Run by Danae Mobley, Coded By Kids is a nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia that trains teenagers to become IT industry leaders, whether they are in the C-suite or leading their startups.
The organization was started in 2014 by Danae’s husband, Sylvester Mobley. She was most recently elevated to the role of CEO after serving as its Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer.
Willing to challenge the data demonstrating that Black American youth lack early exposure to STEM fields, although having the potential to pursue STEM careers as adults, Mobley noted that Coded By Kids is intended to work as a pipeline program, or “funnel.”
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She told Essence, “We know that if you want to have a student that wants to become, let’s say, a digital citizen that can really participate in a robust digital economy, it would take a number of touch points along a pathway to do that. It would start with high-quality education from K to 12. It would look like constant and consistent mentorship. It would look like professional opportunities. It would look like networking. So, we structure our pathway as such.”
She expressed that what sets them apart from other youth-focused STEM organizations with the same mission is their commitment to sticking by their participants from end to end, describing her organization “as a depth and not a breadth organization.”
Her organization uses an immersive, traditional style of teaching, where participants learn tech fundamentals including software programming, UI/UX design, and product development.
Through the organization, contacts are developed with local technology experts, industry partners, and mentors who will support participants long after they have completed their education.
In June when the organization celebrated its tenth anniversary, it changed its name from Coded By Kids to Coded By and announced an expansion to serve a broader age range of students, with a focus on assisting young adults aged 16 to 24 in establishing their careers.
Mobley also shared her enthusiasm for taking up the helm of the institution. She remarked, “As a former educator myself, I think I remain personal mission aligned with so many things that were core to the purpose of the organization.”
“Educating students, making sure they reach their potential, that’s what keeps me going despite all the challenges I come up against as a Black woman heading up something like this. I’m not a technologist by any stretch of the imagination, but anything that helps me answer the questions of how do I shape someone’s potential and help them grow drive the mission forward.”
Coded By has reportedly assisted hundreds of alumni in advancing into lucrative tech jobs, according to the outlet. However, Mobley stresses that this is simply a small portion of the organization’s larger strategy.
She declared, “We wanted to be different where we said however far you want to go, that’s what we’ll prepare you to do. We’re not going to set your destination for you or limit you in a way just because someone wants to check a box on a workforce development program. We’re going to make sure that if you want to be an entrepreneur, you can build your own thing. You are fully capable of doing so. So, let’s figure out how we get you there. We’ve always set the bar at leadership and entrepreneurship, because if you fail to meet that, you still succeeded if you are a VP or a director of UX or a developer. There’s still a whole bunch of success along that pathway, but we’re not going to tell you that the ceiling is here at employment because we believe our kids can do so much more.”
As per Technical.ly, Mobley holds the position of executive director for 1Philadelphia, a project of Coded by Kids that unites partners to promote tech equity in Philadelphia and has pledged to raise $20 million for these programs.
In the 2023 Technical.ly Awards, Mobley was selected Philly’s Tech Community Leader of the Year.
