Our Story

We started in 2013 as Seattle’s first code school, with a class of 20 aspiring software developers. A lot has changed since that first cohort—we’ve expanded our curriculum to include courses that range from beginner to advanced; moved to a bigger, brighter campus in the heart of Seattle; went fully virtual, added new curriculum in operations and cybersecurity; launched Powered by Code Fellows, built out our robust Career Transition Services Program; and much more.

Over 2000 students have graduated from our program and joined over 800 companies across the globe.

“Our first course was made up of people from all kinds of backgrounds—dancers, bartenders, IT pros, folks from the gaming industry. Our theory was that a few intensive weeks of classes could have them job-ready. We knew we had hit something big when two students received job offers on the last day of class… Before they had technically even graduated!"

— Brook Riggio
Co-Founder & VP of Education

A lot has changed since the first class of 20 students! We’re grateful for the instructors, students, teaching assistants, partners and support staff who have made it all possible.

Code Fellows was born from and operates in the traditional homelands of the Coast Salish and Duwamish people, the native inhabitants of the Seattle area. We acknowledge with humble gratitude the contributions of these communities, past and present, in caring for the land and waters.


Our Vision: Why We Exist

We focus on technology skills for a better life, for a better community, and for a better world.


Our Mission: What We Do

We guide people from all backgrounds to change their lives through fast-paced, career-focused education. We shape passionate learners with immersive training to meet industry needs and improve diversity.


Our Core Values: Who We Are

We are growth-minded.

We receive and give feedback to fuel personal, professional, and community growth through iterative self-improvement. We are focused on progress, open to challenge, willing to fail, and above all committed to the good of the collective.

We are inclusive.

We celebrate differences and encourage curiosity to understand the people and perspectives around us. We accept people as they are and embrace the characteristics that make us all unique.

We are passionate.

We are here because we want to be. Student success fuels our commitment to our craft. To us, this is more than a job—we put our heart and soul into what we create.

We are quality-focused.

We pursue the delivery of excellent experiences. Customer feedback informs our priorities and every day we strive to produce better outcomes. We take action on things big and small and hold ourselves to a high standard.

We are empowering.

We believe in our students—sometimes even before they believe in themselves. We equip individuals, companies, and communities to impact the world around them, revealing their latent superpowers. By instilling confidence, desire, and self-determination in the populations we serve, we get to be part of how tech reshapes our world.

We are transformative.

We are on a global mission to change the hearts and minds of an industry, as well as the lives of our students. Remarkable change happens at the intersection of individual determination and a supportive community. We will settle for nothing less.

We are caring.

We seek the holistic well-being of our students, our partner companies, and the tech industry at large. Feedback is a gift: so we present candid feedback, delivered kindly and clearly. We do well by doing good.

We are knowledgeable.

We are committed to growing our collective skills, education, and expertise to maximize our impact on the lives of students and the industry. Recognizing that knowledge is power, we strive to help students master their own craft.

We are customer-oriented.

Every decision at Code Fellows is made with the customer in mind. We align with our customers' short- and long-term goals, and we support their dreams. We actively work to understand each person’s perspective, so that each customer interaction is positive.

We are revolutionary.

We challenge the status quo. The industry needs a more inclusive and collaborative approach in tech to influence the products that serve our increasingly diverse world. We are here to equip and prepare the talent needed to push the industry forward.


Core Beliefs

We deal in the hopes and dreams of our students.

The Who

There is a way for the hero (our student) to achieve greatness. We believe:

  1. A revolution is happening at the intersection of technology, community, and meaningful careers.
  2. Those who dare to dream of fulfilling work can make sure-footed investments in themselves. They can disrupt their own stalled careers to much greater potential and lean their career ladders against taller walls.
  3. Meaningful careers are within reach—a few intense months (not years) away! This is possible for people who:
    1. enjoy creative expression
    2. want to work with interesting teams and communities
    3. like to tackle cool problems
    4. demonstrate technical aptitude

The How

There is a way to follow the plan. We believe:

  1. That technology is relevant in every industry. Those who have experience within a specific industry will have a distinct perspective on the impact software can make in that industry.
  2. In providing an alternative path to great careers for those who already hold degrees or have significant life experience.
  3. Intensive stacked-module learning allows rapid skill acquisition when the entire learning cycle is engaged.
  4. Learning happens most effectively when people get together to collaborate, to practice problems and techniques that mirror the industry, and to immerse themselves in the tools, terminology, and technology that they will actually use on the job.

The Why

It will have a great impact on the world at large:

  1. We believe that diversity will improve the tech industry: traditional diversity—as well as diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in problem solving that our grads can bring with them—contributes positively to the very nature of the tech industry, which is reshaping our modern world.
  2. We believe in opening up accessibility for those who don’t have a path into tech.


Get Involved

Want to get involved? We're always looking for great people to join our team and help us bring life-changing training to more people around the world.