RideShare - The new SoftStack Factory project!

    SoftStack Factory is always innovating, this cohort we decided to create our own app, giving the students a chance to work on an original SoftStack Factory idea! The group is working together and developing an awesome app that can help the environment and also save people money!

    The SSF bootcamp is 12 weeks long, and as the students approach the end of the classes, comes the time to take all the knowledge they acquired into action and start developing! Usually the last six weeks of the program consist in developing the sponsor app, a real application, from a real client with a real purpose! This time the students, with the guidance of our experienced mentors, will create a SoftStack Factory app idea around ridesharing  that could go to the marketplace.

  RideShare is an application where drivers and riders can find each other, selecting their destination, preferences and even ranking each other after the car ride! It uses geolocation, name matching and other techniques to determine ride matches and it will be available on mobile device and web browser!

    Here is how it works: A driver is going from one point to the other and his car is not full, he can use the app to offer a ride in his personal vehicle to others that are going to the same destination, or even somewhere along the way! It allows both drivers to offer a ride and riders to request a ride to the same destination! This way the driver and the rider can share the cost of the drive, saving money and also helping the environment, since there will be less cars on the road.

    RideShare will also map the rider’s/driver’s location 10 minutes before the pickup, it will allow Facebook sign-up/login, showing mutual friends which could make you more comfortable choosing  whom they want to ride with!

    This final project provides the students the opportunity to experience a real development teams activity, with real set of tasks and timelines as they would encounter in the job market. This gives them the confidence  they need when entering the technology job market with the skills they need to succeed as they leave SoftStack Factory!  

    Keep checking back for more news on this amazing app! If you or your company want to Sponsor a cohort and commission an app just get in touch with us on our website!

   Are you motivated and want to learn how to code? Or do you have a student that fits our profile or know someone that does? Apply or nominate someone here!

Why we love Mobile and Strongloop’s LoopBack framework

SoftStack Factory is much more than a Coding Bootcamp, here we believe we can change the future of technology instruction, starting by introducing young individuals to the world of coding and changing their future perspectives. But more than a teaching place, we also have a team of experienced developers that love creating exciting apps for enterprise, consumers and start-ups. Our mentors and developers use their expertise to elaborate amazing solutions in the form of mobile applications and use that experience to support their teaching.

We believe that mobile technologies are ever increasing in our daily lives. Mobile will continue to play a big part in the future of technology, this is why we focus on creating mobile Hybrid Applications. Our phones have the power of track our physical exercises, navigate our cars, create dinner reservations, plan our budget for the month, access our bank accounts, connect us to all around the world and much more.

So, since we focus on creating mobile applications, we use the best tools to efficiently deliver mobile applications across different device platforms. We already wrote about Ionic Framework and why we love to use it, today we would like to talk about another framework that we like to use, LoopBack, by San Mateo, Calif., company StrongLoop that was acquired last year by IBM.

LoopBack is a highly-extensible, open-source Node.js framework for creating APIs and connecting them with backend data sources. It is built with a very intuitive API explorer, that allows you to save time, it simplifies testing of APIs and provides self documentation for your API’s. It also comes with some built in APIs and has a lot of advantages and features. You can quickly creates dynamic end-to-end REST APIs, connects devices and browsers to data and services, also uses Android, iOS, and AngularJS SDKs to easily create client side apps, adds-on components for push, file management, 3rd-party login, and geolocation.  StrongLoop Arc to visually edit, deploy, and monitor LoopBack apps and runs on-premises or in the cloud are advanced features you can try and continue to use for a fee.

Because you can get a lot of out of the box, LoopBack saves you a lot of manual work and it allows you to focus on the business aspects and the product specific problems and logic!

You can check their website if you want to find out more: http://loopback.io/

SoftStack Factory is Sponsored by Zebit to Commission a New Budgeting Application

San Diego, CA (March 2, 2016) — SoftStack Factory, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering a 12-week immersion code camp with on the job training for young adults seeking entry in the technology sector, has partnered with Zebit, Inc. to develop an instant budget application.

SoftStack Factory’s mission is to create a highly skilled local workforce to fill the deficit of talent needed by the San Diego community. The education and training model uses a technology stack to fill an existing technology need by immersing students within it.  The initial stack is a hybrid mobile application development.

In the fall of 2015, the first SoftStack Factory class graduated, proving that SoftStack Factory’s education and sponsoring models are a good fit within the local community. The first corporate cohort was sponsored by Zebit, Inc., a local San Diego financial technology company that provides financial resources, education, and no-cost credit to working Americans. Zebit joined their marketing and technology teams with SoftStack Factory to execute their instant budget application concept.  At the time, Zebit’s technology resources were focused on developing their core offerings and had limited bandwidth to prioritize this project. The lack of available resources to work on promotional or prototype applications is typical of many marketing and business development teams. Their sponsorship provided SoftStack Factory students with hands on experience, while creating a functioning application.

