Coding the Future – How Apple’s Developer Academy in Riyadh is supporting a new generation of entrepreneurs

WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

Apple’s Developer Academy in Riyadh – launched last year in partnership with Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, Tuwaiq Academy, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University – celebrated the graduation of its first class of students. The all-women programme prepares participants for careers in the growing iOS app economy. We spoke to Esther Hare, Apple’s senior director of Worldwide Developer Marketing about creating opportunity and supporting talent in the region and a new generation of entrepreneurs.

What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like/your morning routine? Coffee! I can’t do anything until I have this, no matter how much sleep I’ve had. After that I’m typically getting ready to workout. On the days I’m at home I do a quick yoga workout on Apple Fitness+ or a stationary bike ride. On the days I’m in the office I like to drive in early before the commute hours and run around the beautiful grounds of Apple Park with my work running colleagues. I find that days that I’ve prioritized my mental health first thing, I’m calmer, more centred, and have more energy to attack the fun things that get thrown my way. How have your previous roles supported your current role at Apple? Prior to my almost 18 years at Apple, I ran one of the Marketing Communications teams at Applied Materials, a semiconductor manufacturing company, where I worked for almost 10 years. I learned a lot not just about managing people and teams, editorial and advertising functions, conference logistics and marketing presence, but also how to deal with often really challenging external factors, and how to think on my feet and adapt quickly. I also spent a lot of time volunteering and working on advocating for children’s rights, and realized how important it was to me to help build a community of like-minded folks focused on improving the gender imbalance of women in technology. Before that I was also a coder for a brief period, and a market analyst. And of course growing up I did all the character-building jobs that I believe are equally important in building tenacity and drive to succeed: I had a paper route delivering newspapers, was a dishwasher as a teenager on the weekends, waitressed, and more. I’ve done it all and I’m willing to do whatever it takes in my current role to get the job done! Tell us more about the Academy and who can enroll in this programme? The Apple Developer Academy is designed to equip aspiring coders, creators, and entrepreneurs with the full suite of skills they need for careers in the thriving iOS app economy. The nine-month programme teaches the fundamentals of coding, along with professional skills, marketing, design, and more. The Academy is open to all women over the age of 18, no prior coding experience required. Can anyone build an app? At Apple, we believe anyone with a great idea should have the opportunity to build an app and share it with people around the world. The iOS app economy supports millions of jobs across the globe, and the app developer community is incredibly diverse. We believe with the right tools, anyone can create an app and change the world. Do you need to be based on site or is digital learning possible? We started the first cohort remotely due to COVID-19 considerations, but were so thrilled to welcome learners to the Academy for in-person instruction earlier this year. The passion and energy from the students at Princess Nourah University is incredible, and it has been such an honour to watch the teams work together to bring their apps to life. Apple recently opened an Academy entirely dedicated to women in Riyadh, what’s the Academy about and how will it expand further within the region? Last month, the first class of women graduated from the Apple Developer Academy at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. These talented and passionate developers, creators and entrepreneurs represent the future of app development in the region, and we can’t wait to see how they’ll use their skills and experience to leave their mark on the world. Applications remain open for the next class, which is available for women from across the region, and we’ve seen tremendous interest from the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. What is the Apple Entrepreneur Camp? How different it is from the Academy? What does the programme offer? We’re committed to supporting developers – and aspiring developers – through every step of their journey, and we want to ensure the global app development community has the tools and resources to build apps that change the world. With the Apple Developer Academy, we provide the foundation for women to find or create jobs in the app economy by teaching introductory coding, as well as core professional skills,

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design, and marketing. Apple Entrepreneur Camp takes that to the next level, by providing support and guidance for women and members of other underrepresented communities once they have a functional app. Through Entrepreneur Camp, developers receive one-onone code-level guidance from Apple experts and engineers to help accelerate their apps – along with mentorship, inspiration, and insights from the company’s leaders. What makes the Apple App Store different from other app markets? With the launch of the App Store in 2008, we helped created an entire new ecosystem for creators and entrepreneurs, and we’re proud that the iOS app economy has become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy. The App Store is the safest and most trusted place for users to get apps, and an incredible business opportunity for developers to innovate, thrive, and grow. How do you further prepare students in

terms of the bussness side of launching an app? The Apple Developer Academy is really focused on preparing young women for careers in the app economy, and so we’ve designed a robust curriculum with this in mind. From public speaking and business planning to marketing and project management, Academy participants graduate with a strong foundation to create their own app and launch their own business. Have some of your graduates already received VC funding and which ideas were these for? Several women from the first class of graduates at the Apple Developer Academy at Princess Nourah University have received funding to support their App concepts, and many others received on-the-spot job offers at the Academy career fair. I had the pleasure to attend graduation and hear the women talk about so many inspiring app ideas – from apps that help startups collaborate and organize projects in a simple and efficient way to apps that help users find verified reviews and recommendations for customized skincare routines – and I can’t wait to see many of them come to life on the App Store. What advice do you have for women wanting to get into app development? There’s no time like the present to learn a new skill and become part of the thriving app economy! We believe anyone with a great idea can build an app to reach people across the world. At Apple, we’ve built tools and resources to support developers at every step of their journey – from learning to code to growing their business on the App Store. What do you think are the existing barriers women face in coding/programming or tech in general? Research shows that women – and other individuals from underrepresented communities – face unique challenges in industry. We know women need access to more opportunities to break into the field, and through programmes like the Apple Developer Academy, Entrepreneur Camp, and more, we’re committed to helping open doors for women across the world. What have been the biggest challenges to date and how did you overcome them? As a woman in an industry that is typically male dominated, it can be easy to feel like you don’t belong. But my message to all the aspiring technologists and entrepreneurs out there is that you are powerful, creative, and inspired – and I urge you to keep following your dream. This is The Entrepreneur Issue. What does this mean to you? When we launched the App Store in 2008, we ignited an entirely new app economy and provided a platform for entrepreneurs to reach customers around the world. I am in awe of the millions of app developers and entrepreneurs who use the App Store to share new ideas, create new businesses and drive for change in their communities.