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CodeNewbie

CodeNewbie·Hosted by Saron Yitbarek·366 episodes

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The CodeNewbie podcast was born from CodeNewbie, an organization which fosters a supportive, international community of people learning to code. Each season, host Saron Yitbarek delivers stories and interviews from people of diverse backgrounds and expertise about their coding journeys, as well as beginner friendly discussions about the tech you should know about.

Why listen

CodeNewbie is built for people who are learning to code, switching careers, or trying to understand where they fit in tech. Saron Yitbarek interviews developers, educators, founders, and career changers about the messy human side of becoming technical, from bootcamps and first jobs to AI, burnout, accessibility, and community. It is especially useful if you want encouragement and practical context without feeling talked down to.

Episodes

50 min
May 22, 2024
S27:E8 - Learning AI (Matt Eland)

Meet Matt Eland, AI Specialist at Leading EDJE. Matt shares what sparked his passion for AI years ago, why he’s made the decision to go back to school for his master's degree and how he aims to continue spreading his expertise with the community. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Matt on Data Science Central Ohio .NET Developer Group Matt's Twitter Matt's GitHub Matt's LinkedIn Matt ElandMatt is a habitual learner, speaker, and author who seeks to learn new things and share them with others in the nerdiest ways possible. Matt is a Microsoft MVP in AI, runs 2 blogs, a YouTube channel, organizes the Central Ohio .NET Developer Group, is currently working on his second book, second course, and finishing his master's degree. We're told Matt occasionally sleeps as well.

36 min
May 15, 2024
S27:E7 - Tech and Art (Chris Immel)

Meet Chris Immel, AI Engineer and Digital Artist at Luminifera Projects. Chris shares how he works to create a symbiosis between software development and art and why he remains optimistic when it comes to the AI revolution. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Chris' Instagram Chris' Website Chris' GitHub Chris' LinkedIn Chris ImmelChris is a seasoned software architect and engineer who has built a broad variety of systems and energetically contributed to a long series of software startups of all sizes. He believes deeply in the inevitability of the transformative effect of AI on human society, and wants to be part of making that a transformation for the better.

49 min
May 8, 2024
S27:E6 - The Crossover of Health, Technology and Art (Daniel Bourke)

Meet Daniel Bourke, Founder of mrdbourke Studios and Founder of Nutrify. Daniel shares his experiences trying to learn to code four different times before it finally stuck, how he’s combining his passions for health, technology and art and the time he built his own machine learning roadmap. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Website ML Courses Nutrify Daniel's Twitter Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel BourkeDaniel is a writer who makes YouTube videos about the crossover of health, technology and art. His mission is to use AI to help people move more and eat better.

48 min
May 1, 2024
S27:E5 - Navigating the AI Evolution (Chelsea Kaufman)

Meet Chelsea Kaufman, Founder and CEO of LEARN Academy Chelsea shares why her background in theater set her up perfectly to found LEARN Academy, an AI native coding bootcamp, how she’s seen the bootcamp landscape evolve over the years and what role she believes AI will play in the future of software development. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) AI-Native Developers program LEARN Academy Website LEARN Academy Twitter Chelsea KaufmanChelsea, a strategic people leader, has dedicated the past decade to workforce planning & development. As the founder and CEO of LEARN Academy and co-founder of the Software Residency, she has transformed the careers of countless individuals in the tech industry. Her work has also been instrumental in helping hundreds of companies establish and maintain a robust talent pipeline of software talent.

47 min
Apr 3, 2024
S27:E4 - Living the Dream with AI (Rob Frelow)

Meet Rob Frelow, Co-founder & Chief AI Officer at The Storygraph. Rob shares how a trip in his friend’s Tesla led him to enroll in his first AI course, how he broke into AI later in his career and his experience truly living the dream waking up each morning excited to dive into AI and his work at Storygraph. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Fast.ai Course Reddit ChatGPT Large Language Models The StoryGraph Rob's Twitter Rob FrelowRob is the Co-founder and Chief AI Officer at The Storygraph. He is responsible for all of the machine learning and AI that powers The StoryGraph, along with the backend infrastructure for the app and website.

46 min
Mar 27, 2024
S27:E3 - Helping You Build Machine Learning Products (Pau Labarta Bajo)

Meet Pau Bajo, Machine Learning Engineer and Educator at Real-World Machine Learning. Pau talks to Saron about transitioning from working daily in Excel to Python, why data is everything, and what skills early developers need to foster if they want a career in machine learning. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Machine Learning Python Pau's GitHub Pau's Instagram Pau's Twitter Pau Labarta BajoPau is a Mathematician turned Machine Learning Engineer, turned Machine Learning educator. He creates hands-on content about Real-World Machine Learning and shares it with the world almost always for free and sometimes “for a fee” because he has a mortgage to pay. He tries to make people laugh too. The mortgage thing is not a joke.

44 min
Mar 20, 2024
S27:E2 - The Journey from Sound Engineer to Software Engineer (Alejandro Aspinwall)

In this week’s episode, we explore the journey of Alejandro Aspinwall, a Frontend Engineer at Amazon. You’ll hear how Alejandro began his career deeply immersed in the world of music and what led him to transition to the world of tech. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability in his career shift and provides insights into how coding bootcamps played a pivotal role in his development. Additionally, Alejandro explores the impact of artificial intelligence in his work, particularly discussing how AI tools have become an integral part of his coding toolkit. His experiences offer valuable perspectives on the practical use of AI in software engineering, and his story sheds light on the evolving nature of tech careers and the increasing role of AI in the industry. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) VS Code NPM Prisma GraphQL Cody Sourcegraph Stable Diffusion Claude Poe AWS Whisper FreeCodeCamp Coursera Udemy JavaScript C# Unity Unity DevOps Sound Engineering API Frontend Engineer Stack Overflow ChatGPT Open AI Alejandro AspinwallAlejandro started playing with computers when he was 11 years-old. Since then he has been tinkering with all sorts of technologies that in some way or another led him to work on music, photography, sound engineering, electric engineering, automation, video production, feature film post-production, VR games, and 3D sound. As a Senior Frontend Engineer at Amazon, he is responsible for maintaining and enhancing a suite of applications that cater to over 1 million daily users.

