We are thrilled to announce Ada Developers Academy as our official non-profit partner for the What She Said Women in Fashion event on October 13, 2022 at W Bellevue. Ada Developers Academy is a Seattle-founded non-profit that offers cost-free coding classes to women and gender-expansive adults. After 6 months in class and a 5-month internship with a corporate partner to gain real-world experience, students are then trained to become junior software developers. Ada approaches the curriculum and training holistically, through a social justice lens, while also offering wrap-around support to students including child care subsidies, laptop loans, mental health therapy, and more. The tech industry is the wealth engine of our time and the economic empowerment for Ada Developers Academy students is life-changing both personally and professionally.

A portion of the proceeds from every What She Said ticket sold will benefit Ada Developers Academy. Please join us in supporting this amazing organization by coming out on Thursday, October 13th to W Bellevue for the event.

Here are 5 things to know about our featured non-profit partner:

1. They’re different from other coding programs, boot camps, and CS degrees

Ada Developers Academy is a non-profit, tuition-free coding school for women and gender-expansive adults.  After 6 months in-class and a 5-month internship with a corporate partner, students are trained to become junior software developers.

Most boot camps last 3-4 months without an internship. Ada students gain real-world industry experience with a 5-month internship at a software engineering team with a corporate partner.

2. Their programs are tuition-free for students

Though Ada is non-profit, they have a solid business model, generating 90% of their operating income through contracts with corporate partners who want to invest in a diverse cohort of new talent.

3. Ada Developers Academy students have a 94% job placement rate after graduation

Women who join the program make the brave choice to embark on a career pivot to an industry that is not always welcoming to them. In addition, they’re raising families and juggling everyday life while facing all of the challenges of having an intersectional identity. After Ada, the student's average salary change is 193%. Most students that join the academy make an annual salary of $45,000. Upon graduation, students often sign job offers at an average starting salary of $125,000 a year.

4. They were founded in 2013 to fill a void in the local tech market

Ada was founded in 2013 by leaders of several Seattle-area tech start-ups who were frustrated with the difficulty of hiring women software developers and achieving diversity on their engineering teams. Driven to create a prosperous industry culture that is inclusive and equitable, Ada Developers Academy runs an immersive coding program that involves 6 months in the classroom and 5  months in an industry internship. 

5. They’re in the process of expanding nationwide

Ada has identified a number of expansion locations based on demographics and characteristics of the local tech markets. As a result, they’re focused on assessing the median salary for software developers, projected job growth, and the gender tech gap to hone in on the next campus areas. This year they opened a new campus in Atlanta and next year they'll open one in Washington, D.C. Ultimately, their end goal is to create systems-level change in the tech industry by opening the door for women of color.