Salt Lake City— RizeNext, a Utah-based professional development services company headed by founder and CEO Trina Limpert, the former Global President of Women at eBay, is joining with Calif-based MotherCoders.org to provide its first MotherCoders program in Utah to prepare a set of 20 mothers for technology careers.

The part-time 9-week training program will hold Saturday sessions at Bottega, in Lehi, and Weber State University, in Ogden, to provide a set of 20 moms with the opportunity to build the skills, knowledge, and professional network needed to transition into or re-enter a career in tech.

Limpert notes that 86 percent of US women become mothers by age 44, which means that not supporting women who become mothers in the US workforce is a tremendous waste of human capital. Women drive 85 percent of business and consumer purchasing, Limpert adds, and puts an average of 90 percent of their income back into their local economies.

“It makes ideal sense to invest in mothers for many reasons,” Limpert says. “They are a valuable factor to help our regional shortage of technology employees. Additionally, their work helps to answer some of the financial needs in our communities brought on by COVID-19. Their work also helps to ensure and propel the continued development of innovative products and services, now and in the years to come.”

Limpert also notes the training MotherCoders provides is especially beneficial in the respect that it puts a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) role model into the home of each of the individuals it trains, resulting in stronger families and communities for generations to come, as follows:

• The program provides a nine week/Saturdays only curriculum from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In Utah, the program will select 10 students each in two locations, beginning Sept. 12 and Sept. 26, 2020, in facilities sponsored by Weber State University and Bottega, in Lehi. Current plans are for the course to run live, with appropriate social distancing, but if necessary, the program will be remote. In either case, the program offers childcare support on site, or through a stipend for remote students to ensure participants are able to apply full focus to their own development.
• All participants are individuals who are at least 21 years old and who identify as a woman.
• It is suggested but not required that entrants have at least five hours of coding experience – enough to know that it is something they’d like enough to want to do much more.

Applications for Fall sessions are open through July 23, 2020 at http://bit.ly/mothercodersapply, questions on the application process can be sent to [email protected]

The program welcome sponsors to participate with in-kind donations and service as well as funds for tuition and stipends for costs such as childcare not covered by tuition in an effort to creating a scenario that provides as many as possible of the seats on scholarship. For Salt Lake, the program is discounted to $1,450 per seat (a 65 percent discount from standard national cost). Limpert notes that organizations including Facebook, eBay, Album VC and Lockheed Martin have signed up as sponsors so far, in addition to the two hosting institutions providing facility space. The program strives to have each participant cover a minimum of $200 of their costs as a personal investment in the program’s completion, but in cases of hardship even this portion could be potentially waived.

Participants learn technical skills by building and launching a website using HTML, CSS and Javascript to showcase the skills acquired for potential employers. They expand understanding of the technology industry including trends, the issues driving growth and innovation, and the potential career paths for technology workers. The program also provides professional network-building to result in connections to like-minded peers and working professionals.

Sponsorships Opportunities Available

Sponsors of the program help to raise funds for scholarships and program costs not covered by tuition; assist in program execution, including student, speaker, and mentor recruitment, securing location and childcare services, and recruiting partners and sponsors to fund in-kind donations for events and services after program completion, such as apprenticeships and additional learning and training opportunities.

As of June 2020, sponsors for the Fall 2020 program include FaceBook, eBay, Weber State University, Bottega, Album VC, Lockheed Martin and SnappConner PR.

About RizeNext

Launched in 2018 by CEO and Founder Trina Limpert, RizeNext connects and empowers women to achieve their personal and professional goals and supports businesses in developing and supporting a pipeline of qualified women for professional roles. The company improves the lives of volunteers, employees, business leaders and communities. For more information, visit www.RizeNext.com or email [email protected].