Interviews

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Chicago-based Code Academy is currently taking applications for their first 12-week program which will start October 3 and has an application deadline of August 26. The program is designed to help people and startups learn how to build web applications.

MidVentures recently got the chance to connect with Neal Sales-Griffin, Founder and CEO of both Code Academy and Code Mountain. He tells us a little about how his companies came about, what he’s looking for in applicants and where he sees Code Academy going in the future.

midVentures: Can you tell our midVentures readers a little bit about Code Academy? What is so unique about you guys? What stands out?

Neal Sales-Griffin: When you’re learning a foreign language, the best way to do so is to immerse yourself in an environment where that language is spoken all the time, which is why so many people study abroad and travel to places experiencing how language is applied practically.

Code Academy is the study abroad for learning software development.

We are a beginner-focused collaborative—meaning no programming experience required, but exposure to it is definitely not frowned upon—and intensive school that teaches people how to build web applications with the Ruby on Rails web framework (e.g. Twitter, Groupon, Hulu). We provide you with everything necessary for coding: computers, software, and an environment that makes learning and productivity unavoidable. You’ll learn more in 12 weeks than most do in a year.

1 class. 12 weeks. 12 students. A lead instructor and a bunch of brilliant guest instructors. 6 top tier software developer mentors. 4 hours a day for three days a week in downtown Chicago.

You can’t find a program like ours anywhere else, especially at the price that we’re offering it at. Twelve hours a week of instructor training, plus access to our space throughout the week to collaborate on your projects and meet with mentors.

mV: We like the sound of this program, Neal. So tell us, how did Code Academy come about? What drove your vision for this idea?

NSG: We started Code Academy because we spent the past year teaching ourselves web development. As non-CS majors in college and having exhausted the books, screencasts, tutorials and workshops available, we realized there was an unnecessary barrier for people to acquire these skills.

During the first two weeks of April, I went around (with my iPad) and networked with every Ruby on Rails developer I could find. By the end of that time, it felt like all of Chicago knew about our idea!

We are passionate about learning and solving problems. We wanted to become builders ourselves when we created this startup. It’s easy to come up with ideas, the truth is in execution.

We want to realize this vision for the world. It’s one where anyone can develop the skills to do whatever they want, to have the power to build their dreams – to take what’s in their heads and make it real.

mV: And we see you’re taking applications for your first program, which starts October 3. Tell us a little about the application process. Who are you looking for?

NSG: People who want to build. People with compelling stories that communicate why Code Academy would help change their lives for the better.

We’re looking for entrepreneurial MBAs seeking a “tech co-founder,” undergrad college students looking to bootstrap their own startup from their dorm, recently graduated working professionals looking for an awesome career shift into an exciting line of work, and even people from different countries wanting to come to Chicago and code for three months!

We are looking for passionate people who care about doing meaningful work. If you have a burning desire to solve a problem, if you want to make a dent in the universe, then this program is for you.

This will be an intensive program, so we want people who can thrive in a fast-paced learning environment. If you’re quick to give up, this isn’t for you.

The application deadline is August 26th and can be completed on our site at www.codeacademy.org/apply. There are 5 essay questions for the initial application. Once reviewed, we choose the best applicants for an interview during the first week of September. Twelve will be chosen for the first class starting October 3rd and ending December 21st.

mV: Why do the program in Chicago? What made you want to run it here?

NSG: I have lived here my entire life. I love this city, and it’s literally exploding with excitement through technology. There’s an insane amount of entrepreneurial energy in the air.

Chicago is on the verge of tech stardom. Some of the world’s most revered companies and initiatives are here, and they’re growing, fast.

BUT, our ideas are outpacing our capacity to build right now. We need to create more builders for Chicago.

We want to solve a problem in a place that knows and feels the pain and that is eager to inject its support into the solution. Chicago is the place to be for that.

mV: Why should our readers apply to Code Academy? What will they gain?

Opportunity:
You’ve got an exciting idea for a kick-ass web application.

Problem:
It’s just an idea.
You don’t have the money to pay someone else to do it.
You haven’t made it yet because you don’t know how.
You have more passion for your idea than anyone else.
You would love to build it if you knew how.
You have toiled over recruiting a “technical” partner or outsourcing the development of your idea.

Solution:
Learn how to build it yourself at Code Academy, because no one will care about YOUR idea more than YOU.

Skills You Can Gain:

Web Development
The Ruby on Rails Web Application Framework
Application Wireframing/Prototyping
Test Driven Development/Agile Methodology
Software Product Development

Foundational Web Design Skills
HTML5 – The new standard for web markup.
CSS3 – A powerful styling language for web design.

