Title: Executive Director
Workplace: Zip Code Wilmington
Alma Maters: US Naval Academy, Florida International University, University of Pennsylvania Law School
Boards: Leadership Delaware Inc. First State Educate
Best advice for your younger self? “If its tail is not wagging, don’t pet it. That goes for dogs, people, careers and everything else in life. Some things are in your future and some things are not. A wagging tail will come along soon enough and will be easy to see.”
Desa Burton has served as lead counsel on intellectual property for InterDigital in Philadelphia, tasked as the lead on research and development, technology innovation and government contracts. In 2019, she was selected as the next leader of Zip Code Wilmington, a nonprofit focused on offering 12-week courses in software development and data engineering. Over the last eight years, Zip Code has successfully trained more than 600 software developers who cumulatively have earned $131 million in wages. In the future, Zip Code plans on opening a brick-and-mortar place in Seaford to continue to serve students in Southern Delaware and is exploring a medical assistant program.
Received the award in 2024 and 2025.
