Karlie Kloss, Coding’s Supermodel — American Fashion Model and The Woman Behind Kode With Klossy
“I want to encourage more young women to get involved in coding because it’s important for them to be able to help shape the future, and coding is the future.” — Karlie Kloss.
If you think models are nothing but a pretty face, be ready to be proven wrong! Not only do they have to compete with social media moguls and famous faces in the industry, but they also have to pave their own way to becoming a model unlike any other. This story comes from Karlie Kloss, an American fashion model, and entrepreneur who founded a free coding school to give young women access and opportunities. Sounds cool, isn’t it?
Perhaps you’ve already heard about this, but indulge us: Karlie Kloss, a 25-year-old model, and self-described math and science amateur, attended her first coding class in 2014 and founded Kode With Klossy the following year to promote and empower young women to learn code and become leaders in the (male-dominated) IT industry. Kloss was collaborating with Flatiron School and Code.org to create a Kode with Klossy annual award for young women interested in computer science and software engineering. As of 2018, the camp had expanded to include “50 coding camps in 25 US cities, teaching 1,000 girls to code.” The camp covers the fundamentals of numerous programming languages, including Ruby, JavaScript, and Swift. Participants at the camp create completely functional mobile apps or websites by the end of the week. It’s a fantastic program for an important cause.
The impact of the camps is evident. Over 500 young women have learned to code with Kloss, many of whom have used the skills to start coding clubs of their own, win hackathons, earn scholarships to Ivy League institutions, or build and fundraise around apps. “It’s awesome to not only help light that sparks in someone but also to watch the spark keep lighting other people,” Kloss says. At this point, Kloss has a small fire of women primed to change the conversation about gender and technology. “They’ll enter the workforce and actually be a part of closing that opportunity gap that exists today,” she says. And here she thought she was just picking up a hobby. “We joke about it, that this is a secret language, a superpower,” says Kloss. “And there’s no limit to what they can do with it.”
She’s been on magazine covers, featured in profiles, spoken on panels, appeared on television, received awards, and had plenty of different opportunities to promote Kode With Klossy and her passion for coding throughout the years. Her most recent collaboration is with Away, capsule luggage and travel accessory collection in exclusive, limited-edition colors — Gigabyte green and Pixel purple — that launches on Thursday, with prices ranging from $55 to $295. On Wednesday night in New York, Away and Kloss sponsored a class to celebrate the occasion. It was finally the time to see the model’s coding abilities in action.
For Kloss, coding is a new way to express herself — the conversation about her no longer revolves solely around her work as a model; people are talking about her contribution to women in tech. She was chosen to Forbes’ annual list of 30 Under 30 in 2018, with a cover story dubbed “Coding’s Supermodel.” Kloss’s curiosity has grown into something much larger than herself. “With Kode With Klossy, I’m realizing all the ways that we can really shake the future of the tech industry, by equipping the future leaders of our world,” Kloss says. “I really believe that these young women are the future.”
With Kloss as their champion, it’s all but inevitable. Kloss’s story motivates young women to pursue and achieve their goals in the field of STEM. Find your passion and don’t let anything stand in your way!
Written by Rania Salsabila
References:
Bratskelr, Kate. 2019. Karlie Kloss’s coding camp inspires girls throughout the country. [online]. Tersedia dalam https://www.wework.com/ideas/community-stories/karlie-klosss-coding-camp-inspires-girls-throughout-the-country (Diakses pada 11 Juli 2021)
Cutler, Jacqueline. 2016. Karlie Kloss models math and computer skills in Koding with Klossy camp for girls. [online]. Tersedia dalam https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/karlie-kloss-models-codin-skills-girls-article-1.2582766 (Diakses pada 10 Juli 2021)
Renzina, Lina. 2019. Creators for Good: Karlie Kloss Inspires Young Girls in STEM. [online]. Tersedia dalam https://www.tubefilter.com/2019/03/29/creators-for-good-karlie-kloss-inspires-young-girls-in-stem-ad-council/ (Diakses pada 10 Juli 2021)
