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TLDR: When Code Platoon launched in 2016, DRW was there. Ten years, 30 graduates, and a curriculum investment later, we're proud to name them our Partner of the Decade — and to celebrate that partnership at Celebrate Code Platoon 2026 on September 23 at City Winery Chicago.
Ten-year milestone honor recognizes DRW’s founding partnership, sustained investment, and transformative impact on Veteran tech careers
Code Platoon, a nonprofit coding bootcamp dedicated to helping Veterans, Servicemembers, and military family members transition into tech careers, is honored to announce DRW as its Partner of the Decade — a once-in-ten-years recognition reserved for the corporate partner whose sustained commitment has most profoundly shaped Code Platoon’s mission, reach, and impact since its founding.
DRW’s relationship with Code Platoon begins at the very beginning. When Alpha Platoon launched on February 1, 2016 — seven students, seven apprenticeships, a belief that Veterans deserved a better path forward — DRW was in the room. Greg Glover, one of those seven graduates, was placed at DRW that inaugural year. That placement was not a footnote. It was the proof of concept that made everything that followed possible.
Over the course of that decade, DRW has welcomed Code Platoon graduates across teams throughout the firm. Those individuals work in software engineering, data services, trading infrastructure, and business support — contributing to some of DRW’s most demanding technical environments and, in many cases, growing into impactful contributors and leaders within the organization.
DRW’s commitment has never been transactional. DRW employees have volunteered consistently as mentors, resume coaches, teaching assistants, and workshop leaders, providing students with direct access to working engineers at one of Chicago’s most respected technology-driven firms.
DRW’s dedication to Community Investment has further deepened the company’s commitment. The firm’s giving pillars include education and workforce readiness, with a specific focus on bringing diverse talent into finance and tech. That mission aligned with ours from the start. And when there was an opportunity to do more, they leaned in. DRW supported the launch of what is now Code Platoon’s AI Cloud and DevOps Engineering program — a curriculum that has continued to grow and evolve since its 2024 debut. DRW didn’t just hire from the program. They helped shape what it became.
“DRW has been part of Code Platoon’s story since the first chapter,” said Rod Levy, Founder and Executive Director of Code Platoon. “From Alpha Platoon in 2016 to the curriculum we’re building today, they have shown up as a partner in the fullest sense — hiring our graduates, developing our people, supporting our programs, and staying at the table through every phase of this organization’s growth.”
“It has been a privilege to support Code Platoon over the past decade and to see firsthand the impact this organization has on the lives and careers of Veterans and military-connected professionals. Through our partnership, we’ve welcomed 31 Code Platoon apprentices across teams throughout DRW, extended 25 full-time offers, and watched many of those individuals grow into impactful contributors and leaders across the firm,” said Rene Duquesnoy, Infrastructure Development Manager at DRW.
The impact is visible in the careers of the graduates themselves. Michael Orland, an Army Reserve Combat Medic who graduated from Code Platoon in 2021, joined DRW through an apprenticeship and now leads development projects as a mid-level engineer. Megan Genualdi, a Navy Electronics Technician who completed Code Platoon in 2022 through the DoD SkillBridge program, joined DRW as a software engineering apprentice and has since advanced to lead development work of her own. Their trajectories — from military service to technical leadership at one of Chicago’s most sophisticated trading firms — are what a decade of partnership has made possible.
DRW will be formally recognized as Partner of the Decade at Celebrate Code Platoon 2026, the organization’s 10th Anniversary celebration, on September 23, 2026, at City Winery Chicago. The evening — themed One Mission. Ten Years. — will bring together alumni, corporate partners, board members, and supporters to celebrate a decade of impact and raise resources to carry the mission forward. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit codeplatoon.org/celebrate-code-platoon.
About Code Platoon
Code Platoon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that transforms Veterans, active duty Servicemembers, and military family members into professional software engineers through immersive, hands-on educational programs. Since launching in 2016 with seven students, Code Platoon has graduated hundreds of military-background technologists and placed them in careers across the technology industry. For more information, visit www.codeplatoon.org.
About DRW
DRW is a diversified trading firm with decades of experience bringing sophisticated technology and exceptional people together to operate in markets around the world. Headquartered in Chicago with offices around the globe, we trade a number of asset classes, including Fixed Income, ETFs, Equities, FX, Commodities, and Energy. We also have leveraged our expertise and technology to expand into three non-traditional strategies: real estate, venture capital, and cryptoassets. Learn more at drw.com.