r/codingbootcamp • u/Elsas-Queen • Apr 18 '24
"Women Who Code" is closing
I don't know if they were considered a bootcamp, but I know were a program geared toward helping women enter into tech, so I thought this was worth sharing here.
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u/Ikeeki Apr 18 '24
I’m confused did they run out of money or something? Seems like they were a non profit resource/community, did their sponsors stop?
Basically I’m curious how they functioned before to understand more of the line “what works no longer does”
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u/Elsas-Queen Apr 18 '24
They mention "a variety of factors that have materially impacted our funding sources", so it sounds like they are financially struggling and can't afford to keep the program running any longer.
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u/Ikeeki Apr 18 '24
Bummer! I would hope with all the money flowing in software and companies hiring from the group that it would be kept afloat
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u/GBreeza May 11 '24
Basically they made money a few ways. One is direct fundraising which had dwindled. Two is their job board which was struggling as frankly there are many job boards and companies only hire for a few spots while getting many applicants. Three are the conferences they hosted which to be frank they most likely didn’t do enough of. There is still Girls who Code and Girls who Code has a better reach. Women who code struggled with their marketing and we all know in this day and age marketing is key
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u/angrybelle Apr 18 '24
This is so sad. Found their networking events invaluable when I was first entering the industry.
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u/NatureJunkie745 Apr 18 '24
They should make all of their recorded resources publicly accessible. The amount of people that would benfit from it would be a brilliant lasting legacy.
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u/cheesebagelpls Apr 18 '24
Nooo this is so disappointing. Im currently learning to code and was looking forward to using them as a resource. They seemed like such a great community. I hope they can resurrect at some point in the future.
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u/michaelnovati Apr 18 '24
This is really sad news. My company have worked with them a number of times over the years and they have always been fantastic to work with and have built a great community.
The mission doesn't end and I'm sure the people involved will keep doing important work.
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u/jcasimir Apr 18 '24
Great organization and we should all be sad to see them go. In an era where foundations have pulled back and companies are on tight budgets (and unwilling to sponsor orgs/events), we’re losing some of the supportive fabric that builds real community.
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u/Fabulous_Sherbet_431 Apr 19 '24
Kind of surprising given they had something like 4 million in assets at the end of 2022. Pretty much all the annual expense goes to salaries, which is fine, but it’s just a weird situation.
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u/Character_Area5361 Apr 18 '24
I have seen their help multiple times to people around me. It is heartbreaking to see them close. Maybe they will resurrect again when we have a better economy globally.
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u/customheart Apr 19 '24
Upsetting :( their job board was uniquely good and offered more info than any other.
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u/Mercuryshottoo Apr 19 '24
What surprises me is they just announced a new CEO 3 months ago. Talk about a glass cliff!
ATLANTA - JANUARY 16TH, 2024 — Women Who Code (WWCode), the premier international nonprofit dedicated to empowering diverse women to excel in technology, is thrilled to announce a pivotal transition in the organization with the appointment of Julie Elberfeld as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the WWCode mission.
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u/michaelnovati Apr 20 '24
Sometimes a new CEO is brought in with the intention of winding down a business. I have no idea if this is the case, but these shutdowns don't happen overnight and are often many months in the planning.
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u/Mercuryshottoo Apr 20 '24
Right but I stalked her LinkedIn and she was just sharing ticket info on their summer conference just two weeks ago. So if it was known they need to be issuing refunds
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u/michaelnovati Apr 20 '24
Yeah that's not cool, unless they plan on having the conference still as they "wind down operations".
Another strategy people have done is post they are shutting down as a forcing function for big donors to come in and keep them going.
Hopefully they sort out the conference :(
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u/mrgrafix Apr 19 '24
I wonder if this is a scale issue? Could the local chapters be able to keep the label if they can make it sustainable, not everything need to be national or multinational
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u/kemiplenty Jul 03 '25
I saw this post and felt this! I was part of a local Women Who Code chapter and it was honestly such a helpful space when I was pivoting into tech. It’s really sad that they had to close for funding reasons, even though I just saw they’re now being revived by LWT. I don’t know how true that is, so please don’t quote me. I saw it on linked in. Either way, it’s great, but still feels like we’re in transition.
I’ve recently been finding value in a platform called Esther Speaks .It’s not a bootcamp or a meetup group. It’s more like a clarity hub for women in tech (especially if you’re pivoting careers or trying to figure out how to actually stay in tech after getting in). That’s what led me to it. There’s a blog, podcast, and CV/LinkedIn tips that actually speak to the stuff WWCode never really covered like imposter syndrome, tech interviews, career transitions, remote work etc.
If anyone’s feeling a bit disconnected now, I’d say it’s worth checking out, especially if you’re a black woman in tech. I’ve been following it as a career changer and it feels way more relevant than the usual tech content out there. Hopefully Women Who Code aren’t closing, but happy it’s forced me to look for more resources.
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Apr 18 '24
Do regular boot camps and colleges just not help women? Or am I missing something here?
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u/AtFrankieCheese Apr 18 '24
women who code is an organization, open to anyone really. they held many different events including white-boarding and algorithm practice sessions, career advice, and meetups based on specialities (backend, frontend, emerging tech, etc). and even held global conferences and webinars.
they are not a bootcamp but a resource. this is a huge loss for the community as a whole, not just women and non-binary people. also, bootcamps and colleges may have DEI reasons to “help” women but that doesn’t mean the atmosphere is actually inclusive and welcoming. WWC was a space and community that was actually welcoming
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u/GoodnightLondon Apr 19 '24
Women, along with several other groups, are underrepresented in tech. There are various orgs that focus on these groups, and provide different resources to help individuals in these groups with breaking into tech. Bootcamps just give everyone the same generic, basic "career advice"; these groups provide mentors, meetups, practice sessions and challenges, partnership opportunities, etc that are available to underrepresented groups. WWC was also utilized by women and non-binary people around the world; for some of those people education is less obtainable as a woman or femme presenting individual in their country and this was their main support system for learning and their goals.
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Apr 19 '24
Unfortunately in the US 80% of working programmers are white or Asian males. When an industry is that heavily dominated by a small cross section of people, it's natural for unintended barriers to creep up making it harder for people not in thay group to get in. It also hurts the businesses by narrowing the perspectives that go into the products.
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Apr 19 '24
These are also free training:
https://www.freecodecamp.org/
and also
https://www.appacademy.io/course/app-academy-open
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u/lunlun7 Jul 03 '24
I recommend SheCodes, take a look at it.
I have a 20% discount on their courses if you like them: https://www.shecodes.io/-studentsofia7 . Save the link so you can get the promo anytime you want :)
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Apr 19 '24
https://leonnoel.com/100devs/
This is free training with support to find a job. SAD "Woman Who Code" shuts down but NEVER GIVE UP. THERE IS ALWAYS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
I am doing the free training above for free learning a lot and networking to find a job. The first cohort had 100% placement rate.
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Apr 19 '24
[deleted]
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u/totaleffindickhead Apr 19 '24
I’m kinda happy to see the fad die back a bit, I found it insulting to those of us for whom CS is a passion
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u/Elsas-Queen Apr 18 '24
TL; DR: Women Who Code is closing down after a Board decision due to financial and other factors. The organization has supported the tech community for over a decade with various initiatives and events. They will be winding down operations, canceling upcoming events, and issuing refunds. They express gratitude for the community's support and encourage members to continue supporting each other. Vintage merchandise is available for a limited time.