Business Development
Business Model Development
Presentation Skills

And finally – Code Academy’s continuance is based on the success stories of its students. We have a vested interest in ensuring that people come out of our program with meaningful projects and career-paths to pursue.

mV: What do you see in store for Code Academy in the future, after this first program?

NSG: We want to solve this problem for everyone. There are other languages, frameworks, and disciplines we would like to expand to in the future, especially in the realm of entrepreneurship. There’s so much to learn and, therefore, so much to teach!

But not only that – twitter has prophetized our next steps….

“wish the @CodeAcademy 3-month class was London based “

“@TroyHenikoff @CodeAcademy can you recommend a similar program in NYC?”

“@CodeAcademy to heck with Seattle, come to Boise!!!”

“i want to learn how to build apps! why isn’t this in SF?”

“@CodeAcademy Cool. I’m from Hyderabad in India. If I get selected I’m sure I can spend 3 months!”

“Indianapolis needs something like @CodeAcademy”

mV: Thanks for catching up with us, Neal! Anything else you’d like to add?

NSG: Learning how to code, whether your idea is successful or not, will create more opportunities for your future than most skills in the current employment landscape. At the least, you’ll have a better understanding of the software development process to better lead and organize a team. And if you seize the resources and knowledge given to you at Code Academy, you’ll have the chops to prototype your own web application without having to pay or rely on someone else.

For those interested in applying to the program, visit CodeAcademy.org/Apply today!

Pawngo, a startup co-headquartered in Denver and Chicago that’s reimagined the traditional pawn shop, will launch this month for the first time as Pawngo—formerly known as Internet Pawn. Through venture investments by Daylight Partners, Access Venture Partners and Lightbank, the internet pawn shop provides a way for users to get cash without hassle or the chance of debt.

We had a chance to talk to Founder-in-Residence at Lightbank and Vice President of Marketing at Pawngo, Kevin Leland, about what distinguishes Pawngo and where he sees it going in the future.

midVentures: Can you tell our readers a little bit about Pawngo? What exactly does a pawn shop reimagined mean?

Kevin Leland: Pawngo is the first full-service online pawn shop in the U.S., but what makes it reimagined is not just that it’s online. We’re completely changing the pawn experience and making customer service our number one priority. We have a Best Offer Guarantee in which we guarantee our loan or buy offer will not just be better than any other pawn shop, but also any other online marketplace or online buyer of pre-owned merchandise. We also have what we’re calling our Comfort Pledge in which we pledge to make working with us positive, hassle-free experience with customer service beyond your wildest expectations.

mV: Tell us more about your upcoming launch as Pawngo. What can our readers look forward to when the new site goes live on June 7? Will Pawngo be different than Internet Pawn?

KL: Compared to Internet Pawn, the predecessor to Pawngo prior to Lightbank’s investment, you’ll find a much friendly look and feel and a much simpler user experience. Instead of first shipping your item to receive an offer, for example, users will now have the option to receive a preliminary offer before they ship. This offer will include both a buy offer and a loan offer, so users can decide if they want their item back or if they’d rather just sell it and get a little extra money.

mV: What sets Pawngo apart from other similar services?

KL: What makes this so exciting is there’s really nothing like it. Of course, there will be copycats who try to imitate our model, but we’re combining over 25 years of experience in pawning from our partners in Denver along with our experience at Lightbank building disruptive, hugely scalable Internet companies.

mV: What’s your vision for Pawngo in the future?

KL: Our goal is to make pawning mainstream and a legitimate option people consider when they need a loan. This will require a sea change in perceptions, but the fact of the matter is, there’s nothing shady about the act of pawning itself. It’s been happening for over 3,000 years – Queen Isabella even pawned her jewels to pay for Columbus’ voyage. What happened was pawn shops popped up in the bad parts of town and became the rubric of less reputable characters. But from a practical matter, it makes sense financially to use items you already own to get money without going deeper into debt. It’s really one of the most under-used, under-appreciated ways to effectively manage your money.

mV: Anything else you’d like to add?

KL: Soon we’ll be launching a retail store where people can discover and purchase some of the most well-known and hard-to-find luxury brands in fine jewelry, watches and cameras at absurdly low prices.

New Futuro, a startup in Chicago focused on the Hispanic sector, will debut a new, online social community for Latinos this summer. They are currently hard at work creating what they believe to be the only one-stop resource with bilingual, culturally-relevant information about education for Latinos. Co-founder and Chairman, Martin Castro, was named Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in January by President Obama.

