In this episode of The Digital Executive, Brian Thomas sits down with Nicolas Genest, veteran CTO, two-time CEO, and founder of CodeBoxx Technology Academy. With a career spanning multiple hypergrowth startups—The RealReal, ModCloth, Veepee (Vente Privée), and Walmart—Nicolas shares the turning point that shifted his mission from building companies to building people.

Nicolas explains how years of leading high-performing teams revealed a core truth: success in technology is never about the stack—it’s about the people behind it. That insight led him to create CodeBoxx, an AI-first training model that transforms individuals from all backgrounds—waiters, nurses, drivers, baristas—into business-minded, AI-empowered technologists.

He dives into how generative AI has leveled the playing field, making coding no longer a barrier to entry and ushering in a “new kind of smart” driven by grit, customer intuition, and real-world experience. Nicolas also breaks down the four pillars behind the award-winning GEM Chatbot, built for GoodwillFinds and named 2025 AI Chatbot Solution of the Year—from deep conversational design to continuous performance monitoring.

Looking ahead to 2030, Nicolas envisions a world where AI-driven software development allows business leaders to express requirements in natural language, eliminating traditional interpretation barriers. CodeBoxx aims to guide this shift by teaching the next generation how to harness AI tools, think critically, and build user-focused outcomes at unprecedented speed.

This conversation offers a forward-looking take on AI’s impact on talent, education, and the future workforce—and how organizations can thrive by empowering the right people.

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