55 min
Mar 13, 2024
S27:E1 - Nurturing Relationships for AI Excellence (Shawn Charles)

Meet Shawn Charles, Developer Advocate & Community Manager at The Hunt. Shawn shares with Saron how he got into tech solely by building and maintaining websites for local businesses, what inspired him to level up by enrolling in a bootcamp, and his advice on those who might feel overwhelmed in identifying their career path in this new world revolving around AI. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Resilient Coders AWS Services Udemy Shawn's GitHub Shawn's Twitter Shawn CharlesPreviously an Amazon (Audible) Software Engineer and now building tech communities as a Developer Advocate.

50 min
Dec 20, 2023
S26:E8 - Being Open to the Unexpected (Katherine Evans)

Meet Katherine Evans, Lead Engineering Instructor at Actualize Coding Bootcamp and Senior Software Engineer at Neon One. Katherine walks us through her journey from bootcamp student to bootcamp teacher, sharing tips for recent grads looking to land their first role. Saron and Katherine also talk about whether Katherine thinks it’s still worth learning to code given the economic climate and what she would tell others who might be interested in learning to code. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Actualize Coding Bootcamp Podium Education CAD PHP Katherine's GitHub Katherine's Website Katherine's Instagram Katherine EvansKatherine Evans is a software engineer, tech educator, and (amateur) potter living in Chicago. With a background in nonprofit work, she’s focused on how technology can tackle real-world problems, improve peoples’ lives, and do good in the world. A perennial student, she finds joy in learning new things and sharing these discoveries with others.

39 min
Dec 13, 2023
S26:E7 - Thoughts on Degrees and Bootcamps (Johnny Proano)

Saron speaks with Johnny Proano, Associate Software Engineer at Hilton Grand Vacations. Initially drawn to code while building his personal DJ website, Johnny took the full leap with the support of his family. Johnny discusses his initial belief that a degree was necessary to become a software engineer and his decision to attend a coding bootcamp instead. He reflects on the differences between the bootcamp and college experience and shares his job search process after graduation. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) SQL Ruby Johnny's GitHub Johnny's Instagram Jonny's Website Johnny ProanoJohnny is a passionate Chicago Bulls fan, music enthusiast, Star Wars fan, and a proud father with a love for the creativity of coding. He is a dedicated Software Engineer blending university education and a coding bootcamp experience bringing leadership, innovation, and a commitment to making a difference through code: “Think it, code it, make a difference!"

56 min
Dec 6, 2023
S26:E6 - Embracing Rest for Productivity (Ronesha Dennis)

Saron chats with Ronesha Dennis, Founder and Lead Engineer at Bergeron-Woodley. Ronesha talks about growing up and how tech played a role in her childhood (her first website was a fan site for Lil Bow Wow). She talks about how she ended up in another career for 5 years until she sat down and thought about things she liked doing as a child without being paid for doing those things. This led her to want to get into tech. She decided to leave her job, move back with her parents, and do an 8-week program on Ruby on Rails. She then did a fellowship with Code for Progress. After graduating, she landed a job as a consultant then advanced to an Engineer, a Senior Engineer, and finally to managing other Engineers. She has authored coding books and she has her company building applications for nonprofits and other small businesses. Ronesha speaks on the mental health break she took after making the switch to tech and how important it is to give yourself space and time to take breaks after a career transition. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Python, the Relatable Way Coding with Cornell Ruby on Rails Ronesha's GitHub Ronesha's Instagram Ronesha's Twitter Ronesha DennisRonesha D. Dennis is a software engineer and coding instructor. She is the author of a coding book series for children titled Coding with Cornell, and a coding book for young adult and adult beginners titled Python, the Relatable Way.

43 min
Nov 29, 2023
S26:E5 - Exploring the Path from Medicine to a Tech Career (Shona Chan)

Saron speaks with Shona Chan this week about her experience navigating the world of software following a successful career as a doctor in the field of Anaesthesia. Shona shares her experience working in the medical field for 10 years until she decided she wanted to pivot into tech. Shona talks about how she made the decision to go to a bootcamp to learn to code and how she got her first job in tech. Finally, she talks about transferable skills from her medical career to her newfound tech career and reiterates how there are so many skills career transitioners can take from one career to another. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) JavaScript CSS Shona's GitHub Shona's Twitter Shona ChanShona Chan is a doctor and software engineer, focused on enhancing healthcare through technology. Before Shona discovered coding, she worked in the field of Anaesthesia in the UK. She started learning to code so that she could build an app for her workplace. She couldn't ignore this newfound interest and so enrolled herself in Le Wagon's Web Dev Bootcamp to develop her skills.

47 min
Nov 22, 2023
S26:E4 - The Ins and Outs of LinkedIn (Laura Thorson)

Saron chats with Laura Thorson, Program Manager at GitHub. Laura talks about how she was always interested in singing, dancing and music growing up which led her to UCLA on a scholarship to play the oboe. She tells us about her experience at UCLA and her decision to go to a coding bootcamp after graduation as opposed to searching for a job with her English Lit degree. Laura then describes the jobs she landed after bootcamp at Salesforce, Twitter, Meta and now GitHub and how LinkedIn played a huge role in helping her land these opportunities. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) STK AdTech Laura's GitHub Laura's Twitter Laura ThorsonLaura Thorson is a program manager, former engineer and design enthusiast who loves developing technical programs and scaling them for optimal impact. Currently, she manages GitHub's third-party, community global sponsorship presence and the Speaker Bureau program. In her spare time, she can be found watercoloring at the beach with her husband and son in sunny Southern California.

