Woman Of The Month: Karlie Kloss

You may know Karlie Kloss as 36-time Vogue cover girl and Victoria’s Secret Model. What you might not know is that the 6’2 supermodel owns a non-profit program teaching young girls how to code, in order to pave the way for gender equality in software engineering. Kloss was recently named in Forbes’ 30 under 30, for her incredible contribution to the industry of coding.

 

 

 

Kode With Klossy’ has taught basic computer programming to over 500 girls through intensive Summer programs across the US. Some of her graduates have gone on to study computer programing at Ivy League schools, and win ‘hackathon’ competitions.

 

 

The 25-year-old model was inspired to undertake this initiative after taking a coding class and noting the lacking female presence not only in the class, but the industry as a whole. With a platform of over 12 million followers, Karlie is reshaping the world of coding, where woman make up only one quarter of the tech workforce. 

 

Kloss told Forbes, “There are so many young women who really could change the world with this kind of opportunity, girls who self-select out because they don't see others in the industry that look like them”.

 

 

Kode With Klossy is funded Karlie herself, using her contracts with companies such as Adidas and Swarovski to contribute millions to the enterprise. She also recently raised money for her program by running the rigorous New York City Marathon (the woman never stops!).

 

Social media has allowed Kloss’ popularity to soar since she was discovered in 2007. Because she takes her influence so seriously, Karlie has always used it to spread awareness on social issues worldwide. Some of the model’s other ventures include a charitable cookie line, ‘Klossies’, and interviewing amazing women in power for her YouTube channel ‘Klossy’.