Instructor: Startup & Innovation Focus

Compensation & Benefits

• Location: Philadelphia, PA
• Type: part-time
• $46/hour
• Flexible hybrid work environment
• Paid time off
• Professional development opportunities
• Opportunity to work directly with motivated students in a high-impact program

About the Role

Coded by: is seeking a Part-Time Instructor with entrepreneurship, startup, product, or innovation experience to teach middle and high school students in our Cb: Classroom programs and Cb: Academy competitions, including Innovation League, entrepreneurship-focused innovation challenges, and future entrepreneurship pathway programming.
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This is a subject-matter-first role. You are not expected to learn entrepreneurship here; you are bringing that experience with you. What you will develop is your ability to facilitate entrepreneurial thinking, guide students through ambiguity, and help them build strong ideas through structured validation and iteration.
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Students in these programs have chosen a pathway focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. They are motivated, capable, and ready to be challenged. Your role is to help them think like founders by identifying meaningful problems, understanding users, validating assumptions, and building viable solutions.
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The core instructional skill in this role is facilitation. Rather than providing answers, you will ask thoughtful questions, challenge assumptions, and help students stay in the process long enough to discover stronger solutions.
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Instructor Pathways & Teaching Assignments

While applicants select a primary instructional pathway during the application process, instructors may be assigned to teach across different Coded by: programs based on their skills, experience, training, and organizational needs.
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Your selected pathway helps guide the interview and evaluation process but does not guarantee your initial or future teaching assignments. For example, an instructor applying through the Startup & Innovation pathway may initially support Technology Exploration programming as part of their onboarding or based on program needs.
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Our goal is to match instructors with opportunities where they can be most effective while providing the training and support needed to succeed.

Organization Overview

Coded by: is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization preparing individuals for leadership roles in the tech and startup ecosystem. Through education, resources, and community, we increase access and success in technology careers. To date, we have reached 5,000+ students across Philadelphia, Camden, and Delaware.

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What You'll Do

Teaching & Student Growth

• Deliver engaging instruction in entrepreneurship, innovation, product development, and startup fundamentals
• Facilitate discussions and activities that help students identify meaningful problems and develop solutions grounded in real user needs
• Guide students through problem validation, customer discovery, user research, ideation, testing, and iteration
• Push students to validate assumptions before committing to solutions
• Use questioning and facilitation techniques to deepen student thinking and strengthen decision-making
• Help students navigate ambiguity, uncertainty, and setbacks throughout the innovation process
• Provide direct, actionable, and timely feedback on student work and presentations
• Build strong relationships while maintaining clear expectations
• Connect entrepreneurship concepts to real startup ecosystems, founders, innovation careers, and business opportunities
• Encourage a bias toward action by helping students move ideas from concept to execution

Collaboration & Operations

• Execute curriculum with fidelity and contribute insights for improvement
• Collaborate with the Lead Instructor and L&I team, communicating student progress and challenges
• Complete required documentation (session notes, feedback forms, incident reports, etc.) and track student progress for program evaluation
• Participate in training, observations, and ongoing professional development

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How You Work (Key Characteristics)

• Utilize experience and learnings from real failure, rejection, or setbacks
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and uncertainty
• Sit in not-knowing without rushing to answers
• Ask thoughtful questions rather than immediately providing solutions
• Maintain a bias toward action and experimentation
• Encourage iteration, reflection, and continuous improvement
• Build credibility through experience and authenticity

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What You Bring 

Must-Haves

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to facilitate productive discussion while maintaining structure and accountability
• Ability to build strong relationships with middle and high school students
• High school diploma or equivalent (Bachelor's preferred)
• Available to work some evenings and/or weekends
• Able to obtain required clearances and certifications (background check, CPR/First Aid)
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

Additional (must have at least one):

• Firsthand experience in a startup, entrepreneurial, product, venture, or early-stage business environment
• Strong facilitation skills with the ability to lead open-ended discussions, ask probing questions, and guide students through a process

Preferred

• Experience launching, building, or contributing to a startup, business, product, or venture
• Experience in product management, innovation, business development, or venture creation
• Experience teaching, mentoring, coaching, or facilitating youth or adult learners
• Experience conducting user research, customer discovery, or market validation
• Experience developing business models, go-to-market strategies, or product concepts

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Equal Opportunity Employer

Coded by: is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to building an inclusive team. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.