After 11 years as CEO, Juno College founder Heather Payne passes the torch
It feels like both forever ago and just yesterday that I launched Juno College back in 2012, then known as HackerYou. Since then, we’ve helped over 10,000 students transform their careers through award-winning Bootcamp programs, part-time upskilling courses, and free workshops. I couldn’t be more proud of how our programs, our team, and our community have grown!
After 11 years, I’m thrilled that Juno is now at a point where I feel both comfortable and excited to pass the torch on to a new leader, starting today: my longtime colleague and collaborator, Farzad Kajouii.
Farzad has been with Juno for four and a half years, and is incredibly passionate about the work we do and the impact we have on our students and graduates. He joined Juno in 2018 as Director of Operations, and has taken on progressively responsible roles since that time, currently serving as Juno's VP of Operations & Product.
As CEO, Farzad will continue Juno’s vision of building tech education for the future, as well as our plan to transition to an Employer Ownership Trust, making our team the ultimate owners of Juno. Here are some words from Farzad about this exciting new chapter:
“I'm honoured that Heather has entrusted the entire Juno team and I with stewarding the next chapter in Juno's journey. The Juno community is a special space in the tech ecosystem, and I'm incredibly excited to continue the impactful work that we get to do each and every day: helping folks change and grow their careers.”
In addition to his years of experience at Juno, Farzad's skill set is incredibly broad and deep. He was the founding VP of the TSX venture 50 company Tangelo Games and the co-founder of SEED, a charity that provides access to education in Kenya. He holds a science degree from McMaster University and is a graduate of Juno's own Web Development Bootcamp program.
As for myself, I'm excited to be continuing my involvement with Juno as the Chair of the Board. We’re thrilled to have a talented leader like Farzad take on the next chapter of Juno’s journey, and to continue our life-changing impact on the community, and beyond!
About Juno College of Technology
Since launching in 2012 as HackerYou, Juno College of Technology has helped over 10,000 students transform their careers through award-winning Bootcamp programs, part-time upskilling courses, and free workshops. Whether you’re looking to boost your career or kickstart a whole new one, Juno is here to help you reach your goals with one-on-one support throughout your learning journey, and alongside a welcoming community!