Building a thriving community in the tech industry is something that happens over decades and Codename Entertainment is dedicated to doing all that we can to encourage growth in this sector. We are often involved in community initiatives to further this goal and recently had the opportunity to be a key sponsor of the first major Ladies Learning Code event in our hometown of Victoria, BC!
#LadiesLearningCode is a non-profit organization whose goal is to present opportunities for beginners to learn technical skills through mentorship, in a comfortable and social environment. There are 18 Chapters in cities across Canada and have had over eight thousand participants at events since the group's inception in 2011.
We first came across this fantastic group back in August, through our CEO's nightly Facebook meanderings. While looking through his news feed and pondering if he shouldn't be reading a book instead, Eric saw a link to a fundraising campaign for Ladies Learning Code Victoria. Appealing to him both because of the importance of promoting diversity in the tech industry as well as the proud father of a young and technically inclined daughter, Eric decided to learn more about the proposed event and quickly became one of the first supporters of their Tilt campaign. As a result of his research, the Victoria tech association, VIATeC (Victoria Advanced Technology Council, agreed to match donations up a total of $5,000. As a result, the LLCVic organizers were able to exceed their initial target of $1,000 and raised an amazing total of $5,825 before match!
The sold out event took place on 'National Learn to Code Day' (Sept 27) and Eric attended, coming away impressed by everything he saw. The event was packed with participants, mentors and organizers all passionately engaged with technology. As a result of the great success of this event, a follow-on event aimed at younger participants has already been confirmed for later this year. Eric is hoping he'll be able to convince his daughter to attend with him.
If you are curious in learning more, check out the photos and news stories at the Ladies Learning Code Victoria Facebook page! Want to find a local chapter elsewhere in Canada, or learn more about #LadiesLearningCode? Check out their website here!