In 2014, Karlie Kloss, Founder of Kode with Klossy, stepped into a Flatiron School coding class out of curiosity, hoping to understand the technology shaping the world around her. Learning to code gave her a sense of empowerment and creativity that she hadn’t expected.
What began as personal curiosity quickly turned into a doorway to something bigger. In the 10-year anniversary video of Kode with Klossy, Karlie reflects on the pivotal moment of sitting in a classroom surrounded by code. She found herself asking a question that would shape her next decade:
“How can I share this access with others?”
That question inspired her to take action and set in motion a journey that would open doors for thousands of young people who deserved the same opportunity to explore technology.
How It All Began
Avi Flombaum, cofounder of Flatiron School and Karlie’s instructor, explained that “she was the best student in that group and I was surprised by how enthusiastic she was.” Karlie also learned how few women were represented in the tech field, and that realization stayed with her. She began thinking about how she could help close the gender equity gap in tech, believing that even supporting a small group of girls could make a meaningful difference. That early awareness and sense of responsibility became the seed of what would eventually grow into Kode with Klossy.
With a desire to create programming education that felt accessible and inspiring, she partnered with Flatiron School to launch 21 Kode with Karlie scholarships for young people in NYC. Over the course of two weeks, students learned to use foundational tools like Ruby, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS. Karlie emphasized the importance of early exposure, saying, “I think it’s crucial that young women learn to code as early as possible to ensure that we have a voice and a stake in what the world looks like.”
A Vision Becomes Reality
The answer to Karlie’s original question came in 2015 with the founding of Kode with Klossy, an organization dedicated to empowering young women and gender-expansive youth through transformative tech education.
Driven by a passion to create greater impact, Kode with Klossy launched its two-week coding camps by the summer of 2016 in New York, Los Angeles, and St. Louis. Students learned core programming skills, collaborated on real projects, and built confidence through hands-on experience. Karlie helped shape the program’s curriculum, selected instructors, and designed the camp’s structure to make coding both accessible and exciting. After the program, applications poured in because its mission resonated. It wasn’t just teaching code. It was teaching problem-solving, leadership, and the belief that young people can shape their communities through technology.
Over the past decade, Kode with Klossy has:
- Served almost 11,000 young women and gender-expansive youth in over 100 countries.
- Created new pathways into technology for underrepresented communities.
- Built a national network of scholars, mentors, and educators.
- Inspired scholars through experiential and project-based learning rooted in creativity and collaboration.
For many of these scholars the experience has been transformative. They gained not only technical skills but also a stronger sense of identity and purpose. Many described the program as a space where they could flourish and be their authentic selves.
The Impact of Kode With Klossy
- Breaking Stereotypes: Karlie seeks to achieve gender equity and empower young women to see themselves as builders, creators, and leaders in the tech world.
- Access and Opportunity: Karlie uses her platform and resources to give young people access to quality coding education and help them pursue bright futures in STEAM.
- Long-Term Vision: This is not a one-off camp. It is a growing community dedicated to creating path-changing opportunities for individuals.
- Building Confidence: The camp fosters confidence through hands-on coding projects, collaborative learning, and a positive environment where scholars can develop skills, learn to answer questions, teach concepts to others.
A Foundation Built Together
We are proud to have been part of this journey and grateful for the partnership between Karlie and Avi. Their collaboration shows what becomes possible when inspiration turns into action.
Karlie brought passion, determination, and a commitment to opening doors for more girls to explore coding and tech careers. Avi contributed teaching and technical expertise to help her develop the program.
A big thank you to Karlie for her unwavering leadership and to Avi for helping turn that vision into reality. The impact of Kode with Klossy is a testament to Karlie’s vision and to the community that has formed around it, one that will continue to inspire and empower future generations.
