$2M Philanthropic Investment Will Help Charlotte Cultivate New Tech Talent to Keep Pace with City's Growth

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Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation team up with CodePath to prepare college students for high-demand AI and software careers in Charlotte's fast-growing tech sector CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National nonprofit CodePath today announced a $2 million philanthropic investment from Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation to accelerate the number of local college students who are prepared to participate in Charlotte's growing technology economy. "We believe Charlotte can be a national example of how to prepare students for the future of work," said Michael Ellison, Co-Founder and CEO of CodePath, whose industry-aligned programs have served more than 40,000 students at over 1,000 colleges across the country. "Together with Wells Fargo, this philanthropic investment will unlock pathways to economic mobility for students and their families while strengthening the region's tech ecosystem." In the span of just five years, Charlotte's tech sector has grown nearly twenty percent – far outpacing national averages. Some of the largest tech companies including Apple, Microsoft and IBM, in the U.S. have opened hubs in the city. "Preparing the next generation for the future of work is essential to helping our communities and our economy grow," said Bonnie Wallace, Head of Financial Health Philanthropy at Wells Fargo. "Through our support of CodePath and local universities, we are expanding access to high-quality training and career pathways so more students can build in-demand skills and participate in Charlotte's rapidly growing technology economy." Designed to meet the growing need for tech talent in the region, the new collaboration will embed CodePath's courses, career services, and interview preparation in the computing programs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) and HBCU Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Participating students will build in-demand technical skills including AI, software engineering, cybersecurity, and mobile development to propel them into employment opportunities in the city's fastest-growing industries. In addition, the program will build direct hiring pipelines with top Charlotte employers. The courses will serve an initial cohort of 300 students, with the aim of serving up to 2,000 students each year by 2028. "Integrating CodePath's industry-aligned courses directly into our curriculum will give JCSU computing students the technical foundation, hands on professional skills, and employer connections needed to launch successful tech careers in the AI era," said Patrick M. Martin, Ph.D., Provost, Chief Academic and Research Officer at Johnson C. Smith University. "This partnership strengthens our commitment to economic mobility and positions JCSU as a leader in developing AI-ready talent for Charlotte's, North Carolina's and the nation's innovation economy."

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