Kode With Klossy

One of the highest paid models in the world, according to Forbes, Karlie Kloss has recently taken part in a few entrepreneurial endeavors. She's got a popular YouTube channel, worked with the company Milk Bar to create wheat-free, dairy-free cookies that also raise money for charities, and more recently has sponsored a camp about computer coding, market to high school girls.

Participants in the Kode With Klossy program

Kode With Klossy aims to help close "the job gap and gender gap in tech," while simultaneously empowering women to become professional developers. With scholarships given out every month valued at about $12,000, girls are given access to a nine month code class that will help them prepare for a career in technology. More than just a pretty face with deep pockets, Karlie also has experience with coding. In a message on her site, Kloss goes on to say, "Before my first coding class, the idea that I could build something with code seemed practically impossible. Within a couple of classes, I was working with my classmates to program a small drone. I realized that code is about creativity — just like art and fashion — and that women who have these skills have the power to shape our future." In 2014 the model's curiosity lead to her becoming a student herself and has since gone on to take more classes. While she admits she still has a lot to learn, she understands the importance of the skill, especially in the working world.

With facts like only 18% of women getting a degree in computer science and women being in charge of more than 80% of online spending, Karlie Kloss knows the importance of diversity in the field of technology and is using her money and influence for good, starting with the next generation of workers and consumers. With current presences in three cities, Los Angeles, New York, and her hometown of St. Louis, Kloss hopes to expand the program to service more girls. “It’s already a success in my mind in many ways. But there is so much more we can do and I really hope to.”