41 min
Nov 15, 2023
S26:E3 - Learning to Code with a Full-Time Job (Beau Carnes)

In this week’s episode, Saron chats with Beau Carnes, Director of Technology Education at freeCodeCamp. Beau shares insights into his career trajectory, which began in television and digital media production. After gaining initial experience in this industry, he transitioned to work in education as a teacher. Beau speaks on his experiences within both these professions and speaks on his decision to venture into technology, establishing himself as a proficient software developer. During this conversation, Beau shares his reasoning for getting three degrees, finding the motivation to learn to code while balancing the demands of a full-time job, and sending out cold emails for his first job in tech. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) FAANG Beau's GitHub Beau's Twitter FreeCodeCamp JavaScript Beau CarnesBeau is a software developer and teacher. He manages the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel and creates many resources to help people learn software development.

44 min
Nov 8, 2023
S26:E2 - Freelancing While Homeschooling (Sarah Greer)

In this episode, Saron chats with Lead Web Developer, Sarah Greer. Sarah talks about her coding journey and how she juggled her passion for coding through freelancing while homeschooling her children. Sarah talks about why it was so important to her to learn to code and to have a career outside of having the title of “mom”. She also shares her experience going from freelancing to working full-time and the reasoning behind the switch. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) CSS HTML JavaScript Sarah GreerSarah was a freelance developer for 9 years, working mostly at night while homeschooling her kids. She’s now working in her dream job as the lead web developer for a growing marketing company.

49 min
Nov 1, 2023
S26:E1 - Make Your Accomplishments Visible (Camille Eddy)

This week, Saron talks with Camille Eddy, Technical Product Manager. Camille talks about her life growing up as a Pastor’s child, how she started and grew her business, and when she first found her passion for tech. Camille also shares her experience overcoming a fear of public speaking, and why it enabled her not only to travel the world but also land internships at companies like Google X, NVIDIA, and HP Labs all before graduating. Saron also talks to Camille about when she was asked to introduce President Obama. Camille concludes with principles she would lead with if she was a career transitioner looking to start her career in tech today. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Project Manager Product Manager Robotics Engineering Artificial Intelligence Camille's GitHub Camille's Instagram Camille's Twitter Camille EddyCamille is a Technical Project/Product Manager with experience working in robotics and with SaaS products. She previously interned at Google X, NVIDIA, and HP Labs before graduating with a Mechanical Engineering degree in 2020.

34 min
Oct 4, 2023
S25:E8 - Empowering Developers of All Abilities (Judith Lung)

Saron chats with Judith Lung, Software Engineer at LinkedIn. Judith shares how she found herself in tech after initially getting her masters in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. Judith talks about her experience learning to code as someone who is blind and the changes she aims to make in the tech space to aid in the progression of tech accessibility. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Judith's GitHub Judith's LinkedIn edX Edge freeCodeCamp Assistive Technology Department of Rehabilitation IDE Screen Reader Judith LungJudith is an accessibility engineer with a background in English, rehabilitation counseling, and assistive technology. She is passionate about using technology to create inclusive experiences and opportunities for people of all abilities.

45 min
Sep 27, 2023
S25:E7 - Overcoming Fears and Pursuing Passions (Stefi Rosca)

Saron chats with Stefi Rosca, Frontend Engineer at Typeform. Stefi talks about their path to breaking into tech in their later twenties after having a fulfilling career in marketing. They also talk about the communities they joined to help motivate and encourage them along the way and how they leveled up in the tech space. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Stefi's Website Stefi's GitHub Stefi's LinkedIn Stefi's X Account The Recurse Center Codebar freeCodeCamp C Stefi Rosca👩‍💻 Frontend Developer, 🌍 Traveler and ⛷️ Skier Stefi Rosca is from Romania and currently lives in Barcelona. They are a specialty coffee lover, skier, traveler, wannabe triathlete, and someone who might spend too much time watching YouTube videos.

47 min
Sep 20, 2023
S25:E6 - Big Tech: What They Say vs. What They Mean (Rachel Lee Nabors)

Saron sits down with Rachel Nabors again. They talk about what Rachel has been up to since they were last on the show in 2017, the inside scoop of Big Tech, and Rachel’s experience working for organizations such as Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft. You’ll also hear why Rachel has decided their next chapter will be at a startup and what they are hoping for in their future. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) See Rachel at React Brussels (Oct 13) See Rachel at React JS Day, Verona (Oct 27) See Rachel at City JS Berlin (Nov 3) See Rachel at React Summit NYC (Nov 13 - 15) Animation at Work Wiggly Goose Club Rachel's 2017 CodeNewbie Episode Rachel's 2014 CodeNewbie Episode Rachel's Instagram Rachel's Twitter Rachel's GitHub Rachel's Website Web Animations API React Rachel Lee NaborsRachel Nabors lives to teach the world to code so others may create a future we can all believe in. They spearheaded the new React and React Native docs at react.dev and reactnative.dev and are consulting in this space after leading developer education at AWS Amplify.

43 min
Sep 13, 2023
S25:E5 - Mastering Leadership (Brian Jenney)

In this episode, Saron sits down with Brian Jenney, Senior Software Engineering Manager at Clorox. Saron talks to Brian about his struggles with addiction, how he changed his life and turned a new leaf with coding and sobriety, and how his go-getter personality has served him well and continues to play a role in his current success. They also talk about what being a leader looks like and the ways in which you can become a leader regardless of the challenges life throws at you. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) GitHub YouTube LinkedIn X Instagram AngularJS C# JS Code Coach Brian JenneyBrian is a software engineering manager who transitioned into tech at 30. He is a JavaScript enthusiast who enjoys teaching and mentoring others and runs a business teaching others how to code and accelerate their developer careers.

