This week, our client spotlight is Harrison Spain, CEO and cofounder of Redwood Code Academy in Santa Ana, CA. We spoke with Harrison about his company, the widening opportunity gap for technical careers, and got some excellent advice for new businesses! 

TenantBase worked with Harrison as he was laying the initial building blocks of the organization, which included finding a creative environment for his campus in Orange County to most effectively engage students.

About Redwood Code Academy:

Harrison Spain recently launched Redwood Code Academy, a full-time, 12-week intensive educational program teaching students full-stack development skills. The creative new campus is located in Santa Ana, CA, where students attend bootcamp to learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, .NET, C# and SQL. Students learn to apply their skills via a variety of applications, including web, desktop, mobile, and cloud.

Students learn the fundamentals and work in teams to deliver real-world requirements and applications, helping them build a portfolio and ultimately prepare for a new, rewarding career. 

The Problem:

Harrison has hired 100's of developers over the past ten years. Throughout his career, he noticed the talent gap beginning to widen. One out of a hundred applicants typically had the skills required. Harrison knows this trend this becoming more prevalent; there is always an enormous demand for technical talent, and the pool of available, affordable software developers is becoming more and more shallow. In fact, Harrison notes that "for one job lost, there are ten software development jobs available."

The Redwood Code Academy Solution:

Harrison believes that the best way to resolve this issue is to put the tools and education in the hands of the American workforce. After years of teaching and mentoring as a Tank Commander in the US Marine Corps, he knows that team building and project-based education works. Redwood Code Acadamy's positive, patient, and experienced teachers give students the opportunity to develop a highly desirable  skillset. After the course, graduates are empowered them to take advantage of new career opportunities that will change their lives.

Redwood Code Academy's first 12-week intensive course is already in session, but the next class is available starting January, 2017. 

Harrison's Advice for New Small Businesses:

• Go for it: Many waste time thinking about starting a new business. My advice is to take the plunge and jump in!

• Recommended resources: Facebook and Adwords are great ways to create awareness around your site and drive conversions. 

Harrison's Orange County Recommendations:

• Best tech tools for small businesses: Gusto for HR, Quickbooks for financials, and Base for CRM. 

• Favorite neighborhood in Orange County: Anahaim, home of Disneyland, and Lake Forest!

• Favorite recreational activity in Orange County: Biking on the beach. 

• Favorite restaurant in Orange County: In and Out, a California classic!

Upcoming Redwood Code Academy Events:

Redwood Hackathon, November 12, 2016: Please join Redwood Code Academy for the first inagural Hackathon -- a day of coding, camaraderie, and competition for prizes (and glory). Several local tech companies will be attending and sponsoring the event. This is a great opportunity to show off your skills, network, and develop meaningful relationships. 

Food, drink, and a fun environment will be waiting for you! Come join the team and start your software development journey. 

Registration Link: https://redwoodcodeacademy.com/event/hackathon-2016/

Redwood Code Academy office space

Thank you to Harrison and the Redwood Code Academy team for participating in our Client Spotlight!