As America changes, the tech industry has been slow to keep up. Over half of children born today are minorities, and 1 in 4 have an immigrant parent. Yet Silicon Valley and the U.S. tech economy remain remarkably non-diverse. That amounts to a lot of missed opportunities for all of us.
Code the Dream recognizes that young people from minority and immigrant backgrounds have great ideas and will play a huge part in our 21st century economy. Already immigrants are more than twice as likely to start their own business, and those businesses create over 25% of new jobs.
Can you imagine if more people with that drive knew how to code? Together we can make it happen.
Ramiro Rodriguez
Co-Founder and Lead Instructor
Ramiro knows about the American Dream and he knows about coding. Originally from Mexico, Ramiro moved to the United States as a child and excelled in school. He majored in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Cornell and later returned for a Masters in Computer Science. Together with an amazing team of top-notch volunteer instructors and mentors, he leads Code the Dream’s teaching and project-based learning.
Daisy Magnus-Aryitey
Director
Daisy moved to the U.S. from Ghana at the age of 4. She lived in New Mexico, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York before settling in North Carolina in 2009. She wrote her first line of code in a Code the Dream class, and within a year was working as a full-time software developer at Duke University. Daisy is excited to be back with Code the Dream, helping students fall in love with programming and opening doors to opportunities that will change their lives and their community.
Cruz Nuñez
Developer and Mentor
Cruz got his start in the very first Code the Dream cohort. He’s a fast learner, a creative problem-solver and just wicked smart — all things that make him an excellent software developer. He’s also the sort of helpful guy who hears that a friend is struggling with some tedious task, and then decides to code them an app over the weekend. He’s a good guy to know. Cruz is also a gifted and patient mentor, and we’re very glad to have him helping new Code the Dreamers get their start.
Alisia Jones
Programs Coordinator
Alisia does a little bit of everything, but one of her primary roles is to ensure that Code the Dream students receive individualized support in reaching their education and career goals. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Alisia double majored in Global Security and Justice, and Spanish at the University of Virginia, where she focused on labor trafficking in migrant communities. She joins Code the Dream as a member of the Johnson Service Corps.
Jared Siirila
Lead Volunteer
Jared is our longest-serving volunteer instructor and a proud Wyoming native. He has lived in the Triangle for over 10 years, working as a front-end developer for tech giants IBM and Lenovo. Currently, Jared works for EBSCO in the NoveList division, developing software for public libraries. Jared is a talented problem solver with a passion for teaching programming in often humorous ways (just ask his students). We at Code the Dream are lucky to have him on our team.
Chris Liu-Beers
Mentor
Chris started building websites in 2009 while working in a faith-based nonprofit that advocated for immigrant rights, and he helped create Uniting NC. In 2014, he launched a full-time WordPress design and development shop. Believing in the power of community organizations his company (Tomatillo Design) continues to work almost exclusively with nonprofits. Chris has lived in Durham with his family for more than 15 years.
Dan Rearick
Executive Director
Dan coordinates Code the Dream and took his own coding baby steps alongside the first Code the Dream participants. After beginning his career in corporate litigation, Dan has worked with low-income and immigrant communities since 2008. He is the Executive Director of Uniting NC and in 2013 was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change. He co-founded the Code the Dream program together with Ramiro Rodriguez. Dan attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard Law School.