44 min
Sep 6, 2023
S25:E4 - Diversity Dialogues in Tech (Ale Thomas)

Saron talks to Ale Thomas, Developer Advocate and Web Developer at Kubeshop | Mixed Change. Ale talks about growing up in Mexico and learning to code on her own. She walks us through her career history and how she paved her way into tech without a CS degree. She highlights how mentors played a critical role in her coding journey and how important finding those mentors and a community is. Finally, Ale shares her thoughts on what inclusivity in tech means to her and the work she is doing to make an impact in the space. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Ale's GitHub Ale's LinkedIn Ale's Instagram Ale's Twitter React Angular Scrum HackerRank DSA C# Python C++ Ale ThomasAle is an Industrial Engineer turned Software Developer from Mexico. Now based in NY, she's passionate about Open Source Software, developing for non-profits, and helping out in the tech community.

39 min
Aug 30, 2023
S25:E3 - Self-Taught Coding Stories of a Former Lab Scientist (Vanessa Vun)

Join us as we sit down with Vanessa Vun, Frontend Engineer at SciShield. Vanessa talks about how she first built a computer when she was in middle school but ended up taking a different path for her studies and found herself back in tech after working as a Clinical Lab Scientist for 10 years. Vanessa shares how she gained her technical experience to put herself in the best position when applying for jobs, along with tips on how others could learn from her journey. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Vanessa's GitHub Vanessa's LinkedIn Vanessa's Twitter Vanessa's Instagram Code for America Hack for LA Open Source Technology C++ Vanessa VunVanessa Vun started her self-taught coding journey in 2022 after quitting a 10-year career as a clinical laboratory scientist. About 14 months later, she landed a job as a Frontend Engineer at SciShield, which provides a platform of solutions for research laboratories.

44 min
Aug 23, 2023
S25:E2 - The Journey from a Bootcamp to a FAANG (Alex Lee)

Meet Alex Lee, Frontend Engineer at Amazon. In this episode, we learn why Alex pivoted away from Mechanical Engineering and we follow his journey of transformation, opting to learn to code through a bootcamp over multiple law school offers. Alex also talks about his passion as a dedicated career coach and we learn more about Alex who not only excels in the realm of cutting-edge technology but also empowers others to navigate their career paths with confidence. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Alex's GitHub Alex's Youtube Alex's LinkedIn Alex's Twitter TechRally Website Alex's Instagram Git Series A Company Flatiron School Alex LeeAlex is a Frontend Engineer at Amazon based in Los Angeles. He also is a career coach dedicated to helping new and seasoned Software Developers change or advance their career.

37 min
Aug 16, 2023
S25:E1 - Pivoting to Tech from Biomedical Science (Marley Anthony)

In the kickoff episode to Season 25, Saron talks to Marley Anthony, Software Engineer at Bench Accounting. Marley talks about his career pivot from studying biomedical sciences to getting into tech. He unravels his strategies and tactics to secure his first internship, the pivotal steps he took to transition into his current role, and the significance of laying a solid foundation of knowledge early in his career. Tune in to gain valuable perspectives on strategies for landing that all-important internship, fostering growth, and embracing the ongoing pursuit of knowledge. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) LinkedIn Debug Git Variable JavaScript CSS Marley AnthonyMarley Anthony is a software engineer, photographer, and outdoor enthusiast based in Vancouver, BC. He loves tech and spending his time outside riding bikes and hiking. He's keen to continue to use his passion for creating to make beautiful, simple, and minimal websites.

45 min
Jun 28, 2023
S24:E8 - A Model's Journey to Software Development (Madison Kanna)

Saron talks to Madison Kanna, Senior Software Engineer, Health and Wellness at Walmart. Saron talks to Madison about finding the inspiration to transition from being a model to becoming a skilled developer. Madison talks about the experiences, challenges, and moments that sparked her interest in development. Listeners will gain insights into the tools and resources she utilized to hone her coding skills when first embarking on this new path. Madison also highlights the importance of seeking mentorship and how mentorship can open doors to exciting opportunities. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Madison's Blog Web Development Systems Programming Data Science Python CodeBookClub Deep Work Madison KannaMadison Kanna started her coding journey back in 2017 after deciding to shift away from her modeling career. In just one year, she made the transition fully and she is now a Senior Software Engineer in Health and Wellness at Walmart! Outside of her role, you can find her blogging about what she's learning, or leading the CodeBookClub, a virtual community she started back in 2020.

52 min
Jun 21, 2023
S24:E7 - Navigating Layoffs with Intention (Natalie Davis)

Today, Saron sits down with Natalie Davis, who shares her experience pursuing software engineering after climbing the ladder in the retail industry for 15 years. In their conversation, Natalie talks about what she has learned navigating the tech industry, how she's navigated layoffs, and why she has grown to be more selective and intentional with prospective new opportunities. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Mark Thompson Cassidy Williams Developer Advocate 2FA Natalie Davis (GitHub) Natalie Davis (Twitter) README Angie Jones ISA (Income-Share Agreement) Natalie DavisNatalie Davis is a software engineer by trade and a curious person by nature. After deciding to step away from her extensive retail career, Natalie took the first steps in her tech journey by graduating from an 18-month long bootcamp. Natalie landed her first engineering role with Foxtrot while still in school, but has since held roles with Netlify and Post.

