Chris Ridad
President
Senior, CS + Psych — North Texas
Fun fact: I'm Colombian, Filipino, Indian, and Fijian!
FutureDev
Build the things you wish existed.
FutureDev is a Northwestern student community, founded in 2024, where members explore web development, mobile app creation, game production, and other tech skills by building real projects in small mentor-guided pods.
About · Founded 2024
Who we are
FutureDev helps students explore web development, mobile app creation, game production, and other tech skills through close, personalized learning communities. Each pod pairs 4-5 students with one mentor for about 1-2 hours a week — you learn by building, not by watching from the sidelines.
Get started
What do you want to build?
Pick a track to see the skills, technologies, and resources that'll get you there.
Learn to build sites and web apps that run in the browser, from a static personal page to a full-stack project with a real backend.
Skills you'll learn
- HTML & CSS
- Flexbox layout & responsive design
- JavaScript fundamentals & the DOM
- React components, props & state
- Fetching data from APIs
- Git & GitHub workflow
Technologies
HTML/CSSJavaScriptReactViteGit/GitHub
Curated resources
Beginner project ideas
- A personal portfolio site
- A calendar or to-do list app
- A study tool like flashcards
Mentorship
Learn with someone who's been there
Each quarter, mentees are paired with a more experienced mentor for guidance on projects, coursework, and getting started in a track. Mentors help with code reviews, unblocking projects, and pointing you toward the right resources — whatever you need help with.
Apply as a mentorMentee applications opening soon
Meet the team
Executive Board
Jack Press
Treasurer
Senior, CS McCormick — Chicago
Fun fact: I have spent about $500 on rubber ducks!
Melanie Cuenca
Director of Community Engagement
Senior, CS McCormick — Chicago
Fun fact: I moved to the US when I was 8.
Mariana Ma
Co-Director of Education
Senior, CS — Franklin, Massachusetts
Fun fact: I have 2 cats.
Joanna Echeverri Porras
Co-Director of Education
Senior, CS McCormick — South Florida
Fun fact: I've been a part of 8 musicals!
Christina Feng
Director of Operations
Senior, CS + Cog Sci — NY
Fun fact: I have 300+ photos of the sky on my phone.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What will the time commitment look like?
You'll meet with your mentor once a week for around 2 hours. Depending on your mentor, you may also have additional tasks to complete outside of your meeting.
Do I need any prior experience to join a group?
No prior experience is required for the beginner groups. For higher-level groups, check each mentor's outline on our Linktree.
Can I join more than one group?
No — you'll be assigned to one mentor based on your preferences, but you can reach out to other mentors and attend their group meetings based on availability.
Where and when will my group meet with our mentor?
Meeting times are pre-set by the mentors, and it's your responsibility to attend those times if you commit to a group. The location is determined based on your group's preference.
Community
Ready to start building?
Conversations, questions, and collaboration happen in our Discord — that's where the community lives day to day, with mentorship pairing experienced members and mentees for guidance throughout the quarter.