Nathan Ruhde
Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
Megan Buchter
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The field of technology has progressed significantly in recent years, both in terms of the capability of technology as well as the accessibility of technology across demographics. Mel McGee, founder and CEO of We Can {Code} IT, has been a notable part of both of these transformations. She and her team at We Can {Code} IT run coding bootcamps and connect students to career resources as a means of advancing social equity.
We Can {Code} IT provides coding bootcamps to enable individuals from all backgrounds to find fulfilling careers in tech, especially for those who have previously lacked representation. Their classes combine traditional coding skills, career assistance to help students find fulfilling jobs, and additional lessons on dynamics like impostor syndrome and asking for raises that help students navigate those jobs.
Growing up, McGee had a passion for computers from the age of ten, when her family got a computer with one word processing program and a booklet. She was able to write her own program which printed her name on loop and, from there, she, in her words, “was hooked.” She went to Case Western Reserve University, where she aimed to build on her passion for computer science.
Even though her experience at Case Western Reserve would eventually play an important role in helping her shape the vision for We Can {Code} IT, her experience did not pan out as anticipated. When she got to Case Western Reserve, she noticed how many of the people at the time in CS were men. “I didn’t feel like I belonged,” she recalled. So, she switched majors, graduating from Case Western Reserve with degrees in anthropology and psychology instead. However, her trajectory would not take her far away from CS for long.
As early as the 1990s, she was already back in night classes, learning once again about coding and the immense potential it had. After spending some time in night classes, she switched her focus to being a web developer, all while dabbling in education. After what she said was “a significant leap of trust,” she pivoted away from doing web development, and We Can {Code} IT was born.
Not only has We Can {Code} IT brought many more interested coders into the field, it has also been successful in bringing the diverse members of the bootcamps to the workforce. Through the hard work in the bootcamps, as well as through student success workers/initiatives to help coders find jobs they would actually enjoy, recent numbers show that 89% of graduates are able to get a job lined up within six months of graduation from the bootcamp! Even though COVID-19 introduced new challenges, McGee said that We Can {Code} IT has seen a “strong recovery” as of late and seemed optimistic for the future.
The innovation of the bootcamp has benefited the company because of how its execution has grown to reflect the values of the company. Before the coding bootcamp was a business, this process of teaching was a volunteer effort of McGee’s. She said she had felt passionate about those “underrepresented in tech and trying to help them feel included.” But it wasn’t until she started We Can {Code} IT that she got the chance to coalesce her vision with the resources necessary to make it happen. One of those resources was the time she put into writing down the values of inclusivity and “doing the right thing” that drove the organization on paper. As she was able to codify what she had implicitly felt and experienced, she said, “It takes all the (noise) and clears it out,” such that one can be “true to heart.” As she did that, the decisions that allowed the company to grow came hand in hand. She “rewarded, hired, fired, and promoted based on values first and foremost,” and that trust, both in the values and in herself, paid off. Pretty soon, she was able to hire student success staff to help students find the right jobs and teachers other than her so that the company could continue to grow. So, while the bootcamp itself turned out to be replicable and successful, it was the investment she placed in understanding the values that propelled that growth.
Probably the biggest benefit to society that We Can {Code} IT brings is the commitment to “go one step further” for the students. The career support in terms of navigating the challenging issues in tech, from finding the right fit for a job, to navigating challenges, to keeping them in the workforce, is what allows for their work to have a lasting impact. Because McGee and the company put “doing the right thing” at the center of decision making, they don’t rush into decisions that make them look good in the short term at the expense of their students in the long term. Because of that commitment, graduates not only graduate and find jobs, but they have also stayed tuned in long enough so that We Can {Code} IT can start alumni networks to connect them to each other and to opportunities moving forward.
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Mel McGee, CEO
