Codefi and New Partners Receive Nearly $1 Million to Expand Digital Workforce and Business Development Programs Across Southern Missouri
March 22, 2022
The Missouri Technology Corporation,1 Delta Regional Authority2 and Catalyze Challenge,3 supported by the Walton Family Foundation, have announced they will award grant funding to the Codefi Foundation on Rural Innovation, efactory4 from Missouri State University, and Crowder College5 from Neosho, Missouri, to be used to expand Codefi’s nationally-recognized programs into southwest Missouri.
The grantors will provide nearly $1 million over two years of initial seed funding support to several new and existing Codefi programs, including:
- An expansion of Codefi’s nationally recognized Code Labs program,6 a full-stack software developer training program that has prepared over 300 working adults for entry-level software developer roles, and a new version of the program that will be delivered to high school students.
- An expansion of Codefi’s Youth Coding League,7 an innovative co-curricular coding education program that currently reaches more than 2,000 students in seven states.
- A new technology startup program that provides non-tech founders specialized training and software development resources that prepare them for early stage investment as they start and grow new tech businesses.
- A new investor network program that will serve as a catalyst for increased private investment in startup companies and small businesses throughout southern Missouri.
“Our ability to secure these competitive state, federal, and private investments is vital in supporting Codefi’s capacity to eliminate skill and opportunity gaps for workers and entrepreneurs,” said James Stapleton, Ph.D., Cofounder of Codefi. “Through their investments, we’re able to help ensure entrepreneurs in mostly rural southern Missouri have the opportunity to thrive in the digital economy. We’re also excited to join forces with the efactory in Springfield to leverage our resources and expertise, along with community partners like Crowder College across the new Southern Missouri Innovation Network, to generate even more economic impact.”
[Image Credit: efactory]
A New Partnership with the efactory at Missouri State University
We believe in the power of partnerships to advance our region and state, so it only makes sense for us to partner with the efactory at Missouri State University. As the region’s leading innovation hubs, our programs are complementary and prepared to scale. Together we have the support of over 100 leading companies and strategic partners, and are eager to launch a first-of-its-kind partnership that will transform entrepreneurial support and workforce development across southern Missouri.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Codefi to be able to scale additional resources and services throughout all of southern Missouri,” said Rachel Anderson, Director of efactory. “The future of entrepreneurship and the digital workforce is bright in southern Missouri! As we like to say, Community is who we are. Forward is where we’re going.”
Make plans to join us on April 8th at 10:00 am in Cape Girardeau and May 19th at 4:00 pm in Springfield to be the first to hear how our organizations will work together to provide increased resources and access to dreamers, doers and job creators across southern Missouri.