Zebit CEO Michael Thiemann was intrigued by SoftStack Factory’s ability to teach young adults how to build hybrid mobile applications in real-world projects as its core curriculum.  Since Zebit had wanted to build a mobile application, and SoftStack Factory fit their “do it local direction”, they decided to sponsor the fall cohort at SoftStack Factory.

The fall 2015 SoftStack Factory student cohort and mentors took on the Zebit project, just like any other development agency. The product development, coding, and application testing provided students with on the job training (OJT) that mirrors the skills needed within full-time employment within their field. As promised, at the end of December 2015, the final application was delivered to Zebit.  “We are really happy with SoftStack Factory and the project results. When I showed the instant budget app to others, they commented that this is one of the coolest apps they have ever seen”, said Michael Thiemann, Co-founder and CEO of Zebit.

SoftStack Factory also deployed the application, got it approved by respective mobile application stores, stood up the web version of the application, and the supported the backend within Zebit’s infrastructure.

“We are thankful for this partnership and for Zebit trusting our students and mentors,” said Harrold Gottschalk, CEO of SoftStack Factory.
 

SoftStack Factory’s result of this sponsored project is free and currently available from the following links:
 

Zebit Instant Budget Website: https://www.zebitinstantbudget.com/

Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zebit.instantbudget&hl=en

iTunes App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instant-budget-by-zebit/id1077467430

Web Browser: https://app.zebitinstantbudget.com/#/app/landing
 

You can be a SoftStack Factory cohort sponsor and commission an application by sending an e-mail to hgottschalk@softstackfactory.com. For other ways to help, check out our website for more information: www.softstackfactory.com
 

About SoftStack Factory

SoftStack Factory is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers a 12 week immersion code camp with an on the job training focus, focused currently on San Diego young adults that want to enter the technology sector. Our mission is to create high-skilled local workers to fill the deficit of talent needed by our local community.

About Zebit
Zebit is a free employee benefit that provides financial education, planning tools, and no-cost credit options that help working Americans take control of their everyday financial lives. By partnering with employers and leveraging advanced technology, Zebit provides a unique financial wellness offering that lowers employee stress and improves the corporate bottom line. Zebit is located in San Diego and is backed by VCs that include Crosslink Capital, Wildcat Venture Partners, Leapfrog Ventures and Correlation Ventures. Learn more at www.zebit.com.     
 

Become a SSF Sponsor

SoftStack Factory is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers a 12 week immersion code camp with an on the job training (OJT) slant. Our mission is to create high-skilled local workers to fill the deficit of talent need by our local community.

Traditional higher education can be a less efficient path for many individuals seeking careers in technology.  SSF presents millennials with an opportunity to learn entry level skills within in a period of 12 weeks to enter the digital economy with the possibility of a wage growth that will persist for many years. Local companies benefit from programs like SSF and local companies should seriously look at becoming an SSF corporate sponsor.

One of the ways companies, entities and start up ventures can sponsor SSF is to  commision a mobile application built  by the SSF students and mentors.  A typical mobile application projects scope size is one that fits in a typical 3 – 5 person months level of effort that may cost around $50k when using  near or off shored resources.  SSF offers the opportunity to sponsor a cohort by sponsoring a project at our starting price of $35k and have that mobile application built by local talent. Project sponsors not only help our school grow but also provide an on the job experience to our students and sponsors end up with a brand new Hybrid mobile application at a fair price! SoftStack Factory provides sponsors a powerful new way to develop core software assets that are essential for their success and at the same time helping the local community.

Our first class graduated this last December, 2015 and completed a sophisticated application for one of our project sponsors, proving that SoftStack Factory really works and can help both companies and students!

Another way to help SoftStack Factory grow is to become a Corporate Sponsor. At the moment we are creating a program where we would have 4 levels of yearly support: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Members will get priority within SoftStack Factory for Projects and to hire our graduates! Because we don’t charge tuition and can be highly selective, our students are rigorously screened to check if they have the technical aptitude and grit to succeed in the technology field, making sure they will be the perfect addition to your company after they graduate!

We are also looking for individuals and or organizational sponsors that appreciate what we are trying to do and are willing to provide operating funds or in kind service or equipment we could use. Combining our sponsors  financial support with the expertise of our mentors, SSF uses an efficient learning immersion process to transform raw, local talent into productive participants ready to be part of the digital economy.

Become a SSF sponsor!  Contact us to get more information on how to help and benefit from sponsoring this great new San Diego nonprofit!