship, paid apprenticeship, and job placement—CCC empowers promising, but overlooked talent with the skills and connections to grow their tech careers. Additionally, partner companies have a trusted source for hiring trained individuals with diverse experiences. In 15 months, students gain the knowledge, education, and practical skills that prepare them to earn a living wage or above in the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) sector.

During the apprenticeship phase, students are paid hourly as they complete project-based work with guidance from professional engineers, and then they are placed in full-time, high-growth jobs at a partner company.

CCC’s programs are unique in that their start dates are not set in stone. Once a group has reached a critical mass of four students, the cohort can begin. The cohort model empowers students to help one another and create a sense of cohesion.

Why we invested

Creating Coding Careers Founder and CEO Mike Roberts learned about Mission Driven Finance through another portfolio company, BrainLeap Technologies, and while serving on Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation’s CONNECT ALL advisory council with our Chief Investment Officer Louie Nguyen.

Being both a young organization and shifting between for-profit and nonprofit models, CCC did not check the boxes to secure conventional capital and was not yet able to harness significant federal or private grants to support their work either.

“Banks don’t typically lend to people who actually need it,” Mike says.

During this period of transition and growth, the organization was looking for a funding relationship with a mission-aligned partner in the community.

Mission Driven Finance provided Creating Coding Careers with bridge capital to support organization costs incurred prior to generating revenue.

The United Way/Bank of America Emergency Loan Fund co-invested alongside Mission Driven Finance to strengthen CCC’s educational services and ensure more individuals from diverse backgrounds can pursue careers in tech through affordable, alternative solutions.

“Working with Mission Driven Finance has been really helpful,” Mike says.

Updates

01/2023—Creating Coding Careers successfully repaid their second loan with Mission Driven Finance.

09/2022—Mission Driven Finance invested a third time in Creating Coding Careers.

06/2022—Creating Coding Careers successfully repaid their first loan with Mission Driven Finance.

11/2021—Mission Driven Finance invested a second time in Creating Coding Careers.

• Over the past year, Creating Coding Careers has enrolled 28 students in the program.
• 11 students have finished the program and 100% of them have been brought on or converted to full-time permanent employees at partner companies.