BreakLine helps top-tier veterans transition to tech world

By Carolyn Said

Any headhunter would be ecstatic to recruit Sean Plankey, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Coast Guard who conducted cyberspace operations in Afghanistan, was awarded a Bronze Star, has an Ivy League master’s degree in computer science and will leave the military this summer after 13 years.

But despite his stellar resume, Plankey, 34, was uncertain how to transition to a civilian career — a sentiment shared by many veterans. That’s why he jumped at the chance to participate in a pilot program called BreakLine, which helps veterans connect with Bay Area tech employers.

“This has given me a rocket start into the tech industry,” said Plankey, who lives in Washington, D.C. “Now I can describe my vision in Bay Area terms.” His goal: to lead teams developing cybersecurity products.

Plankey is among 17 men and six women part way through the inaugural BreakLine, a four-week intensive training program that combines MBA-type courses, talks by industry luminaries, hands-on group projects, evening social events and a week at each of the program’s four sponsors: Andreessen Horowitz, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, PayPal and Salesforce.

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