Richard Wang's journey from CWU to tech trailblazer 

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and programming, leaders who envision the future and drive innovation play a pivotal role.

Business administration alumnus Richard Wang (’08) stands out as a visionary leader who has been instrumental in shaping the coding education industry.

Wang is the CEO of Coding Dojo, a virtual software development coding bootcamp that covers programming basics, web fundamentals, Python Full-Stack, JavaScript Full-Stack, and more.

As a leading education and technology executive, Wang is committed to creating economic mobility for underserved communities and increasing opportunities for individuals to reskill or upskill so they can participate in the digital economy.

“Coding Dojo is about transforming lives through digital literacy,” Wang said of the company he founded in 2013. “Talent is evenly distributed but opportunities are not. I started Coding Dojo with the thought of giving everybody an opportunity in this digital age, because coding is really the language for economic building in the 21st century. This is what I saw as a way to hack the system and give everybody an opportunity.”

At age 13, Wang was the first member of his family to immigrate from China to the United States. As a young adult, he became the first member of his family to attend a university.

Having not prepared for the SAT, Wang got rejected from many of the colleges he applied to, but one gave him a conditional acceptance for being a first-generation student: CWU.

“The generations before me really sacrificed everything for me to be able to come to the United States,” Wang said. “Coming here was one of the lottery tickets I won in life.”

Wang taught himself English after witnessing firsthand how English literacy could create economic mobility for individuals in China. He believes digital literacy could offer the same economic lift for those around the world, and he strives to create opportunities to help others transform their lives.

With a passion for empowering individuals through coding skills, Wang has not only led Coding Dojo to new heights; he has also become a notable figure in the tech education sector. He was the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021, and he was recently included in Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards.

Now, he can add a CWU Distinguished Alumni Award to the list.

“Receiving this award was a testament to all the work and also my appreciation to the College of Business for the recognition,” said Wang, one of CWU’s 2024 award recipients. “It gives first-generation immigrants a spotlight and shows that if you put your hard work into practice and dedicate yourself, there are still opportunities to make it in this country.”

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This story appears in the latest edition of Voyage Magazine. The annual College of Business publication came out in April 2024.