Amid the bustling art community and thriving tourism in St. Petersburg, the Suncoast Developers Guild, a not-for-profit organization, is founded on ideals that will keep the city vibrant and economically stable through one of the most powerful tools of all: education.
Coding and Community: What Suncoast Developers Guild Is
The guild’s chief goal is to benefit the Tampa Bay area’s software engineers, developers, designers, and programmers. President Toni Warren, is a community-focused, progressive thinker who strives to provide and incorporate tech knowledge to people throughout the Tampa Bay area. She has focused on ending gender stereotypes by hosting classes for women in coding; she has also offered youth classes in the hopes of introducing coding as an accessible career path.
How Does SDG Benefit the Economy of St. Petersburg?
Suncoast Developers Guild offers a networking system for coders. After graduating from college, or outside of the workplace, coders have had few opportunities to gather and share ideas or simply enjoy the company of others who understand coding as a language. With the guild’s meetup options, developers can teach and learn from one another in informal settings, and develop their skills — strengths that are highly desirable and can be used to benefit local businesses. Artists, new businesses, musicians, and corporations often need help building their websites. The guild exists for sharing information and building a sense of camaraderie. Creativity flourishes in this environment, with additional meetups for game developers and graphic designers. Where creativity flows, friendships and bonds are formed, as well as networks that can lead to new job opportunities.
Where Can St. Petersburg Residents Take Advantage of This Opportunity?
SDG also provides a community learning space and a support system for those in the Tampa Bay area through a central location and several offshoots and gatherings. Its website, Suncoast.io, showcases the groups that SDG already hosts, encouraging first-time coders and experienced pros to showcase their abilities, teach one another, and commune in a fun and exciting way. Such groups include Tampa Bay WordPress, St. Pete .Net, Women Who Code and Tampa Bay Ruby Brigade. They convene in various locations — a visit to the SDG website provides meetup links with more information. The current hub is at 2220 Central Ave, St Petersburg. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Warren emphasized the importance of such an outlet in the Tampa Bay area, focusing on the successes the group has had in bringing members of the community together and forming a sense of friendship amongst participants.
How To Get Involved:
If you’re excited about creating a stable economic future for yourself please visit Suncoast.io to learn more about Suncoast Developers Guild. Their enthusiasm for the future of the Tampa Bay Area is infectious, and after a chat with Toni Warren, you may find yourself inclined to move in the direction of this exciting new economic and social opportunity!
