Mike McGee is director of programs at CodeNow, a nonprofit aimed at teaching coding to kids. His Starter League co-founder Neal Sales-Griffin serves as CodeNow’s CEO. The duo joined the company in fall 2016.
Before CodeNow, Mike McGee co-founded The Starter League, a coding and entrepreneurship school that was one of the first tenants in 1871. Since opening in 2011 the school has launched several companies, including one that raised nearly $1 million in venture capital.
“We knew we could get people,” McGee told the Tribune. “We didn’t know who they were, we didn’t know what they looked like, but we knew they were out there.”
The Starter League is a small school that teaches would-be entrepreneurs how to code and design software in a three-month program that offers HTML, JavaScript, web development, visual design and user-design experience. The school also helps students network with investors and successful entrepreneurs to help them realize their ideas.
In 2013, the school began offering intensive nine-month Starter School courses that focus on business-skills, plus start-to-finish product development and back-end functioning via Ruby on Rails.
McGee, a graduate of Northwestern University, has a knack for design and is the more creative half of the business partnership with Neal Sales-Griffin. The two met while students at Northwestern University.
While at Northwestern, McGee spent two years in student government, serving as student body president in his senior year.
He lives in Chicago.
Find him on social: @michaelmcgee Michael McGee
Age: 30 •Website: starterleague.com
Connected to: Neal Sales-Griffin, co-founder, The Starter League
More on Mike McGee
Starter League cofounders to lead kid-focused training program CodeNow – Sept. 22, 2016
Fullstack acquires Chicago’s Starter League coding school – March 16, 2016
Starter School classes stalled as it seeks state approval to operate – Sep. 16, 2015
Techweek100 announced for 2015, and there’s a notable change – June 2, 2015
Chicago innovators’ New Year goals: fitness, CTA, open-ended questions – Dec. 31, 2014
Entrepreneurs live by their own code – July 27, 2014
Growth stories from founders: Mike McGee, co-founder, The Starter League – Jan 22, 2014
Nonprofit NFTE brings startup lessons to students – Nov. 7, 2013
Starter School combines web development, entrepreneurship – Oct. 30, 2013
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Vince Cabansag, director of operations and Mike McGee work on the final setup before The Starter League graduation at 1871.
(Beth Rooney / for the Chicago Tribune / June 20, 2014)
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Mike McGee sets up the computers for the final student presentations during graduation at 1871.
(Beth Rooney / for the Chicago Tribune / June 20, 2014)
