Tech skills are now the basic skills necessary for not just work, but many aspects of one’s life. Students, when they start their careers, often struggle to translate their learnings into work through various tech tools that most companies deploy now to stay relevant in today’s digital business landscape. Freshers often are left wanting proper training as to how to utilize technology to ease their work at their organization.
NexaScale, a non-profit organization, based out of Lagos, focuses on helping individuals start and scale their careers in the tech industry. The organization is dedicated to providing a wide range of resources and programs to support individuals who are passionate about technology and are looking to make their mark in the industry. Their primary goal is to offer individuals the necessary tools, knowledge, and experience to help them succeed in the tech industry. Founded by Adora Nwodo, Senior Software Engineer, Multi-Published Author & Global Speaker, NexaScale is connecting people to opportunities that help them scale their careers.
Creating a Supportive Community for Technology, By Technology
As a social enterprise, NexaScale is committed to fostering the growth and development of the next generation of tech professionals. The team believes that providing resources and opportunities for learning and skill-building can help individuals achieve their full potential and contribute to the growth of the tech industry. In addition to providing training and educational resources such as workshops, webinars, and online courses, they aim to create a supportive community where members can connect, collaborate, and grow together.
NexaScale does this across different areas such as web development, software engineering, data analytics, and much more. Through partnerships, the organization has been able to provide jobs, internships, and other career opportunities to several individuals who would have otherwise struggled to find meaningful employment. “We continue to seek out and establish new partnerships with organizations in the tech industry. This will enable us to extend our reach and impact more individuals who are looking to start and grow their careers in this exciting field,” says Adora.
Primarily a tech community, NexaScale is run mainly by technology tools. The team uses technology for community management and all its interactions because they are mostly a virtual community. They’ve used technology to raise money and get donations in the past. They use technology to create and retain partnerships, for their town hall meetings and so much more.
The Techie Founder
Adora is a software engineer by profession and she fell in love with computers and coding much before she took it up professionally. When she was 7 years old, she got her first computer, a gift from her dad and that is where her love for computers began. She decided that whatever she found herself doing in the future would always involve her in front of a computer. That’s how she chose her current industry. Growing up, she had a lot of people like her older siblings and family friends to mentor her and provide wise counsel. She still does take their advice about what she wants to be and their opinion counts in giving her career the right direction.
At NexaScale, she replicates the guiding role she has been receiving from friends and family. Through her enterprise, she aims to guide and nurture tech enthusiasts who need the right guidance to kickstart their careers or make a transition into the technology sector. She has courses online that teach people about infrastructure automation. She has also published multiple articles on Software Engineering, Productivity & Career Growth on her blog, AdoraHack. She also has a YouTube channel Adora Nwodo TV where she posts tech content that could be useful to Software Developers.
A Flexible Working Style
Adora’s working style can differ and it mostly depends on what is being worked on at the time. Apart from the fact that she runs a non-profit which is where she has to lead people because she has a team working, she also has a full-time job. So, balancing these two is not the easiest thing to do.
But Adora Nwodo makes sure that she is in constant communication with people, especially with the key people she feels can pass the message across to the team. This is because they’re largely volunteer-based at NexaScale and it’s easier for the people designated in the core team to interact with members of the volunteer team as opposed to Adora interacting directly as the team is growing. “I’d like to believe I’m a really open communicator. I’m more inclined to talking than writing so it’s easier for me to jump on a call because I believe that context is sometimes lost via text,” she says.
Facing Challenges
Adora shares that the biggest challenge she has faced is having to constantly adjust to different trends. Having to adapt to the style of a product and then having that style change because priorities are changing. So having to adjust to priorities changing in the dynamic world that is tech has been a challenge. “This is mainly because I can get pretty attached to whatever I’m currently building at a particular time and then we stop because the market is not going in that direction anymore. That can be a challenge because of how I am. When I like something, I really like it and can get attached,” she explains.
However, in the corporate world, things are different. One has to prioritize value and it’s okay sometimes to let go of things that one cares so much about. Especially when it’s not the appropriate time to be doing said thing, for the sake of the growth of the business.
Creating a Diverse Workforce
Adora Nwodo believes that everyone should be allowed to bring their most authentic selves to work. And one thing she’s very proud of is, she was intentional about bringing women into the core team.
Beyond the core team, NexaScale’s volunteer team is filled with different kinds of people from different walks of life across Nigeria. And they’ve recently started getting volunteers from outside Nigeria from places like Europe and North America.
“The most important thing to us is every single person in the team feels safe and constantly inspired so they can do their best work,” Adora Nwodo says.
Preparing for Continuous Growth and Plans Ahead
Adora Nwodo keeps herself and her organization updated by listening to people, spotting particular trends in the community, and understanding what people actually want and what value they need. She then looks for ways to bring that value to the clients because, at the end of the day, that is the goal of her organization.
“We are not a business selling actual products. Instead, we’re a community that wants to make the lives of people better by providing good tech careers to them. So, we need to understand the challenges these people face so that we can find a way to create models and address these issues in a way that can possibly be replicated by other communities so that these problems can be solved on a larger scale,” she says.
Adora Nwodo and her team are looking forward to broadening their scale and taking their programs to different regions across Africa. “And we would have empowered thousands of people with opportunities because the knowledge is there but the skills and opportunities to go after these jobs is what people are looking for. And providing them with that is the whole point of our existence,” she concludes.
Message for Young Entrepreneurs:
“I’d say there is value in the little things you might think there is no value in. You should look out for opportunities to make an impact. That’s where real growth comes from. Identifying a problem and making an impact by providing a solution. I believe that everyone is called to make the world better than they met it. So, you should find what works for you. Beyond creating value, you should be teachable, seek out mentors to give you advice and set you on the right path, and have a good network (and support system). Take time out to rest too.”
Quote: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela.
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