35 min
Jun 14, 2023
S24:E6 - Surviving Cancer, Building Code, Thriving in Tech (Stacey Graham)

Saron sits down with Stacey Graham, Software Engineer at a fintech company. Stacey grew up curious about computers since being introduced to them in the 7th grade. Although she didn't take the full plunge into code immediately, she constantly provided technical support in her previous roles. Hear Stacey talk more about her experience navigating her career transition while battling health troubles, how you can level up and network in the tech community, and where to look for communities while you are just starting out. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) YNA OpenSource Project Github Join & Contribute to YNA YNA Twitter YNA LinkedIn YNA Instagram Stacey's Instagram Stacey's Twitter Meetup.com WorkSource Atlanta Career Karma Team Treehouse Codecademy freeCodeCamp JavaScript CSS HTML Network Administrator Stacey GrahamStacey fell in love with technology in the 7th grade in her first computer class and from there, her curiosity for technology began. She is passionate about coding and loves learning and problem-solving collaboratively in teams. She enjoys building high-quality applications in JavaScript, React, and Angular and she enjoys working with RESTful APIs, Node.js, and Express.js. She likes being challenged and believes there is always an opportunity to learn something new in web development, and that is what gets her excited about this industry.

27 min
Jun 7, 2023
S24:E5 - Balancing Parenthood and Programming (Phoebe Voong-Fadel)

Today, Saron talks with Phoebe Voong-Fadel, a self-taught Frontend Developer at the National Foundation for Educational Research. After having transitioned from a successful 14-year career in Higher Education in 2017, Phoebe made the courageous decision to pursue coding full-time while balancing the responsibilities of being a mother to her two children. Along with learning about her experience balancing learning to code and being a mom we talk to Phoebe about her passions that extend beyond her professional role. She actively contributes to the coding community by writing articles for freeCodeCamp and mentors early-career developers. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Udemy React The Collab Lab Paired programming OpenLayers Front-end Development Python CS50 JavaScript #100DaysOfCode freeCodeCamp HTML Phoebe Voong-FadelPhoebe was born and educated in the U.K. Before entering the world of web development, she worked for over a decade at various universities in London. Throughout her career in Higher Education, she was a strong advocate of using technology and software to automate repetitive administrative tasks. So she decided to pursue a more technical career. She is currently working full-time as a front-end developer at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).

35 min
May 31, 2023
S24:E4 - From Occupational Therapy to Code (Africa Mincey)

Saron talks with Africa, a former Occupational Therapist specializing in virtual therapy and assistive technology. Saron and Africa talk about transitioning from Occupational Therapy to working as an Accessibility Engineer testing government software and teaching developers how to build more inclusive web applications. Africa also talks about her journey teaching herself how to code, what stretches are useful for Software Engineers, and how important coffee chats and networking are. Be sure to listen for the mini-guided stretch break during the episode as well! Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Pomodoro Timer Your Stretch Break #100devs CS50: Introduction to Computer Science The Odin Project freeCodeCamp Occupational Therapy Africa MinceyAfrica Mincey is a Software Engineer and accessibility specialist specializing in: - human centered full-stack web development - assistive technology and web accessibility - technical writing, content creation, and community building. She uses web development tools to create dynamic and responsive web applications using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, express, mongoDB and NodeJS.

39 min
May 24, 2023
S24:E3 - Building Products for Everyone (Daniel Devesa Derksen-Staats)

Saron talks to Senior Accessibility iOS Engineer at Spotify, Daniel Devesa Derksen-Staats. Daniel talks all about accessibility and specifically delves in on how he got interested in the field, examples of how to make code more accessible, and how others listening can add accessibility to their tool kit of coding skills. Author of the “Developing Accessible iOS Apps” book, he keeps himself busy by writing a daily tweet about accessibility and iOS with the hashtag #365DaysIOSAccessibility. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) VoiceOver #365DaysIOSAccessibility Mobile A11y WWDC23 Developing Accessible iOS Apps Screen Readers Accessibility Daniel Devesa Derksen-StaatsDani has his dream job as an iOS Engineer on Spotify’s Accessibility team. He has previously loved working at Skyscanner or the BBC, where he learned a ton about how to make iOS apps more accessible. Sometimes he lets Xcode have a break and spreads the love for accessibility at conferences. Author of the “Developing Accessible iOS Apps” book, he keeps himself busy by writing a daily tweet about accessibility and iOS with the hashtag #365DaysIOSAccessibility.

46 min
May 17, 2023
S24:E2 - Understanding and Supporting Neurodivergence in Tech (Frankie Nicoletti)

Saron sits down again with Frankie Nicoletti who we heard from in Season 23. This time Saron and Frankie talk about neurodivergence. They talk about what neurodivergence is, how listening to people's needs and making accommodations to allow people to do their best work is and will always be good for everyone, not just those who are neurodivergent, and the benefits of being neurodivergent. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity Laziness Does Not Exist Loom Dyslexia Bottom-up thinking Autism ADHD Neurodivergence Frankie NicolettiFrancesca Kerberos Nicoletti (she/they) is an engineer, leader, educator, and polymath, and currently VP of Engineering at SoLo Funds. Previously they were AI Engineering Lead at a martech unicorn, Head of Engineering at a seed stage grocery startup, interim CTO at a big data startup, and an IC at several early-stage startups ranging from ecommerce to social media. They have been a career coach for 7 years. They hold several state records in power lifting.

36 min
May 10, 2023
S24:E1 - From Customer Service to Code (Tae'lur Alexis)

Tae’lur Alexis is a self taught software developer, application security enthusiast and content creator. Her mission is to help people with non traditional backgrounds break into tech. Tae'lur sits down with Saron to talk about her coding journey going from fast food to tech and the habits and tips she has learned to get to where she is today. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Tae'lur's Talk at BSides Baltimore 2023 Beer & Chocolate Delivery App The Pomodoro Technique freeCodeCamp The Web Developer Bootcamp 2023 Codeacademy Tae'lur AlexisTae'lur is a software developer, application security researcher / pentester and content creator. She transitioned into tech in 2018 after working in retail and fast food. Since then she's had the pleasure of traveling around the world speaking at conferences, have worked with startups helping improve their user experience and have helped get more people into tech. Tae'lur write about all things tech – her favorite being web app pentesting. Her goal is to explain technical concepts in way that people can understand. Tae'lur want to do her part in helping make the tech space more inclusive and accessible for those transitioning from non traditional backgrounds.