We had a chance to talk to New Futuro Co-founder and CEO, Peter Wilkins, about the company’s direction and his motivation for starting this project.

midVentures: We’ve read a bit about your plans to help get Latino students into college. Which companies or non-profits are you partnering with? Will you be partnering with colleges? Can you describe how New Futuro plans to raise the Latino college admittance rate?

Peter Wilkins: Let’s acknowledge first one undisputable fact: Latinos, regardless of background, value education as oath to a successful and happy life. We are currently partnering with more than a dozen national and community-based Latino organizations and education providers including the National Council of La Raza, InstitutodelProgreso Latino, DePaul University, the Universityof Illinois Chicago, Get Schooled, the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and the Cristo Rey Network. Members of these organizations are also members of our National Advisory Board and the Chicago Advisory Council. These partners are helping New Futuro develop the information, programs, resources and dialogue that can help Latino families get their students into college and beyond. They will also be providing us with their expertise as subject matter experts on a variety of topics such as careers, financial aid, and critical tests like the SAT, ACT and PSAT.

mV: Between 1980 and 2008, the racial/ethnic composition of the United States shifted—the White population declined from 80 percent of the total population to 66 percent; the Hispanic population increased from 6 percent of the total to 15 percent. (http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010015/) In 2008, 26 percent of Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds were enrolled (an increase of 10 percentage points from 1980), however only 13% of Hispanic adults (aged 25 or older) had at least a Bachelor’s degree–even though they’re the largest minority, they aren’t making the grade (so to speak). Where would you like to see these numbers? In your opinion, why are Hispanics struggling to attend and graduate from college?

PW: The Latino community still lacks the access to information, resources and social capital that will help them navigate a successful path to college education. The information is most certainly out there and thanks to the Internet easily accessible, but not all of it is available in Spanish and what is available doesn’t necessarily meet the informational needs of Latino parents. At the same time, both parents and their students do not have access to the social capital –whether in the form of school counselors, Latino professionals and experts- that can assist them in the process. That is why I strongly feel that the future of America rests in our providing the Latino community the tools they need to pursue a successful college and professional career. And by “our” I not only mean New Futuro, I mean all Americans. We are all stakeholders in this matter.

mv: How are you different than LatinosinCollege.com? Do you have any plans to partner with them or do you see them as a direct competitor?

PW: I think Mariela Dabbah is awesome. She has done so much for so many Latinos. We’re a platform that LatinosinCollege.com can use to reach more Latinos.  We definitely see them as a partner.

mV: Talk a bit about your neighborhood outreach programs. Will you be engaging directly with Latino students or is it purely an online or mobile resource? Smart phones are pretty pricey.

PW: We will not only be engaging directly with Latino students and their families online and off-line but we will also provide key stakeholders the resources that will allow them to engage directly with these families. We are launching a Chicago program which consists of a series of boot camps at diverse community centers for late summer culminating with a major education summit in the fall. New Futuro will, alongside its community, education and corporate partners, provide attendees with key information on financial aid, the college planning and application process and careers as well as give them the opportunity to interact one on one with subject matter experts. We plan to expand this program to the rest of the country next year via a national mobile tour targeting some of the key Latino festivals and events.

mV: What about once Latinos graduate from college? Does New Futuro plan on helping with finding Latinos a career?

PW: We’re not a career placement services (maybe in the future). Right now, our primary focus is to inspire and motivate students to focus on meaningful careers through education attainment.

Your father was a huge influence on your passion for New Futuro. How did he guide all seven of you to graduate from college? What lessons did he teach you that you will bring to this organization?

PW: Wow! I probably could talk for hours about this one. I get pretty choked up just thinking about. I’ve done a few things in my life, but it is the men and women like my father that do the amazing stuff.  I want to help those fathers and mothers that struggle to help their kids achieve the American dream. I want to make it easier for them.  I know my dad could have used the help when he was dealing with bigotry, working multiple jobs and raising seven kids without my mom (she died when I was 10). He never, ever complained. He knew he wanted a better life for his kids. So to answer your question in a round-about-way, I bring my dad’s passion, commitment and heart to this organization, which is a pretty good place to start.

mV: If New Futuro is not a non-profit, how does it plan on bringing in revenue?

PW: As a purpose-driven for-profit business, New Futuro will generate its revenue through sponsorships and advertising opportunities with corporations and businesses. We believe New Futuro provides these corporations the opportunity to feature their Latino leaders, diversity initiatives and community programs in a positive light. They are, after all, also members of the Latino community. At the same time, these companies can feature their products and services aligned with the Latino community as well as provide them the opportunity to network with potential employees that could meet their human resources needs. With their advertising support, corporations and businesses help ensure that the services we provide Latinos and non-profits remain free.

mV: Tell us a bit about your background in business. How long has New Futuro been in the works?

