This post was originally published on this site.
Published on Wednesday, February 12, 2025
The Dev Difference is a participant in Cohort 4 of Transform, a data science and AI startup accelerator powered at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Innovation in collaboration with the Data Science Institute.
The founders of The Dev Difference are driven by a mission to create a more representative tech industry—and this starts with the interview process itself.
The Dev Difference is an AI-driven platform that helps job seekers prepare for technical interviews by integrating both technical and behavioral training. Rather than focusing solely on coding and technical skills, The Dev Difference provides a comprehensive approach, ensuring candidates develop the full range of abilities employers seek.
Founded by Jovanay Carter, Jolene Bernagene, and Moyosore Okeremi—who became friends at Dartmouth College in 2015—the company hopes its product will make the hiring process more equitable.
“Tech interviews are difficult and inequitable,” Carter said. “Candidates over-focus on technical problems while under developing communication and soft skills, yet employers value both. Our platform helps candidates succeed in current interview formats while also working to reform hiring practices.”
The Dev Difference sets itself apart from competitors by integrating AI-driven interview simulations with equitable talent sourcing. The platform combines technical and behavioral preparation, offering structured practice tools and tracking candidate progress in ways that traditional job boards and assessment tools do not.
“Our unique experiences as founders pursuing technical careers inform our design, reflecting what we wished we had during our journeys,” Carter said. “We prioritize user feedback by regularly visiting campuses and centering the experiences of underrepresented talent. This ensures inclusivity in our platform’s design.”
The platform offers immediate feedback based on specific criteria, enabling candidates to track their progress and identify improvement areas. “Our data tracking fosters transparency among students and administrators, sharing best practices and interview trends,” Carter added.
Through steady organic growth and partnerships with universities, The Dev Difference has helped students land jobs at major tech companies and succeed in graduate school interviews. Looking ahead, The Dev Difference plans to expand university relationships in the next year and grow employer partnerships over five years to provide a full pathway from preparation to job placement.
“Our goal is to make high-value jobs more accessible,” Carter said. “We’re starting with tech, but we already see the opportunity to support job seekers across industries.”
Through Transform, The Dev Difference aims to refine its AI technology for a more personalized student experience, leveraging technical advisors, and UChicago’s Data Science Institute. Additionally, they hope to connect with employers interested in hiring through their platform, using the accelerator to refine user discovery, and scale their product.
By bridging skills gaps and expanding access, The Dev Difference is working to create a more equitable hiring process for underrepresented talent in tech.
// Read more about Cohort 4 startups: Asters |Â Legion Space | ORO Intelligence | PAC Dynamic | Slideflow Labs