32 min
Apr 12, 2023
S23:E8 - Empowering the Next Generation of Black Tech Talent (Pariss Chandler)

For our Season 23 Finale, Saron talks to Pariss Chandler, Software Engineer turned Founder & CEO of Black Tech Pipeline. You may have heard of her before, as she was the mobilizer behind the hashtag, movement, and community #BlackTechTwitter. Pariss talks about getting into tech, being in tech at ad agencies and a beauty company, and how life changed after just one tweet. Pariss also talks about Black Tech Pipeline, the company Pariss started after seeing a lack of Black programmers in tech and wanting to change that. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Black Tech Pipeline #BlackTechTwitter React CSS Vanilla JS HTML JavaScript Resilient Coders Frontend development Pariss ChandlerPariss Chandler is a Software Engineer turned Founder & CEO of Black Tech Pipeline and mobilizer of the hashtag, movement and community #BlackTechTwitter.

41 min
Mar 29, 2023
S23:E7 - How a Single Mom in a Shelter Became a Successful Software Developer (Brittney Ball)

Saron sits down with Brittney Ball, Documentation Engineer at Meta. Brittney shares her experience going from being a homeless single mom living in a shelter to a Software Engineer. She talks about her journey to get to where she is today, the role a viral tweet played in kick-starting her coding journey, tips for those who are self-taught to stand out when job searching, and what a Documentation Engineer is. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Brittney Ball Blog Documentation Engineering Charlotte Developers Lynda.com HTML JavaScript Year Up Brittney BallThrough hard work and determination, Brittney's proven that your past doesn’t define your future. Six years ago, she was a single mom living in a shelter. Now, she's a self-taught software engineer, documentation engineer, keynote speaker, event organizer, technical bootcamp instructor, and mentor.

42 min
Mar 22, 2023
S23:E6 - From Site Reliability Engineer to Principal Software Engineer (Alice Goldfuss)

Today, Saron talks with Alice Goldfuss, Principal Software Engineer and Systems Programmer specializing in building resilient distributed systems at scale. Alice delivered industry-impacting talks on container platforms, infrastructure operations, and organizational best practices, as well as written on the SRE field, kernel crashes, and personal security. We hear about her coding journey and learn all about her take on various programs and the tech world as a whole. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) How to Get Into SRE Rust CSS Notepad++ Inline CSS HTML4 Alice GoldfussAlice Goldfuss is a systems punk with years of experience working on cutting-edge container platforms. She's an international speaker who enjoys building modern infrastructure at-scale and writing fiction on the weekends. Alice has written articles, consulted on publications, built communities, and sipped many cups of tea. She haven't written a book, but you’ve probably read her tweets (@alicegoldfuss).

32 min
Mar 15, 2023
S23:E5 - Going from Ministry to Tech (Kyle Shevlin)

In this episode we sit down with Kyle Shevlin from Virta Health, who talks to us about his journey from ministry into tech. Kyle is a senior software engineer (JavaScript, React, and more) who spends his free time golfing, woodworking and playing video games. Hear as he describes his experience with ADHD in the workplace. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Justice Sensitivity ADHD jQuery From Pastor to Programmer Kyle ShevlinKyle Shevlin is a software developer that lives and works in wonderful Portland, Oregon. He describes himself as a simple, Midwestern man who happens to be the forbidden lovechild between a Vulcan and a Viking. Make of that what you will. He has a motto that is the driving force behind his work, “With all things, leave them better than you find them.” He sees something that could be better, he tries to find a way to make it better. Lastly, lest you think of him as only a software developer. When he's not working, he's probably working on his golf game. He plays in tournaments all around the Pacific Northwest and occasionally even wins one once in a while. He has a nascent golf blog he's just getting started to share some of his insights into the game with others. When he's not playing golf, you can probably find him playing video games with his wife 5 or having a good beer and food with some friends.

30 min
Mar 8, 2023
S23:E4 - Practical A/B Testing (Leemay Nassery)

In this episode we sit down with Leemay Nassery who talks to us about all things A/B testing. Leemay is a Senior Engineer Manager at Spotify who is passionate about tying engineering to business and user impact while keeping her team's career growth at the forefront. If you have ever been interested in learning more about A/B testing or have been confused about what exactly A/B testing might be, this episode is for you. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Practical A/B Testing Leemay NasseryLeemay Nassery is an engineering leader at Spotify. Before Spotify, she led data engineering and personalization efforts at Etsy, Dropbox, and Comcast. Leemay is passionate about tying engineering to business and user impact while keeping her team's career growth at the forefront.

42 min
Mar 1, 2023
S23:E3 - Saying Yes to Opportunities (Frankie Nicoletti)

In this episode we talk to Frankie Nicoletti, VP of Engineering at SoLo Funds. We learn how throughout their career Frankie has always said yes to opportunities that came their way and it has made all the difference. Tune in to find out about what saying yes looks like and how to best look for and apply to jobs when you're a new bootcamp grad. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Hackathon Go Diversify Tech Veri Kunche Hack Reactor Frankie NicolettiFrancesca Kerberos Nicoletti (she/they) is an engineer, leader, educator, and polymath, and currently VP of Engineering at SoLo Funds. Previously they were AI Engineering Lead at a martech unicorn, Head of Engineering at a seed stage grocery startup, interim CTO at a big data startup, and an IC at several early-stage startups ranging from ecommerce to social media. They have been a career coach for 7 years. They hold several state records in power lifting.

