Interview with CAPAi Tech Bootcamp Guru Raffi Simonian

Raffi Simonian, Program Director of UCLA’s Epicenter of Alumni Engagement Innovation, is making his in-person debut at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) in mid-July, but he was a remote participant in a panel discussion at AUK back on March 2. On that day, the panel of which Mr. Simonian was part outlined the significance of the planned CAPAi Design Thinking Tech Bootcamp, set to be the first of its kind in the Kurdistan Region. As of this week, the CAPAi Design Thinking Tech Bootcamp is in session, and Mr. Simonian is overseeing it, just as he has overseen so many previous tech bootcamps. Mr. Simonian was kind enough to grant an interview to AUK Content Writer Michael Collins, to put this exciting, two-week event at AUK in better perspective. Here is what Mr. Simonian had to say:

Mr. Simonian, as you must already know, so much of entrepreneurship comes down to having a sudden eureka moment, a stroke of genius. What was your eureka moment that made you realize you should put on tech bootcamps?

Raffi Simonian: “My eureka moment came when I realized there was a large disconnect between what educational institutions were teaching and what the job market was looking for. I determined this disconnect was directly responsible for unfavorable consequences for students and the business climate of the communities we live in. The purpose of these bootcamps is to close that disconnect, better preparing students for the world of work, by transitioning from “Learning to Know” [the theoretical] to “Learning to Do” [the practical].”

You teach at UCLA, which, as you pointed out during your remote participation in the panel discussion announcing CAPAi, is generally recognized as the best public university in the United States. What is one thing the still young American University of Kurdistan can learn from UCLA, which is also your alma mater?

Raffi Simonian: “One of the reasons why UCLA is the top public university in the U.S. is the rich campus life, with residential dorms, championship-level athletics, student clubs all breathing even more life into an already vibrant scene. The campus life creates a sense of community among faculty, staff, and students, and this leads to more collaboration with and investment from the local community.”

In both California and Kurdistan, it is easy to note great differences in wealth among people. What is the role of programs like yours in making wealth distribution more even?

Raffi Simonian: “My aim is to close the opportunity gap, which is often the real culprit when substantial inequality is observed. Wealth follows when individuals take advantage of the opportunities presented by programs like CAPAi.”

You are here now at AUK in person. How did you develop your relationship with AUK and CAPA?

Raffi Simonian: “It was through my personal connection with Mrs. Loucine Hayes, formerly the Director of Open Education at the American University of Armenia [AUA]. When I connected with her about launching a tech bootcamp at AUA, she informed me that she had become the Director of the Center for Academic and Professional Advancement at the American University of Kurdistan. She wanted to hear more about my bootcamp idea. The rest is history!”

Most businesses fail. Period. How do you keep potential entrepreneurs who are aware of this unfortunate reality from getting discouraged and convince them to go for it?

Raffi Simonian: “‘FAIL’ stands for ‘First Attempt in Learning.’ I teach the students to learn from past mistakes, adapt, and repivot to make the next phase of their entrepreneurial endeavors more successful.”

We’re all wrong sometimes. Can you give an example of a product idea, from a previous bootcamp or your other experiences, that you did not think had much promise but ended up being successful?

Raffi Simonian: “Yes, I can. At my recently completed tech bootcamp from this past spring, titled ‘Innovation Challenge’ and conducted in partnership with Amazon Web Services and Slalom [a global digital solutions provider], the winning team had the seemingly simple idea of gamifying watching the Olympics on television, geared toward the younger generation. The idea did not immediately impress me; I thought the other 5 pitches all had better chances because of their intrinsic creativity [being on topics like generative AI and tech stack], but I was wrong. The group that wanted to gamify watching the Olympics ended up winning and is now being incubated by Amazon.”

At this juncture, since it has already succeeded and spread beyond its point of origin, your tech bootcamp concept can itself be considered an entrepreneurial idea that worked out. What is one other place where you might like to run a tech bootcamp and why?  

Raffi Simonian: “My educational dream is to teach at the American University of Armenia and run tech bootcamps there. As the grandchild of Armenian Genocide survivors, my goal is to contribute to the education of today’s young Armenia before calling it a career.”