INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) and it’s National & Global program have appointed long-time business entrepreneur John Qualls as executive director of Eleven Fifty Academy to continue its mission of building a diverse tech talent ecosystem to support Hoosier employers.
Previously an executive at Eleven Fifty Academy, Qualls will lead the work of Eleven Fifty Academy, which will be positioned within a new 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that will operate as a separate legal entity under the IWU umbrella. Qualls will remain involved with his Organizational Culture Design firm PurposeHQ as it transitions to new leadership, with Natalie Engledow serving as president.
“I am extremely grateful for IWU’s trust in me to lead the academy’s effort to rapidly prepare our students for opportunities in the tech workforce, while also transforming their lives for their benefit as well as the communities where they work and live,” Qualls says. “I look forward to connecting with industry leaders, government officials and philanthropic organizations who all share the vision of boosting tech talent in our state.”
Qualls’s immediate focus is to re-engage current students to ensure their completion of the program with minimal interruption. He also will focus on active marketing and recruiting new students who are exploring alternative pathways for learning, with new program start dates starting February 13th and new starts each month. Qualls wants to ensure the program offers the most flexible delivery model, which will include both hybrid and virtual options to reach the broadest array of students.
“Our students enjoy the flexibility of online courses but know they learn better in person,” Qualls says. “We agree, and are designing innovative approaches to leverage the IWU multi-state campuses to do so.”
Qualls’s long-term goals are to ensure students receive industry-relevant skills by continuing to engage industry leaders and updating the program in real-time, putting a focus back on helping students find their purpose, build character and develop leadership skills that he believes are a significant differentiation for Eleven Fifty Academy’s graduates from other coding boot camps. “It’s not just technical skills; we need to give them the skills to hit the ground running both technically and professionally,” states Qualls.
“We believe John is the right person to spearhead Eleven Fifty Academy through this transition as he has a great understanding of what made the academy successful from the start,” says Dr. Eileen Hulme, an Eleven Fifty Academy board member and Chancellor of IWU-National & Global. “In addition, he brings expertise and industry relationships with the tech community, which continue to help us reshape the program while providing students an affordable pathway to rapidly gain critical skills needed in today’s tech workforce. Eleven Fifty Academy has a bright future under John’s leadership.”
IWU’s Board of Trustees previously voted in December 2022 to acquire Eleven Fifty Academy assets, including the curriculum, current and prospective student lists, and the contractor faculty. Since then, Qualls has led a transition that assumes responsibility for the continued education of students scheduled to complete their training in March 2023. IWU hopes to build relationships with program alumni and offer both current students and alumni an opportunity to continue their educational journey through IWU’s various programs.
About John Qualls
An accomplished business leader, John Qualls is the founder of PurposeHQ, a consultancy that helps businesses and their people align to realize their maximum potential. Prior to that, he served for four years as president of Eleven Fifty Academy. He serves on the board of directors for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and has previously served on the boards of the Venture Club of Indiana and Techpoint.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Qualls has held positions at a variety of startups and consulting firms after studying computer science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
About Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University celebrates over 100 years as a Christian, global, comprehensive university providing liberal arts and professional education to approximately 11,000 students worldwide. IWU is one of the largest faith-based universities in America with rich undergraduate, graduate, master, and doctoral programs in such highly acclaimed academic units as the School of Nursing, School of Physical and Applied Sciences, College of Adult and Professional Studies, and School of Arts and Humanities.
An early leader in adult and online education, IWU is known for excellence in innovation. Students live and learn on the beautiful 350-acre IWU-Marion traditional campus and study through IWU-National & Global programs offered online and at education centers in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University, founded by the Wesleyan Church denomination and IWU, prepares Christian leaders to engage in missional ministry locally and globally. Indiana Wesleyan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit indwes.edu.
