This one isn’t only about one woman conquering the world. Its about her doing it from a runway, wearing Prada pumps. Oh, and training a whole army to rise with her. Kode with Klossy is not your traditional initiative and we have the supermodel and Founder, Karlie Kloss to thank for it.

You might have heard of Karlie Kloss, the supermodel. No? (what world do you live in?) Okay. But I’m sure you’ve seen her before.

Karlie Kloss
Karlie Kloss: Photo from flickr

Yes, now that we remember this insanely talented model let me tell you why she isn’t just admirable for the heights she’s reached in the fashion industry. 

Supermodel Karlie Kloss is a woman in STEM.

Context? 

Karlie celebrated her 28th birthday recently (yes, she’s that young) and had walked over 64 runways by the age of 16. If theres a brand worth knowing, she probably represents it. She’s on more vogue covers than there have been days of quarantine (I’m kidding please don’t quote me on this). All in all, she runs the fashion world. Literally.

So where does the coding fit in?

Her father was an ER doctor. Say what you will but the love for science probably flows in the blood. Karlie was always fascinated by STEM and in the ever-progressing world where technology seemed to be the next big thing- she had to explore it for herself. 

“People don’t always associate fashion with tech, but the intersection of these two industries is where I found my groove. Every day, I see technology become more important to both the business and creativity of fashion. I am fascinated by how code has transformed entire industries and powers so much of the technology that we rely on everyday. I wanted to understand more about how tools and apps were developed.”

– Karlie Kloss

The class that gave her wings. Or, well, her drone wings.

She took her first class coding in 2014, with no prior experience in the field. At all. Along with her classmates, Karlie learnt to write code and before long was building applications. She even learned to code a drone to fly around the room. That class was all it took to spark her fire. She had discovered a special and secret language that she identified as a tool to conquer the world. 

Kode with Klossy: girls can code
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

And conquer she did. Remember, we rise by lifting others?

Women in science are largely underrepresented. I mean, clearly. This blog exists because the problem is so severe and devastating that we wanted to create a platform for women to be featured, represented, learned about and learned from. But women in technology? Thats the stuff of nightmares. The field is 80% men. Yes, these are updated statistics (as of early 2020). 

Coding helped Karlie feel empowered and equipped and that was a feeling she wanted to share. Women are significantly underrepresented in the field and, you can say consequently, have fewer opportunities to get involved at a young age. Do you see where I’m, I mean, Karlie is going with this? 

“I also walked away from that first class with another lesson: There just aren’t enough girls in code and tech.“

– Karlie Kloss
Girls can code
Girls can code: Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

Kode with Klossy: a revolution.

In 2015, Karlie Kloss put on her superhero cape (that went perfectly with her supermodel pumps, just in case you were wondering) and founded ‘Kode with Klossy’. Kode with Klossy is a camp for young girls aged 13-18 where they learn to code. On scholarships. 

Empowerment takes a whole new meaning when you equip an entire generation of women, in a field where people don’t expect to see many, to change the world. Staring out with 21 scholarships in the foundation year, Kode with Klossy now has 1000s of scholars across the United States.

“Understanding that code is the underlying (and invisible) framework of tech means that we do not have to be passive bystanders in our ever-changing digital world. Being able to write lines of code means that we too can architect and contribute to the innovation and evolution of technology.“

– Karlie Kloss

And it gets better.

Not only does Miss. Kloss equip young girls with a powerful tool but she also nurtures the skills so they are used for good. Scholars have developed apps and initiatives related to mental health, aiding refugees and even giving right back to the community by empowering more girls to learn code. 

“If given the opportunity to engage their inner nerd and learn the power of code and tech, they don’t just open new doors; they blow them off the hinges.”

– Karlie Kloss

The power this represents.

Women in science is portrayed to be a rarity. It’s not. From day 1 of this initiative the one thing we’ve been screaming loud and clear is – Women in science exist. They’re just not represented as they should be. So, imagine what happens when a supermodel- a career that you wouldn’t particularly believe would lead to such a direct involvement with STEM- becomes the face of women supporting women in the tech world. 

Karlie Kloss is not only breaking barriers for how the world views women but also specifically women in the fashion industry. And then, she uses her message of ‘women can STEM’ and spreads it with free opportunities for promising young girls to take over the world.

If there’s a real wonder woman, it’s a woman like her.

The Kode with Klossy camp has provided opportunity, skill, exposure but most importantly representation. Call me biased but of the number of brands she’s represented, ‘The future is STEM and yes it’s still female’ happens to be my favourite. (Hear more about STEMinism from scientists all over the world here!)

Karlie Kloss with Kode with Klossy scholars
Karlie Kloss with Kode with Klossy scholars: Photo from Forbes

“The saying, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’ is so true,” “I want to bring light to these women because it shows all that can be possible with these skills, or with an understanding or passion around science and STEAM.”

– Karlie Kloss

So, girls, this one’s for you if somebody ever told you you couldn’t do something because you look a certain way, dress a certain way or have a certain interest. Prada pumps go great with superhero capes. Stethoscopes are basically headphones. And lab coats have a distinct appeal when paired with knee caps. There is nothing abut your gender, identity, sexuality, or anything else really that can keep you from your dreams. Always remember, there is no part of you that you have to give up in order to become a woman in science. Not even being a world known supermodel. Now. all that’s left to do is go after your dreams. Go on. You can do it. Become the next poster girl for female scientists. Because, you know it,

“Women in Science? We exist.” 🙂

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