Chicago Entrepreneurs Break The Startup Code

So many startups in Silicon Valley are looking for the next “big idea” in technology, overlooking something that has been ingrained in our society all along –education. Northwestern University grad and co-founder of The Starter League, Mike McGee, took a chance on the idea of combining education, technology and entrepreneurship. “Instead of going for a normal 9 to 5 job after graduating from college, I decided to team up with my friend Neal Sales-Griffin from Northwestern and learn how to code and build web applications,” McGee said. “Our game plan was to teach ourselves how to code and come up with solutions to problems, which would eventually turn into startups.” After graduation, McGee and new partner, Sales-Griffin, dove back into the books and tracked down tutorials on coding web applications. McGee found that it was possible to teach yourself how to code, but without a technical background, it wasn’t easy. “We wanted to find a physical place for us to go to accelerate our learning, but couldn't find one anywhere. That's where the idea for Code Academy was born,” McGee said. McGee and Sales-Griffin started Code Academy one year after graduation. The idea of helping entrepreneurs gain advantage in the technological world seemed like the perfect business plan, but they had to face many of the same startup hurdles. “We had no money, no instructors, no space –all we had was an idea,” McGee said. “During the first few months of building our school we knew there were people out there who would use the service, but we didn't know their names or what they looked like. When we launched our site and started to receive applications not only from Chicago, but from around the country and around the world, we knew we were on to something.” [caption id="attachment_11133" align="alignleft" width="270" caption="Mike, Neal and Rahm"][/caption] After an encouraging meeting with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, McGee and Sales-Griffin continued shaping and reshaping their idea until Code Academy became The Starter League. Along with the name change, The Starter League found a new home in 1871, Chicago’s new digital startup facilities in the famed Merchandise Mart building. Though they found a home and a new name, their mission statement remains the same. “At The Starter League, we are extremely passionate about solving problems instead of coming up with cool ideas. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but solving real pain points for people will help create a successful company,” McGee stated. “We have taught more than 720 people at The Starter League, and have helped dozens of existing entrepreneurs and hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs by teaching them how to code and design web applications.” By staying ahead of the technological game, McGee believes that anyone can become successful in the entrepreneurial world. With The Starter League, he wants to not only prepare students that pass through their doors for the next step, but also equip the next generation of entrepreneurs to make a huge impact. “Our vision is to create a world of problem solvers, so we still have a long way to go in that respect. I want my story to be the norm instead of the exception,” McGee said. “We want to educate more people on how to use technology to solve meaningful problems, so that in five years our alumni are being profiled as the next wave of entrepreneurs who are changing the world.”