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4Geeks and Boca Code join forces to expand programs and prime the tech talent pipeline

Nancy Dahlberg
Nancy Dahlberg
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By Nancy Dahlberg

South Florida coding schools 4Geeks Academy and Boca Code are merging, with the aim of better serving the rapidly growing tech community in South Florida.

Boca Code, founded by Todd Albert, has been offering an array of bootcamps and trainings in Boca Raton since the startup opened its doors to students in 2020. Albert learned to code when he was 7 and built his first arcade game as a teen. For some reason he did not pursue a career in tech, but instead he became a scientist as a NASA research fellow and then taught at in universities for 15 years, as well as at the middle school level. When Albert decided to leave teaching after moving back to South Florida in 2012, he followed his heart into tech and started a tech agency. At one point the agency had 17 developers, and Albert said finding local developers was always difficult. Seeing the need, he took the plunge, founding Boca Code in early 2020, combining his love of teaching and tech. Boca Code has been offering full-time and parttime bootcamps, including innovative programs giving students real-world experience.  

4Geeks Academy, founded by  Marcelo Ricigliano and Alejandro Sanchez and based in Miami, has become a bootcamp player on both the local and global stages.  Since launching its first program in 2016, more than 3,500 students have graduated from 4Geeks’ online and in-person programs, taught by about 120 instructors. The school has an international footprint, with offices across the US, Latin America, and Europe. More recently, 4Geeks has put an increased focus on lowering the barriers to software development jobs locally, including expanding its scholarships for its popular the Full Stack Developer and Data Science and Machine Learning bootcamps. For example, the company collaborated with United Way to expand access to underrepresented Miamians through a $25 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, and more recently partnered with BITE-CON and  joined the Tech Talent Coalition focused on expanding the talent pipeline.  And now through this strategic merger, 4Geeks has an opportunity to expand its local impact in Broward and Palm Beach Counties as well.  

Together the two organizations share a commitment to providing top-tier coding education, the organizations said. Under this new alliance, Boca Code students, prospective learners, and the broader community interested in coding education will become part of the 4Geeks Academy family, gaining access to a wider array of educational resources, courses, and career opportunities. Graduates will benefit from an expanded professional network, providing more opportunities for career growth, the organizations said. 

“We have been following Boca Code for the last few years and internally we always talked great things about their results and approach. This merger aligns with our mission of making quality coding education accessible to all and will enable us to provide even more comprehensive, industry-relevant training to our students,” said Ricigliano, CEO of 4Geeks Academy.

In an interview with Refresh Miami, Albert explained that 4Geeks will be taking over operations, and that upcoming classes in Boca will still be taught with the Boca Code curriculum by Boca Code instructors, including himself. Sadly, they will be closing their original location, but are seeking a different space in Boca, he said. Going forward, prospective students will have the option of taking courses in Boca Raton, Miami or online, and will have access to a larger array of scholarships and program options, Albert added

“[4Geeks’] team, credibility and experience will drive our community to great standards and outcomes, and they align well with what we’ve been working to build at Boca Code,” Albert said. “I’m happy to be a part of this journey and ready for new challenges to come.”  

A recent Boca Code cohort; Todd Albert is on the left. At the top of this post is a 4Geeks cohort.

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