Ortus Solutions and FIU Tech Talent Academy: Building the Next Generation of Modern Developers with BoxLang
The future of software development depends on more than the technologies we use. It depends on the people who learn to use them, improve them, challenge assumptions, and apply them to real-world problems.
That is why Ortus Solutions is proud to collaborate with the FIU Tech Talent Academy on a two-day experience designed to introduce students to career opportunities, modern development tools, AI, and the people building the technologies behind them.
This alliance brings together higher education, open-source innovation, and real-world software development. It gives emerging developers an opportunity to see how modern tools become practical business solutions, and how they can become part of that future.
A Conversation Led by Experience
Luis Majano, Founder and CEO of Ortus Solutions, creator of BoxLang, and FIU alumnus, will lead the sessions.
Students will hear about the impact Ortus Solutions has made across the software development industry through open-source projects, professional services, training, and tools that help businesses solve real technical challenges.
The conversation will explore how software teams are responding to the modern needs of the technology world: building faster, modernizing existing applications, integrating AI responsibly, improving productivity, and creating systems that can evolve alongside their businesses.
Luis will also share what companies look for in emerging talent—not only technical ability, but curiosity, communication, initiative, problem-solving, and the capacity to keep learning.
For students, this creates a direct connection between education and the technology industry. For businesses and the wider developer community, it is a reminder that the next generation needs access to the tools, mentorship, and opportunities that will help them contribute with confidence.
From Career Readiness to Hands-On Building
The first day focuses on connection and career readiness. Students will meet the Ortus team, learn about the company and its work, receive résumé guidance, explore job opportunities, and ask questions directly to industry professionals.
The second day turns that conversation into hands-on work.
Through workshops and a hackathon, students will be introduced to BoxLang and BoxLang AI, then challenged to collaborate, experiment, and build a real application.
The experience is designed to make modern development approachable. Students do not need previous BoxLang experience. They will start with guided workshops, work alongside teammates, receive mentorship, and learn by creating.
This is where learning becomes more than theory: developers use new tools, test ideas, solve problems, and show what they can build.
Why BoxLang Matters
BoxLang is a modern, open-source dynamic language for the Java Virtual Machine. It is designed to help developers build productive applications across modern runtimes while remaining connected to the Java ecosystem.
For developers with CFML and ColdFusion experience, BoxLang creates a practical path toward modernization. It carries forward the productivity and expressive development style that made CFML valuable while opening new possibilities through the JVM, modular development, and modern tooling.
For Java developers and teams, BoxLang offers an expressive, flexible way to build on the JVM and use existing Java libraries and tools.
For businesses, it represents a long-term commitment to practical software development: technology that can help teams modernize, improve productivity, support real applications, and adapt to changing needs.
BoxLang is not standing still. It is actively supported, developed, and expanded by Ortus Solutions and its community. Bringing it into higher education is one more way we are building trust in that commitment—showing businesses, developers, and future contributors that this is a project moving forward with purpose.
Understanding AI as a Development Capability
Modern developers also need to understand how AI fits into the software they build.
BoxLang AI helps developers create AI-enabled applications using tools, agents, workflows, memory, and provider integrations. It gives developers the building blocks to use AI in practical ways: improving experiences, automating work, connecting applications to useful information, and creating more capable software.
The goal is not to treat AI as a shortcut or a trend. It is to help developers understand how to use it thoughtfully, responsibly, and effectively alongside real application development.
During the hackathon, students will learn how BoxLang AI can help turn an idea into a functional AI-powered experience—then apply that learning as they create their own projects.
A Challenge Built Around Real-World Thinking
The hackathon is built to encourage students to think beyond a simple demo.
One proposed challenge direction is to create an AI-powered solution that helps people navigate a real challenge: accessing resources, organizing information, preparing for opportunities, or improving a campus or community experience.
Students will work in teams to develop an idea, build a working application, and present what they have created.
The aim is to give them a view into the work modern developers do every day: listening to a problem, choosing the right tools, collaborating with others, building a solution, and communicating its value.
Strengthening the Ecosystem Together
The BoxLang ecosystem has always been about more than a language. It is about giving developers the tools they need to build better applications, improve productivity, and solve meaningful problems.
This alliance with FIU Tech Talent Academy continues that work by inviting new voices into the conversation.
Fresh minds bring new ideas. Emerging developers bring curiosity, energy, and a willingness to experiment. Experienced developers and businesses bring context, challenges, and mentorship. Together, they make the ecosystem stronger.
By supporting students in higher education and giving them exposure to real-world tools, open-source technology, and AI development, Ortus Solutions is helping create a stronger pipeline of developers who can build, improve, and lead.
Build What’s Next
BoxLang and BoxLang AI are built for developers who want to create real applications with productive tools, modern capabilities, and the flexibility to grow.
Explore how BoxLang can help you build modern web applications on the JVM. Discover how BoxLang AI can help you bring AI-powered workflows, tools, and agents into the software you create.
Join the BoxLang Community
Be part of the growing BoxLang community. Connect with other developers, ask questions, contribute to the ecosystem, and receive the latest BoxLang news, releases, events, and technical resources.
Stay connected:
- Newsletter: https://newsletter.boxlang.io
- Community: https://community.ortussolutions.com/c/boxlang/42
- Slack: https://www.ortussolutions.com/community/slack
- X: https://x.com/TryBoxLang
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tryboxlang
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tryboxlang
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/OrtusSolutions
- GitHub: https://github.com/ortus-boxlang
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