Tech entrepreneur discovers there’s no place like home
Emily Coffin saw boundless potential in high-tech, but she did not always see it on Prince Edward Island. She left the province for her on-the-jobtraining in the computer information systems program at Holland College. She expected to find the employment off-Island too. “I thought I would never step foot on the Island again,” Coffin says. The 31-year-old now laughs at that thought. Coffin has not only stepped foot on the Island again – she’s made it home to her high-tech education business, codeAtlantic.
“We provide programming remotely, but we focus on providing the same kind of experience that you would have with inperson programming,” she explains. After leaving the Island in 2010, she worked in tech jobs in Halifax and Toronto. Then a role with a non-profit In Toronto helped her combine a love of tech and lifelong interest in teaching. She became involved with Ladies Learning Code (now Canada Learning Code), which empowers women through digital education. Coffin mentored a group of girls, ages eight to 13, eager to soak up all the web-building skills they could get.
By 2016, Coffin wanted to move closer to P.E.I., so she pitched the idea of establishing a Canada Learning Code chapter here — and worked herself into her first tech job on the Island.
Coffin soon discovered a Charlottetown vibrant with restaurants, music, and start-ups. “I realized there was a much bigger tech community here now, a lot more opportunities, and there was this option for me to create opportunities for myself.” In particular, she saw potential for more options in tech education — especially for women, who are often underrepresented in high-tech fields.
She founded codeAtlantic in 2017, and after a successful pilot course in the fall, she plans to offer web development courses in fall 2018. Startup Zone, a business incubator, has been key to launching Coffin’s new business. Under the residency program, Coffin benefits from workspace, professional advice, mentorship, and the energy of other entrepreneurs. “Everybody who’s part of Startup Zone just wants to see others succeed.”
As she builds codeAtlantic, Coffin continues to marvel at the opportunities here. “P.E.I. ended up being the place that I was able to actually do all of the things I’d been dreaming about doing while I was living in Halifax and Toronto,” Coffin says. “I love being back!”