In an era where the tech industry is booming with opportunity, one bold entrepreneur is shattering long-held myths about who gets hired and how. David Bragg, founder of the FES Institute, is flipping the script on traditional tech hiring—and the industry is watching.
David Bragg ’s own story reads like a modern-day tech fable. At 19, he was working long hours stocking shelves in a grocery store for just $17 an hour. But unlike many stuck in dead-end jobs, he refused to settle. Fueled by ambition and sheer will, he spent every free hour teaching himself how to code. No Ivy League degree. No formal credentials. Just raw determination and access to the internet.
His hustle paid off. Bragg landed software engineering roles at Google and Canva—two of the world’s most competitive tech giants—without a traditional CS degree. And when his story went viral on TikTok, it became clear he had tapped into something bigger than himself: a generation hungry for upward mobility, but disillusioned with the price tag of higher education.
That realization sparked the birth of the FES Institute, a no-nonsense, high-impact online tech school built for people who want results, not just credentials. The model is refreshingly disruptive. FES promises that students will learn to code and be job-ready in under 12 months—or they get their tuition refunded plus $1,000. In an industry flooded with overpriced bootcamps and outdated college syllabi, this is nothing short of revolutionary.
But this isn’t some YouTube tutorial channel dressed up as a school. The FES curriculum is built by ex-Google, Meta, and Amazon engineers who know exactly what the industry demands. Students learn everything from full-stack development to advanced interview prep, all while being mentored by engineers who’ve walked the walk.
And the support doesn’t end at graduation. FES Institute facilitates real-world internships and connections to top-tier companies, helping students build the kind of portfolio that turns heads in a recruiter’s inbox. It’s this job-first focus that sets FES apart in a sea of educational platforms promising the moon but delivering little.
The results speak volumes. Bragg’s platform is cultivating a new class of coders—many from non-traditional or marginalized backgrounds—who are now landing six-figure roles in tech. And unlike conventional schools, FES is staking its reputation (and dollars) on its students’ success.
“Tech shouldn’t be a gated community,” Bragg says. “It should be a launchpad. Whether you’re a single parent, a college dropout, or someone just stuck in the wrong job, there’s room for you in this industry—and we’re here to prove it”
As the FES Institute gears up for expansion—adding programs in entrepreneurship and AI development—Bragg is positioning his school not just as a bootcamp alternative, but as a global force reshaping the future of tech talent.
In a world where over one million tech jobs are projected to go unfilled in the U.S. by 2026, FES isn’t just responding to a market gap. It’s redefining the rules of engagement.
