Operation Spark moves pretty quick, and without great expense. In the past month alone, we trained 10 teachers from KIPP, ReNEW, FirstLine, Sci High and Lake Area, and we completed two bootcamps and started two, working with over 60 students. And we’re raising funds to scale-up production in our Prototype studio, where our students get the workforce experience they need to start junior developer positions. And you can help us reach our goals by supporting us from now through May 08, 2015, through our crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.
But none of our accomplishments would have happened without an awesome staff and team of amazing software engineers and core of volunteers. Today, let me tell you about our COO, Max…
Episode 2: Max
Max joined Operation Spark sometime toward the end of July 2014. I was almost at the end of our first major bootcamp, and I could barely stand up: Students were coming 3 hours a night, 4 days a week over 5 weeks, and during the day, I was involved full-time in 4.0 Schools Launch accelerator, plus I was finishing up contract work for clients. Max was working downstairs in Launch Pad, and heard about the magic happening with kids learning to code at Operation Spark. But Max could see that things were exploding for Operation Spark, and he stepped up to help me cross the finish line, and it turns out, we crossed in first place, winning the 4.0 Schools NYC Pitch Night competition, coming away with both the judges prize and audience choice in later August, 2014!
A little while before that, earlier in July of 2014, Max and I took a walk around the block, and he asked me some questions about the direction I was taking with Operation Spark. I laid out the plan, and he bought it, and I've since learned he's a pretty critical dude, so, although I didn't realize it at the time, it was a great vote of confidence for Operation Spark.
From that point forward, Max was on sight volunteering his time without ever asking for compensation, bringing his fantastic talent for startup engineering and natural business acumen to positively shape Operation Spark.
A little know fact, Max was at one point a muppet. I know, I know - you're thinking, "No way!". But, way - it's true! Just look at those tell-tale googly eyes, only a muppet has such googly eyes.
One of those very sciencey muppets, Max was smart, but, you know, felty. One day, while conducting an experiment in a lab, Max's felty hands got stuck to the velcro on the back of one of those flux capacitor type thingys, and he endured an immense amount of gamma rays, or something. Although he survived the blast, his muppet features were all but lost, excepting his voice, which you can affirm is still very muppet-like by watching this video here.
Seen here, above, is Max, cira 2007, before the fatal flux capacitor incident.
Max has this silent research engine going on in his mind all of the time, which brought about some big wins for Operation Spark. Taking some serious initiative, Max researched and opened supportive relationships with Google, Amazon and GitHub, and spearheaded our Connect program, in partnership with codestarter.org and the ever amazing Junior League of New Orleans, allowing us to provide new laptops to our students - in fact, students can keep these awesome laptops if they complete our bootcamp course work and earn a minumum grade of 75%. Access is a huge problem for youth in New Orleans, and Max's good work in this area is making an immense impact. Max also negotiated an opportunity for Operation Spark to begin teaching our software development bootcamp in the New Orleans Juvenile Detention Center, allowing us to provide incarcerated youth some very in-depth software development curriculum! These youth deserve opportunity, and thanks to Max, we'll have that chance to turn their lives around with some highly compelling and employable skills.
Nice work, Agent Max!
Max even listens to my pitches, 1000 times, without complaint. I can't even do that!
For your outstanding contribution to Operation Spark, you receive the coveted Hallebot Badge! Really kid, thanks!
