Title: CEO
Workplace: Code Differently
Alma Maters: Morgan State University, University of Delaware
Boards: New Castle County DelCastle VoTech Diversity Board, Tech Council of Delaware Education & Workforce Provider Committee
Favorite thing about Delaware? “The people here are welcoming and have a way of making people feel right at home. Then there’s the location. You get the best of both worlds: it’s close to big cities but still maintains a small city/town vibe and charm.”
The technology workforce is about 35% women, with 3% Black women and 1% of Hispanic women. But with Code Differently, a coding education program that focuses on underrepresented people, that stat is flipped. Classes are 98% people of color and about 40% are women. Code Differently CEO Stephanie Eldridge was working as an executive director at JPMorgan Chase at the Delaware Tech Center before she met Tariq Hook and was inspired to make a difference in tech deserts and workforce training. During COVID-19, the state granted funds to Code Differently to develop a 20-week program to quickly reskill adult Delawareans. Today, 95% of college participants of Code Differently programs go on to jobs in the tech sector.
