Jon Caines is a proud Black, first-generation Dominican-American, tech entrepreneur, eagle scout, philanthropist, and community advocate. Recognizing the ever-growing need and the importance of positive role models in under-resourced communities from his own personal experiences, Jon spends his free time advocating for and mentoring inner city youth. Jon is the Chief Creator of Opportunity and Co-Founder of Max-Grad, a higher education-focused software development agency that provides technical support and services to colleges and universities across the U.S. Max-Grad’s offerings include custom web and mobile app development, application integration, and interim technical staff augmentation.In partnership with CAEL, Max-Grad developed Credit Predictor Pro, a platform designed to streamline CPL/PLA processes. Additionally, in collaboration with National University, Max-Grad created ExWaive, a platform that simplifies subject matter competency evaluations and improves the teacher credentialing process.Beyond providing software development/consulting services, and partnering with forward thinking institutions to develop game-changing solutions, Max-Grad has launched Degree Compass; an innovative cloud-based platform designed to engage students, streamline degree planning, and remove barriers to graduation. Degree Compass provides students, academic advisors, and coaches with a single source of truth to track progress, efficiently manage degree completion, identify additional credentials to award, and ensure every academic credit is maximized.