New CEO of Ada Developers Academy on overcoming setbacks, a bigger reach and adding AI
Seattle’s Ada Developers Academy for years has been a success story for training under-represented people in tech and helping them embark on careers in software development. In 2021, it landed a $10 million grant from an initiative supported by Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott to expand into five U.S. cities.
But after launching more than a decade ago, the tuition-free boot camp started struggling.
The program relied on partnerships with tech organizations that provided five-month internships for its students, but in the aftermath of the pandemic and a hiring slowdown in tech, opportunities and jobs were vanishing.
So Ada did a hard reset. Last year it slashed its headcount, put admissions on hold and scuttled plans to open in new physical classrooms nationally.
This week, Ada announced its new CEO, Tina-Marie Gulley, who served as interim chief executive since April. The team dropped from 75 employees down to 25, which includes contractors and consultants. It bolstered its emphasis on artificial intelligence, and now offers all of its instruction virtually.
The nonprofit, which targets a student body that is racially and ethnically diverse and includes women and members of the LGBTQIA community, turned the shifted economy and reimagined workplace into an opportunity.
“We continue to expand, [but] expansion just looks different,” Gulley said. “It means that we’re able to serve folks everywhere.”
Ada’s free programming includes Ada Build, which is a self-directed curriculum, and Ada Build Live, a six-week virtual course held during morning or evening hours. Its original boot camp, Ada Core, offers six months of classroom instruction followed by the internship. All of this is now available remotely, though the core program offers in-person components.
The two preparatory tracks will serve 450 students this year, while about 150 participants will attend the core program. Ada has more than 1,100 alumni.
Gulley has served on the organization’s board since 2020, giving her a better perspective on where it was headed and what she could bring to it.
Gulley previously led marketing efforts at Seattle-area companies such as Edelman, Amplero, SmartFocus, Avalara and others. She previously volunteered as the director of ChickTech in Seattle, an organization promoting STEM education and community.
When tech companies began shedding workers in 2022, new Ada grads suffered. So the nonprofit brought them back to the classroom. Ada received a grant from MIT Solve, which supports initiatives promoting equity, and used the funding to fortify its AI curriculum. The returning alumni got a tech refresher that included the new AI content and did internship do-overs.
“It just makes them more marketable,” Gulley said, and gave the organization a chance to see how the content landed.
Ada also reconsidered its network of partners, going beyond traditional tech businesses. It now also includes nonprofits such as the Allen Institute for AI, Khan Academy, Code.org, and the health tech organization Audere.
Going forward, Gulley is eager to strengthen Ada’s impact in the broader community locally and nationally.
The two preparatory programs can be springboards not only for Ada Core, but for boot camps elsewhere, supporting the group’s mission to expand diversity in tech. That’s particularly important, she said, given the backlash against DEI programs and legal action against efforts to boost diversity in universities and business leadership.
In recent years, organizations such as Women Who Code, ChickTech, others have closed, Gulley noted.
“So more than ever it’s how can we build community?” she said. “How can we really use this as an opportunity to expand what we’re doing?”