38 min
Feb 22, 2023
S23:E2 - Having a Growth Mindset (Tanya Reilly)

This week we talk to Tanya Reilly, Senior Principal Engineer at Squarespace, about having a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset includes recognizing our limitations and challenging ourselves to learn at any stage of our coding journey. We also talked about interviewing and advocating for ourselves. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) The Staff Engineer's Path Growth Mindset and Code System Design Linux Memoization Graph Traversal Project Euler Stanford Computer Science Platform Engineering Tanya ReillyTanya Reilly is the author of The Staff Engineer's Path, and a Senior Principal Software Engineer at Squarespace. Before Squarespace she spent 12 years in Site Reliability Engineering at Google. She is originally from Ireland, but is now an enthusiastic New Yorker. Tanya likes raspberry pi, coding on trains and figuring out how systems will break. She blogs at noidea.dog.

35 min
Feb 15, 2023
S23:E1 - Psychological Safety in Tech (Taylor Poindexter)

Welcome back to Season 23 of the CodeNewbie Podcast! We sit down and talk to Taylor Poindexter, co-founder of Black Code Collective, an organization that strives to create a safe space for software engineers to thrive. She is also an Engineering Manager at Spotify. In her downtime you can find her adventuring, tweeting about tech, and creating whiskey videos for Instagram. She talks to us about her coding experience, the importance of taking breaks and what psychological safety in the workplace looks like. She also talks to us about her organization Black Code Collective. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Psychological Safety at Work Sabbatical Black Code Collective Taylor PoindexterTaylor Poindexter is the co-founder of Black Code Collective, an organization that strives to provide a safe space for Black Engineers to collaborate and grow their skills. In addition to this, she is an Engineering Manager at Spotify, Some awards she’s received include: 2019 Power Woman of DC Tech, DC Fem Tech’s 2018 Power Woman in Code, DC’s 2017 Top Technologist, and 2017 Power Woman of DC Tech. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, working out, whiskey tasting, and spending time with her two amazing nephews.

45 min
Jan 4, 2023
S22:E9 - Coding Bootcamps & Coding Journeys (Mark Thompson)

Happy New Year! In this final episode of Season 22, Saron speaks with Mark Thompson, Senior Developer Relations Engineer at Google. Mark loves to teach and code. He is an award-winning university instructor and engineer with a passion for creating meaningful learning experiences. Listen as they discuss Mark's interest in code, coding bootcamps and how to manage your career. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Svelte Vue React Angular Mark ThompsonMark loves to teach and code. His love for both of these disciplines has led to becoming an award winning university instructor and software engineer. He comes with a passion for creating meaningful learning experiences. With over a decade of developing solutions across the tech stack, Mark likes to use that experience to break down the fear of technology and make challenging technical topics more accessible. Lately, Mark has been spending time creating a disruptive fitness community by building Totally Strong, Inc. Oh, he also has a 1000+ day streak practicing Spanish on Duolingo!

42 min
Dec 28, 2022
S22:E8 - From Opera to Code (Anna McDougall)

In this episode, Saron talks to Anna McDougall, Director of Product and Engineering for the tech subsidiary of Europe's largest media publisher, Axel Springer National Media representing the company's technical teams at conferences, meetups, and events; and also promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives for technical staff. Anna has consistently striven to motivate and drive practical results for others trying to transition into a tech career.

45 min
Dec 21, 2022
S22:E7 - Starting out in Open Source (Brian Douglas)

On today's episode, Saron speaks with Brian Douglas, founder and CEO of Open Sauced, where he works on increasing the knowledge and insights of open-source communities. In the past he’s lead Developer Advocacy at GitHub by fostering a community of early adopters through conversations with the top open source maintainers on GitHub. Hear them discuss how Brain learned to code to start his own company, takeaways from working at startups, open source insights and learning through rejection. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Open Sauced FreeCompute Electron React Native WebPack NoJS CSS SDK Node Angular 2.0 Angular JS JavaScript React API Linked List Go Open Source Ruby On Rails Brian DouglasOutside of Open Sauced, Brian was most recently a member of the Developer Relations team at GitHub where he worked on the increasing use of GitHub and its API by fostering a community of early adopters through the developer programs. In the past, he’s led Developer Advocacy and Front-end development at Netlify, where he sat in a hybrid role as Frontend Engineer and Developer Advocate. Today, Brian finds a lot of enjoyment in encouraging folks to get involved in Open Source through his organization, Open Sauced.

31 min
Dec 14, 2022
S22:E6 - Technical writing (Philip Kiely)

Saron sits down with writer, programmer, and creator, Philip Kiley. Philip is the author of Writing for Software Developers and Life-Changing Email. They discuss how he first got into technical writing while studying abroad in Budapest, what technical writing is, what technical content platforms are out there, why new developers should publish content early in their careers, and more. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Coding TikTok Technical writing GitHub AIT-Budapest Life-Changing Email Writing for Software Developers Philip KielyPhilip Kiely is a technical writer at BaseTen and the author of Writing for Software Developers. He runs PK&C, the world's smallest conglomerate. He graduated from Grinnell College in May 2020 with a degree in computer science. Before a stint as Head of Marketing at Gumroad, he began his career writing code for Markforged, Principal Financial, and CUNA Mutual Group. Philip’s professional hobbies include appearing on podcasts and panels, sending cold emails, and tweeting about business. He also plays D&D, practices martial arts, and reads widely.

