We Are Here For This Victoria's Secret Supermodel's Super-Nerdy Side Gig

Flickr/bethany w

Karlie Kloss

Flickr/bethany w

Chiara U. Mesiona
Chiara U. Mesiona10
May 8, 2024 at 11:56AM UTC
Deciding to change careers is something a lot of women have or will have struggled with at some point in their adult lives. It isn’t unusual to hear stories of women quitting their jobs to finally pursue something they love, something they’ve wanted to do since college or something they dreamt of before real life and responsibilities got in the way.
It’s easy to put off your passion project. You think, “let me just finish up whatever responsibilities I have now. After I check everything on the 1000 things on my to do list, THEN will I have the time and mental capacity to give this passion project or dream career a try.”
But then, a year passes by and you find yourself putting it off yet AGAIN.
Contrary to how you may view your own capabilities, women have the ability to pursue their dreams and passions without having to completely disentangle from reality. It is possible to want two things that are completely different while remaining level-headed. In fact, learning to complement two unexpected things can be the very trait that makes you unique.
Enter Karlie Kloss:
Model.
Supermodel.
Victoria’s Secret Angel supermodel.
And now, she’s also a coder.
The decision to try something new came at an early age for Karlie. Having spent just a quarter of a century on this planet, Karlie has already enjoyed a modeling career spanning a decade. Now she’s expanding her resume towards a skill set considered unconventional for models. She says she found her “groove” in the intersection between fashion and tech in 2014 and decided to take coding classes. Those coding classes inspired her to found a business designed to teach younger girls how to code as well.
With so few female talents in tech, and a disproportionate number of high school girls with an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) versus the number of women who graduate with STEM college degrees, initiatives to raise girls who can code is a matter of ensuring that we build a world where our top industries are optimizing the wonders of workplace diversity.
In a self-penned article for Teen Vogue, Karlie wrote: “Being able to write lines of code means that we too can architect and contribute to the innovation and evolution of technology.”
She founded Kode With Klossy to help create a future where women lead the tech industry. Three years into the business, the number of scholarships her company has awarded to young women across the United States has grown from 21 to 300.
At 25 years old, Karlie teaches women of all ages that we can choose to:
  1. Work — even if you think you’re already at the top. Work and grow.
  2. Try things outside of your comfort zone.
  3. Share what you know and what you can do with others.
There is virtually nothing standing in the way of us doing what we always wanted to do and be the kind of woman we commit to becoming time and time again. Karlie Kloss proves that every day.
--
Chiara writes about business, finance, social enterprising, health and medicine, and the unique placement of women across these areas. She is also a co-creator at FictionFolk, which designs events that aim to peddle the literature culture.

Why women love us:

  • Daily articles on career topics
  • Jobs at companies dedicated to hiring more women
  • Advice and support from an authentic community
  • Events that help you level up in your career
  • Free membership, always