Today we’d like to introduce you to Pete Ingram-Cauchi.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Pete. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We started in 1999 in a studio above a garage in Silicon Valley. My sister and mother, the co-founders of iD Tech, were both educators and could see technology was lacking in schools; they decided to do something about it, and launched iD Tech. I saw the promise of this company immediately and jumped on board as CEO.
In the beginning, we had nothing but our determination—no financing, no salaries, no vacations. That determination and passion for technology education drove us to keep pushing, growing, and learning. We’ve gone from physically driving brochures to neighborhood schools to running camp at more than 150 locations worldwide. We’ve gone from 280 campers to more than 50,000 this season alone. We’ve gone from a handful of courses to sixty-two and counting.
Eighteen years later, we’re the largest technology camp in the world and we’re still purpose-driven. I am proud to work for this company and I’m proud of what we stand for—a company of inclusion, empowerment, fun, and making sure each camper has their “ah-ha” moment, when they realize the power technology has and how it can change their life.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There’s no playbook for being the largest technology summer camp in the world, which is both a blessing and a consistent challenge to press forward. There were no rules and no guidelines, so we had the freedom to run our business how we wanted. Yet there were no rules and no guidelines, so we never knew if we were making the “right” decisions.
We knew we wanted to be a purpose-driven, inclusive, innovative, and fun company, so we let those values guide our choices. This was essential when, for example, the dot-com bubble burst and we nearly folded. But we didn’t fold; we persevered and adapted. The key was never losing sight of what’s most important—the campers.
Please tell us about iD Tech.
iD Tech offers a variety of summer technology programs for kids and teens, where students can learn to code, design video games, mod Minecraft, model 3D characters, engineer robots, create websites, discover photography, print 3D models, dive into virtual reality, and much more. This includes the following specialized programs: an online learning platform for ages 10–18, early-education STEM programs for ages 6–9, all-girls camps for ages 10–15, and two-week, overnight academies for teens wanting the most immersive, in-depth instruction.
We’re known for our high quality and our unique culture. Nowhere else can you find the caliber of staff we hire and the 8:1 student to instructor ratio we guarantee. We balance tech learning with raffles, outdoor games, theme days, video game tournaments… the list goes on, and our culture is continuously evolving, enhanced each year by the campers and instructors themselves.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment is a student who, through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, chose our company as his wish. He could have chosen Disneyland or to meet a celebrity or a million other things—but he chose to come learn how to make video games with us this summer. I feel so blessed that we’re in the business of teaching technology to kids, and that kids value what we do in such a big way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.idtech.com
- Phone: 1-888-709-8324
- Email: info@idtech.com , press@idtech.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idtech/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/computercamps
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/idtechcamps
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
