By: TELUS Spark
Kylie Toh, Founder of Chic Geek
This article was originally written and submitted as part of a Canada 150 Project, the Innovation Storybook, to crowdsource stories of Canadian innovation with partners across Canada. The content has since been migrated to Ingenium’s Channel, a digital hub featuring curated content related to science, technology and innovation.
As a computer programmer, Kylie Toh experienced first-hand what it means to be a woman working in a STEM field. In response, she founded a non-profit that works to create a “welcoming, supporting environment for women at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship”. In this video, Kylie speaks about Chic Geek and the opportunities available for women in STEM careers.
Learn more about Chic Geek at: www.thechicgeek.ca.
Transcript
As Kylie Toh said in her remarks following the honourable Stephanie McLean: “The theme of Geeky Summit today is to celebrate imperfection, encouraging our community of women to be courageous, take risks and make mistakes. This is the kind of attitude that drives innovation. … Technology is not a sector, it’s an enabler.” On a related note, the Status of Women Minister Stephanie McLean announced a $500K grant. “We know community groups are best able to address community needs, so we’re supporting grassroots initiatives here with seed funding to spark new ideas and strengthen the great work that they’re already doing,” McLean said. Grant submissions need to be in by Dec 16, 2016, details on the Alberta government website. Super inspiring to see the hard work of Kylie and her volunteer team, such an amazing event I was super happy to play a small part. The fact I was able to give back to the attendees by creating the video AND show it before they all left was almost magical. This is why I do what I do!
TELUS Spark
Spark brings people together to learn, play and create with science, technology, engineering, art and math.
