Wyncode Academy Blog Juha Mikkola, Chair-Elect of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council Technology Commitee

We are extremely proud to announce that our President and Co-Founder, Juha Mikkola, has been appointed to serve as Chair-Elect of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council Technology Committee for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The Technology Committee is focused on developing Miami-Dade’s tech industry through recruitment, expansion, and retention programs targeting tech companies, ranging from local startups to multinational conglomerates. This is truly an honor for Juha and for Wyncode Academy. Over more than 6 years, Juha Mikkola, has been a pivotal catalyst in making Wyncode Academy into one of the leading coding bootcamps in the world. His entrepreneurial endeavors have had a substantial impact on the tech community - expanding South Florida’s talent pool and attracting the interest and investment of top tech companies, while impacting thousands of lives. If you happen to meet Juha, you can quickly see that he is ideally suited for the honored role of guiding business strategies and development. See what the upcoming new leader of the Technology Committee has to say about it: What do you love about the Miami tech ecosystem and how the Beacon Council has been such a pioneer/leader in moving things forward to make Miami a tech hub? I love how open and inclusive the ecosystem is. We have some incredible startups and established tech companies here. Beacon plays a pivotal role in attracting companies here - and successes like Blackstone are a huge testament to the work they are doing. When you think of technology, what do you think of? Technology to me is all about finding new ways to operate and improve our lives and the lives of those around us. Technology done well saves time and gives you more freedom to do the things that you love. What has it been like to impact, through Wyncode, over 875+ students and many more through being part of the tech community in the last 6 months? It’s a huge honor. I am so proud of our grads and our team over the years for the impact they are having in South Florida and beyond. It’s so inspiring to listen to the stories of our early grads from 5+ years ago. Then on top of that, I’m in a position where not only do I see students go from zero knowledge to developer, designer, marketer…my team and I become a pivotal part of the roles they step into after graduating. We are in the business of building up our community. Are there any initiatives from the Beacon Council - or other partners - that you’d like to highlight? Not yet. I am just getting involved now and I am the elect for the first year, before taking the chair role next year. but during my term would love to partner and collaborate with amazing organizations and help amplify the impact they are having - and be a part of convincing more companies like Blackstone to move their home to Miami. Miami is the perfect mix of college students, tech talent, hiring partners, incredible weather, and culture. My wife Jo, the CEO of Wyncode, and I have seen Miami blossom into a tech hub already. With partners like The Beacon Council, Palm Beach Tech, and Career Source, there’s no doubt that we will help bring top talent to Miami. Why are you so passionate about building on the idea of Miami Being a tech hub? Mostly it’s because I’ve been able to see the direct impact that a coding education or a UX/UI Design education can have on someone. I mean, it’s incredible! Here are some examples: Jenee Washington went from being a waitress to QA Analyst at Wix. Or Lily Malykhina, who went from being a Fashion Merchandiser to UX/UI Product Designer. I remember Pedro De Ona because within two weeks of meeting with the Wyntalent team after finishing the program, he got 3 job offers to review from great companies, all offering more in compensation and benefits than what he asked for. I love the story of Ana Triana. After graduating, she started her own tech consulting company to amazing websites for clients in the Fashion, Tech and Entertainment space. There are so many more stories I could tell. Perhaps another time. ### About Wyncode Academy: Wyncode Academy is an award-winning technical school dedicated to training top technology talent through best-in-class accelerated and immersive programs, making it the premier accelerated learning destination in South Florida. The academy currently offers in-person and remote courses for Full Stack Web Development and User Experience & User Interface (UX/UI) Design in Wynwood, Miami, Florida. Wyncode’s network reaches far and wide with over 400+ hiring partners and 850+ alumni, and has maintained a 93% job placement rate for job-seeking graduates. Wyncode is proud to be licensed by the Florida Department of Education. For more information please visit wyncode.co. About The Miami-Dade Beacon Council: The Miami-Dade Beacon Council is a public-private partnership which serves as the official economic development organization for Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1985, the Council is responsible for facilitating business growth throughout the region and expanding our economic influence on a local, national, and international level. Beacon Council has six industry and four market committees which engage investors and thought leaders and develop economic strategies to cultivate opportunities for professional engagement within the community.