Meet Jacob Shaul

We recently connected with Jacob Shaul and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacob, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from constantly trying new things and always looking for opportunities. While this occasionally results in partnerships or features, most of the time it doesn’t lead anywhere. I’ve received countless “we’re not interested”, “too busy at the moment”, or most commonly, no response at all.

At first, facing this level of rejection was difficult. But as I continued sending out more emails, experimenting with new ideas, and refining my approach, I noticed a shift. Each setback became easier to handle. Over time, I realized resilience is a skill, one that develops through practice. Building Mode to Code has allowed me to scale my efforts, stay consistent and continue growing even when progress isn’t immediately visible.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

When I was in elementary school, I participated in an after-school coding class that I loved. Since then, I’ve been hooked on the power and creativity that computer science can provide. However, the class ended in fifth grade and unfortunately, most middle schools have few, if any, computer science classes.

To combat this paucity in opportunity and education, I founded Mode to Code, a program that educates students about programming and technology around the world for free. The program offers classes to middle schools, both virtually and in-person. These classes meet once a week for four weeks and cover website development using HTML, CSS and Tailwind. Mode to Code has taught over 1,200 students, partnering with seven middle schools in San Francisco and the public library, as well as teaching middle school online classes on five continents. This includes classes in Botswana, Bolivia, Jamaica, India, Mexico, and more. Additionally, the program has partnered with Breakthrough Summerbridge and Young STEAMers, nonprofits committed to educating students from under-resourced backgrounds.

Mode to Code has also worked with seven assisted living homes, covering topics such as AI, cybersecurity, and the internet. With the rise of the digital divide, Mode to Code’s core mission is to provide students with the technological tools they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three qualities that shaped my Mode to Code journey have been reaching out (even if it feels like a long shot), following up with others, and storytelling. Together, these skills have allowed me to scale and grow Mode to Code.

The first quality is not being afraid to reach out to new clients or organizations. Many of my longest partnerships began with a simple cold email. Staying open and being proactive is one of the most effective ways I’ve found to create opportunities, often ones I never would have imagined possible.

Another key quality is consistently following up. People are busy and messages get lost. Taking a few minutes to circle back on a pitch can lead to an otherwise missed opportunity.

Lastly, storytelling has played a central role in shaping my growth. Being able to clearly explain what Mode to Code does, whether in an email or conversation, made it easier for people to understand the mission and be a part of the organization. Learning to articulate both what I had already accomplished and where I hoped to go took practice, but ultimately led to significant progress.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

My biggest area of improvement over the past twelve months has been finding outlets to share the Mode to Code story. At first, it was challenging to get news outlets interested in our program, but persistence paid off with our first feature in the Ingleside Light. From there, I continued reaching out to media companies and sharing our mission.

Over the past year, Mode to Code has been featured on CNN, NBC Bay Area, the San Francisco Chronicle, and KRON4 News. These features helped us grow our program, connect with new organizations, and reach more students. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share our story and excited about what’s ahead.

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