PW: Prior to launching I worked with KKR Capstone (KKR’s operations group) as the President of PRIMEDIA Healthcare. There I managed to turn around the organization from record losses to record profits, building one of the premier online physician communities. In fact, the seed for how New Futuro would reach out Latinos via technology were planted there. Before PRIMEDIA, I served in senior sales and marketing roles for two technology start-ups that collectively sold for more than $2.8 billion. I conceived New Futuro in 2008 through my consulting company, The Omaxen Group, and in 2009, I teamed with Sterling Partners, a private equity firm with $4 billion under management, to incubate New Futuro. AP Capital Partners’ recent investment in our company has positioned our company for success. AP Capital will offer their tohelp guide us to rapid growth while placing an emphasis on developing strong client and employee relationships. New Futuro is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and a member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council

mV: As a woman who is half Cuban, and whose father refused to teach me Spanish, I have always wanted to learn, but never had the time or resources. Will New Futuro work at all towards teaching half (or full) Latinos Spanish? Surely this will be imperative in the future.

PW: We won’t be teaching Spanish in New Futuro. But we WILL provide Latino families content in both English and Spanish.

mV: How will you approach a Cuban population compared to a Mexican population or Colombian population, for example? Each population or demographic must have different needs.

PW: First and foremost, I strongly believe that the education gap in the Latino community affects all Latinos equally regardless of nationality. Having said that, I am also aware that the Mexican-American experience is far different than the Cuban-American or even the Puerto Rican one. What makes New Futuro such a powerful cultural tool is that, first and foremost, the other user will speak about his/her own personal and cultural experience in our different social media platforms and community events, no matter where his parents and grandparents are from. I personally believe that our users will see themselves reflected in those experiences. At the same time, we will feature a section on our website called Latino Perspectives which will address some of these cultural issues in an engaging way.

Ambar Frausto has created a one-stop shop for event and wedding planning. Like other entrepreneurs, such as Genevieve Thiers of SitterCity and ContactKarma, and the Telefingers crew, who took an everyday problem they were facing and decided to find a solution for it, Frausto was frustrated as a bride trying to plan her own wedding.

Based in Chicago, Posy offers simple tools, streamlined and easy design options for floor plans, contact organization and online collaboration.  Frausto talks to midVentures about her future plans, how Posy stands up against her competitors and why she decided to get into event planning in the first place.

midVentures: Tell us why you decided to create a company based on event planning. What is your background?

Ambar Frausto: A few years ago, my then-fiance (now husband) and I decided to wander over to the wedding planning section at Barnes and Nobles to see what was available. There were so many books, systems, videos, and organizers. It was pretty overwhelming.

I like simple.

I am a very organized person, and the idea of lugging around a scrapbook everywhere wasn’t doing it for me. As much as I love pen and paper (I’m a sucker for inks, textures, color) but for the level of detail and progress you need to keep it really isn’t practical. What if you ever lost it? You’d have to redo everything.

I then wondered what a professional would use.

In a business where time is so critical, not having the ability to back up, seems crazy. You can back up things on your hard drive, sure, but even that has a risk of failing (and desktop software is UGLY). I’m not a huge geek, but I wanted to know more about how I could store what I was doing on the web. At the time I was in school studying fashion design, and I couldn’t let go of the idea of there not being a better way to do this. I figured if I did it for myself, surely there’d be other people with the same problem.

mV: Describe one success story from Posy so far – be it your own or a customer. Describe one learning experience.

AF: I would have to say that I’m inspired the most by my first international customers. It’s validating to know that someone on the other side of the world sees things the way I do. Thinks the way I do.

A lovely lady from Australia named Fiona, she owns her own wedding planning company called Couture Weddings (coutureweddingplanning.com.au).

mV: Which types of events do you see getting the most use out of Posy? Do you see this as a tool for amateurs or expert event planners? The website says both, but which professional sites are you competing with?

AF: So far, Posy has been used in planning mostly weddings, though we’ve seen launch parties, and a charity event as well. There are a lot of sites that offer tools for the bride and groom, and we provide tools aimed at small businesses, so those we really see as competitors are companies like eventpro.net and eventbookings.com.

mV: How is Posy better or different from their competitors?

AF: The aim with Posy was to introduce a professional-grade, web-based event planning solution to the public. That meant we needed to make the software simple to use, and not distracting. We don’t serve ads and we’re not trying to make you buy anything you don’t need. We provide useful tools to get the job done.

mV: I love the floor plan tool. Do you plan to integrate with iPhone or Android or Blackberry?

