Our Mission

We're building a skilled workforce by creating pathways for driven people seeking careers in technology.

Why We're Here | How We Started | Get In Touch

Why We're Here

LaunchCode is a nonprofit offering free tech education and job placement opportunities to bring new people from all backgrounds into the tech field and reshape the way employers think about hiring.

85% of LaunchCoders

begin their career without a degree in computer science

More than 4/5

of our apprentices are converted to permanent employment

2x Previous Salary

Is the average beginning wage of LaunchCode hires

500+ Company Partners

work with LaunchCode to hire our apprentices

As Featured In

How We Started

LaunchCode was founded in 2013 to help people with nontraditional backgrounds find fulfilling, upwardly-mobile careers, and to help companies find skilled, new tech talent from all backgrounds and walks of life.

Millions of Americans are unemployed and many more are stuck in low-wage job cycles which leave them struggling to find livable salaries, employable skills, and a chance for advancement. American businesses also have a problem — there just isn’t enough traditional tech talent to match the growing demand. Code.org reports nearly 500,000 open computing jobs nationwide, yet only around 60,000 computer science graduates entered the workforce last year. These jobs are spread all over the economy, making products and services like your mobile phone, satellite television, and online searches just…work.

Back in 2013, Square’s Jim McKelvey founded LaunchCode to address these problems. Jim had experienced the lack of talent firsthand while trying to build a development shop for his new company Square in his hometown of St. Louis, MO. Eventually Jim moved Square to California for access to skilled workers, but knew there must be some way to connect the city’s rising unemployment with its shortage of tech talent. And so, LaunchCode was born.

It turns out, when you make quality education free and accessible, amazing things can happen.

Check Out More Real LaunchCoder Stories

On The Blog

Get In Touch

On Demand Faqs

Always ready with answers

Address

4811 Delmar Blvd, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63108

Phone

(314) 254-0107

Tina Baraba
Finance Manager
[email protected]

Lexi Baysinger
Senior Career Management Specialist
[email protected]

Candice Bobbitt
VP of Finance
[email protected]

JerMarco Britton
Education Operations Manager
[email protected]

Colin Brock
Education Operations Manager
[email protected]

Carly Clark
Vice President of People Operations
[email protected]

Shaw Coney
Talent Manager
[email protected]

Kellye Crockett
Vice President Candidate Recruitment
[email protected]

Crystal Crump
Senior Managing Director, Company Relations
[email protected]

Justine Dugan
National Account Specialist
[email protected]

Jenny Engard
Head of Education Operations
[email protected]

Gracie Evers
Education Operations Manager
[email protected]

Lisa Fister
Executive Assistant
[email protected]

Tasha Gill
Data Analyst
[email protected]

Linden Kelder
Senior Curriculum & Content Designer
[email protected]

Kevin Kickham
Vice President of Donor Relations and Alumni Relations
[email protected]

Claire Kim
Candidate Recruitment Manager
[email protected]

Maggie Lampe
Senior Finance Manager
[email protected]

Ethan Leigh
Chief Finance and Operating Officer
[email protected]

Barbara McCray
Receptionist & Facilities Coordinator
[email protected]

Mara Morrison
Head of Technical Education
[email protected]

Seth Near
Software Engineer
[email protected]

Mike Northrop
Lead Managing Director, Company Relations
[email protected]

Allison Sissom
Head of Career Outcomes
[email protected]

Rosanna Speller
Lead Software Engineer (she/her)
[email protected]

Savannah Tomas
Enrollment Operations Specialist
[email protected]

Kate Verrill
Senior Director of People Operations
[email protected]

Ryan Walker
Senior Software Engineer (They/Them)
[email protected]

John Woolbright
Technical Education Engineer
[email protected]

Our Board Leadership


Jim McKelvey, President
Co-Founder of Square, Author, Founder of Invisibly, & LaunchCode's Founder

Timothy McFadden, Secretary
Senior Partner, Fisher Broyles

Mark Brooks
Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Reinsurance Group of America (RGA)

Michael Gallagher
Senior Strategic Advisor, World Wide Technology

Everett Johnson
Principal and Senior Director, Business Solutions Development, Edward Jones

Joe Calia
Sr. Vice President, Business Operations - Payment Networks, Mastercard

Jaimee Robles
Senior Vice President of Enterprise Business Platforms at Centene Corporation

Jake Renfro
Associate Director, Accenture