Ayo Olatunji
Enterprise Data Architect & Manager
15+ years across consulting, technology, healthcare, retail, and finance. Founder and program director — also mentors students through architecture and big-picture career questions.
Mentorship
Get hired. With a mentor in your corner.
More interviews. Better answers. A faster path from cohort to first offer — with the help of mentors who do the job today at the companies you want to work for.
How mentorship works
Built like the relationships that actually open doors.
The five pillars NookTek has refined since 2015 — every one of them designed to do more than supplement classes; they accelerate a career change.
Real industry mentors
Your mentor is a working professional in the role you want — not a TA. They've made the moves you're about to make.
Bi-weekly 1-on-1 sessions
30 to 60 minutes every two weeks throughout the program — and as-needed when you hit a wall. Mentorship covers coursework, projects, and career strategy.
Career coaching beyond graduation
Your mentor doesn't disappear at graduation. They stay on through your job search and into your first 90 days on the job.
Matched on more than skills
We match on target role, industry, and personality fit — because mentorship that clicks compounds. Re-match free of charge any time.
Meet the mentors
The people you'll actually work with.
A small group of senior practitioners — each with deep industry experience and a passion for teaching. You meet your match in week one.
David Ilaya
Senior Data Engineer
Builds and ships production data platforms at scale. Mentors students on engineering tradeoffs, code review, and what the day-to-day actually looks like at a senior level.
Wale Oyerinde
Product Owner · Data Engineering Lead
Leads data engineering teams and works at the intersection of product and platform. Mentors on stakeholder management, team dynamics, and the path from engineer to lead.
Where our grads work
Our students work everywhere.
Alumni now build, analyze, and ship at the world's most recognized companies.
Logos shown for representational purposes. NookTek alumni placements include — but are not limited to — these companies.
Mentee stories
What students say about their mentors.
“My mentor walked me through her real Snowflake work tickets and showed me how she scoped the same kind of problem the interviewer would ask.”
Aisha O.
Data Analyst, Capital One · Cohort DA101
“He rewrote my resume in front of me. Three weeks later I had two offers. The before/after was night and day.”
Daniel R.
Azure Data Engineer, Microsoft · Cohort DE101
“I had a mentor who'd been a Black woman in data for 15 years. That representation alone — knowing the path was real — changed how I showed up.”
Priya M.
Data Scientist, Intel · Cohort DA102
The process
From application to first 90 days on the job.
- STEP 01
Apply
We collect target role, industry, and what you most want from a mentor.
- STEP 02
Match
Within a week of orientation we pair you with a mentor who fits — not a random assignment.
- STEP 03
Meet
You set a recurring weekly slot. Your mentor blocks the time for the full program.
- STEP 04
Carry on
After graduation your mentor stays on through your job search and onboarding.
Cohort enrolling now
Ready to start? Apply now.
Talk to a program advisor, get your questions answered, and reserve your seat in the next cohort.