AF: The floor plan tool is a great way for people to visually experiment and keep track of spaces without having to start over every time. We plan on launching an app in the future.

mV: Is there anyway to upload a guest list that a user has already edited in a CSV or Excel format? I can only see a tool for adding one guest at a time. Will this feature be added if not?

AF: We’re working on this now actually. We are currently in the process of adding that feature to Posy, it might actually be live today.

mV: What about creating a web page? If this is for a wedding, the bride would have to use two different sites to create her web page. Is this a future plan?

AF: We will definitely offer the ability to create a web page for events created in Posy. Not just for brides and grooms to announce their weddings, but for all kinds of events.

mV: What are your plans for marketing? How do you plan on building business?

AF: Right now, the focus is on creating awareness. The Posy blog will be launching later this month, where we’ll highlight real planners, vendors, creative inspiration, along with other things we think are relevant to our audience. I feel very confident that listening to our customers is the key to growing the business, and making their success through Posy the priority.

 mV: For more information on Posy, click here.

Last week, Future Simple, based in Chicago, a startup that is devoted to developing simple software for small & medium-sized businesses (SMBs), announced a $1.1 million round of funding. OCA Ventures and I2A Fund led the round, as well as angel investors.

Founded in 2009 by Uzi Shmilovici, Bart Kiszala, Pawel Niznik, Ela Madej and Agata Mazur, Future Simple has already launched small business CRM PipeJump and online quoting application QuoteBase.

“Our mission is to disrupt the way small businesses work by providing them with the software they need to grow and thrive,” Israeli-born CEO Shmilovici told midVentures.

“If you look at how small businesses leverage software today,” he continued, “you’ll find out they either don’t or they use a bunch of disconnected, usually too expensive, applications. Not only does this cost them a lot of money, this also costs them in time – the scarcest resource for a small business owner/manager. We are creating connected applications for small businesses that leverage new technologies and have a fantastic user experience. The result: happy, productive, informed and healthy small businesses that are poised for growth.”

After founding the web agency NetCraft in 2003 and selling it to one of the largest internet companies in Israel, Uzi Shmilovici came to Chicago to pursue his Masters at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and to change the “boring world” of business software into more exciting and relevant business applications.

Shmilovici got in touch with midVentures about the company’s plans, the steps it took to raise the $1.1 million round and why he chose to focus on small businesses.

midVentures: What are Future Simple’s plans for the $1.1M?

Uzi Shmilovici: Can’t say it better than the late Peter Drucker: “Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs.”

We see ourselves first and foremost as a product innovation company. As such, we plan to invest a significant part of the money in building additional amazing products for small businesses. We also plan to push forward our marketing efforts to reach out to more customers and get them to try and fall in love in our products.

And yes, all the rest are costs.

mV: Tell us the story of connecting with OCA Ventures and how you raised the money.

US: Future Simple was one of the winners of the New Venture Challenge at Chicago Booth last year. I met Jason Heltzer through his involvement in the competition. From all the investors I’ve met, Jason was the one I had the most insightful conversations with. A reason for that might be that he is a [Computer Science] undergrad and so he just “gets it”.

We stayed in touch over the next couple of months, and when the time came for us to raise the round, it was very natural for us to collaborate.

Then I met Kapil [Chaudhary] from I2A and had fantastic chemistry with him as well. His take on early stage startups is refreshing. Through earlier connections that I had here in Chicago, and Jason’s and Kapil’s support and introductions, I had the privilege of getting some phenomenal angels to be a part of this round as well.

mV: Why small businesses?

US: Simple. They are in pain. We (the founders of Future Simple) were in pain when we managed small businesses. With the advances of technology we can now offer them great and affordable online software that they can start using immediately.

There are more than 20M [small businesses] in the U.S. alone (if you count sole proprietors as well). There are many people in pain out there. We’re here to provide relief.

mV: Why now?

US: Small businesses drive this economy. We should all make an effort to support them. Think about it next time you buy something.

mV: Are you hiring?

US: YES! We are looking for an awesome VP of Marketing. Someone insanely smart, hungry and ambitious, who wants to change the world. Online marketing experience is important and small business marketing experience will be a great plus.

mV: Thanks Uzi!

Future Simple has a bright future, and according to an article in ChicagoBusiness coming out tomorrow, Uzi sees that future in Chicago. He told journalist John Pletz, “There was a question, ‘Do we move or do we stay?’ “ he says. “The Valley is the pulse of the Internet. In our case, we had the opportunity to work with fantastic investors here, and the team wasn’t an issue. So we saw no reason to move.”

Here’s to more startups staying in the Midwest.

For more information on Future Simple, click here.