The code: how to mix business with tech
ENTREPRENEUR: WeThinkCode_’s Arlene Mulder
The former investment banker left the world of finance to pursue her dream of a tech business with the aim of revolutionising education and producing top tech talent
WeThinkCode_ is unlike any educational institute you’ve heard of: it has no classes, no teachers and no tuition. Its students learn how to solve problems using coding as the tool. And it is open to anyone between 17 and 35 years old, even if they don’t have a matric. Prospective students undergo an aptitude test and a month-long boot camp before they are selected for the tuition-free two-year course in programming and coding. WeThinkCode_ was created by Arlene Mulder and Camille Agon, but is based on a tried and tested educational model from Paris called Ecole 42. And in a big scoop for the two-year-old nonprofit institute, BCX announced last month that it would inject R60m over three years into the organisation, to help develop the next generation of talent within the ICT sector. As part of the deal, BCX and other Telkom Group companies will host 40 WeThinkCode_ interns each year over the period. Mulder says she’s always been inspired by solving difficult challenges, which is why s...
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