Our Mission: Bridging the Gap for Bahamian Tech Talent

Bahamian Coders Alliance (BCA) was born out of both necessity and passion.

Our founder, Shandira L'Heureux, knew early on that breaking into tech as a Bahamian wasn’t going to be easy. While pursuing her B.S. in Computer Science at the University of Southern California, she often found herself the only Black woman (sometimes person) in her classes. As she dug deeper, she made an even more startling discovery—she was the only Bahamian student enrolled in USC’s entire Engineering department, and possibly the only one at the entire university at the time.

This realization hit hard.

She knew that talent wasn’t the issue—there were bright, capable students back home who could thrive in tech. The problem was exposure, resources, and guidance. She had experienced firsthand the struggles of navigating this field without a clear roadmap, and she didn’t want others to face the same barriers.

So, she decided to start somewhere.

During her breaks from USC, she flew back home to visit high schools across The Bahamas. She walked into classrooms, met with students, and shared her journey—the struggles, the wins, and most importantly, the possibilities that existed in tech. And every time she spoke, she saw the same thing: students eager to learn, excited about the idea of tech, but lacking the support and opportunities to get started.

After earning her degree, Shandira knew that these visits weren’t enough. There needed to be something bigger, something sustainable—a community that didn’t just inspire students for a day, but actively guided them toward real opportunities. And so, BCA was born.

Since its founding, BCA has successfully reached over 300+ students across The Bahamas, offering mentorship, career development opportunities, and hands-on workshops.

Through mentorship, hands-on learning, and a supportive community, we are helping Bahamian coders, designers, and tech enthusiasts build careers they love—right here in The Bahamas and beyond.