29 min
Dec 8, 2022
S22:E5 - Bonus: How should we handle failure? (Compiler)

This week we’re bringing a bonus featured episode from Compiler, a show made to simplify tech for tomorrow’s IT leaders, from our friends at Red Hat. Jen Krieger and Dr. Erika Hamden join us on the show to discuss failure, and how approaching it in healthier ways can help individuals learn and grow. Take a listen! Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) CompilerDo you want to stay on top of tech, but without the time spend? Compiler presents perspectives, topics, and insights from the industry free from jargon and judgment. They want to discover where technology is headed beyond the headlines, and create a place for new IT professionals to learn, grow, and thrive.

45 min
Dec 7, 2022
S22:E4 - Showing up in tech (Jason Lengstorf)

Joining Saron today is Jason Lengstorf, host of Learn with Jason, where he pair programs with experts from around the community to learn something new in 90 minutes. Jason talks about how he found his way into tech after being in a band, his passion for code and all things Developer Relations. He helps companies form stronger connections with their communities through creative media and special events. Jason also discusses the importance of showing up in tech, and what it really means. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Generative Art SVG animations React Serverless Functions API Flash PHP JavaScript CSS HTML dHTML iFrame Learn With Jason DevRel / Dev Experience Engine X Front End Architect Jason LengstorfJason Lengstorf is a principal developer experience engineer at Netlify and the host of Learn With Jason, a live-streamed video show where he pairs with people in the community to learn something new in 90 minutes. He’s passionate about building healthy, efficient teams and systems, and he’s done his best to positively influence the community, leadership, and technical health of open source and companies including Gatsby and IBM. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

43 min
Nov 30, 2022
S22:E3 - Demonstrating curiosity kindly with Matt Newkirk (Matt Newkirk)

Joining Saron today is Matt Newkirk, Engineering Director at Etsy. Matt talks about his coding journey, his current role at Etsy, leadership tips and advice for people on their coding journey. Matt's found a career in paying forward the help he received along the way, starting as a volunteer MUD developer and finding a path to becoming a director of engineering at Etsy. His engineering efforts cover Quality Engineering, Infrastructure and Operations, with the most value coming from finding improved collaboration across teams. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Peer One-on-Ones LPC APIs Fullstack Asynchronous Calls PHP JavaScript C A+ CI System (continuous integration) Observability Tools Unit Tests AWS Selenium VoIP Telnet Multi User Dungeon (MUD) Apple 2C Matt NewkirkMatt Newkirk cares a lot about code quality, having started in a Code/Design Review position in 1997 for The Two Towers LPMud. Since then, he's worked in a variety of industries, always preaching testability and always building tools to support that philosophy. He now is the Director of Engineering at Etsy, where he leads the charge focusing on market localization, international search, and internal localization platforms such as machine and human translation.

31 min
Nov 16, 2022
S22:E2 - Building the bridge across the tech gap (Michelle Glauser)

Joining Saron today is Michelle Glauser, CEO & Founder of Techtonica. Ever since joining the industry as a software engineer, Michelle recognized the glaring lack of diversity within the world of tech, which is why she's dedicated herself to addressing this issue. Techtonica is a nonprofit that provides tuition-free tech training with laptops, living stipends, and job placement or search support to women and non-binary adults with low incomes. Michelle shares insights she's gained through her coding journey and advice for those looking to start their path today. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Women Who Code freeCodeCamp Feedback Framework I Look Like An Engineer Class Straddling Tech Gap Python JavaScript Hackbright Michelle GlauserMichelle Glauser is the founder and CEO of Techtonica, a nonprofit that offers low-income women and non-binary adults free tech training, along with living and childcare stipends, then places them in positions at sponsoring companies that are ready to support more diverse teams. She learned to code at Hackbright Academy in 2012 and became a software engineer, where she quickly realized that the industry was severely lacking diversity. Michelle is also the lead organizer for PyLadiesSF, and in 2015, she spearheaded the #ILookLikeAnEngineer ad campaign.

34 min
Nov 9, 2022
S22:E1 - The new wave of frontend developer tools are on their way (Chris Ferdinandi)

To welcome back our show for Season 22, we talk with a familiar face to the CodeNewbie Podcast, Chris Ferdinandi. Chris is the author of the Vanilla JS Pocket Guide series and the creator of the Vanilla JS Academy training program. On today's episode, Chris talks about what he's learned since coming on the show in 2020, how he sees the future of frontend development evolving over the next few years, and what tools might help in your next job search. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) 11ty API Angular Astro Browser Native JavaScript CSS Client-side vs. Server-side DOM Go HTML JavaScript jQuery Lodash Netlify Next Nuxt Petite Vue Preact React Ruby Static Site Generator Svelte Umbrella Underscore Vanilla JS Vue WordPress Chris FerdinandiChris Ferdinandi is the author of the Vanilla JS Pocket Guide series, creator of the Vanilla JS Academy training program, and host of the Vanilla JS Podcast. My developer tips newsletter is read by over 8,500 developers each weekday.

45 min
Sep 26, 2022
S21:E8 - How to get into Web3 development (Nader Dabit)

In this episode, we talk about how to get into Web3 development, with Nader Dabit, developer relations engineer at Celestia and founder of Developer DAO. Nader talks about how Web3 differs from Web2, when it makes sense to build something as a Web3 app, and what are the tools and concepts a developer needs to know in order to build an app for Web3. Show Links Partner with Dev & CodeNewbie! (sponsor) Web3 Developer DAO Celestia WordPress PHP HTML CSS AWS Stack Overflow MetaMask SDK Blockchain Ethereum Ethereum Virtual Machine MPM Infura Alchemy QuickNode Anchor Proof of Stake Vs. Proof of Work Solana Avalanche Polygon Ceramic Amazon S3 arweave Node.js Solidity Rust Stablecoin Nader DabitNader Dabit is a developer relations engineer at Celestia and founder of Developer DAO.