Monthly Archives: January 2012
Announcing our Feb. 25th Workshop: An Intro to Photoshop & Illustrator
Why Photoshop & Illustrator?
No matter what stage you’re at when it comes to developing your technical skills, you’ve probably realized that Microsoft Paint just isn’t going to cut it forever. Whether you need to crop or resize a photo, want to create a logo for your blog, or have a more significant design project in mind, at some point, you’re going to need an introduction to the Adobe Creative Suite. So, on February 25th, 2012 Ladies Learning Code is happy to introduce our first design-related workshop, an Introduction to Photoshop & Illustrator.
At this full-day workshop, you’ll learn to use Photoshop and Illustrator (plus as much design theory as we can reasonably fit in) from four ultra-talented members of Toronto’s incredible design community: Ayla Newhouse, Ryan Bannon, Charlotte Tang & Angelica Ramos (check out their bios below). As you know by now, all Ladies Learning Code workshops revolve around a project, and this workshop is no different. At the end of the day, you will have created your very own personal brand package & mood board. Your end product will include: your own personal logo, business card design, edited profile photos for Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn, a Twitter or website background, and a unique Facebook cover photo. Plus, based on images that you’ll select and bring with you to the workshop (that you’ll source from sites like Pinterest & Piccsy, or Google Images), you’ll choose colours and fonts that represent your personal brand, with help from designers who really understand what makes for good choices, and can explain the “why” behind them.
A Note About Our Venue: The School of Design at George Brown College
Thanks to The School of Design at George Brown College for providing the perfect venue for our first design-related Ladies Learning Code workshop! George Brown’s School of Design is a truly inspiring place for learning. We’ll be using four computer labs, and because of the setup, participants will have the opportunity to learn from each of the four designers below over the course of the day (each lead instructor will take you through a 75-minute lesson, and then rotate). It means that this workshop will be our largest yet (with 120+ participants), but also our most intimate, since you’ll be learning with a group of only about 30 people. Of course, we’ll continue to strive for our 4:1 participant-to-instructor ratio, so if you know any designers who might be interested in volunteering as a mentor for this workshop, please have them join our ‘tech help’ mailing list. We’re looking for lots of help from Toronto’s design community for this one!
(Note that computers are provided – no need to bring or borrow a laptop for this workshop.)
Introducing Our Lead Instructors
Ayla Newhouse | @aisforayla
Ayla Newhouse is a designer and creative generalist. A graduate of the Communication Design Program at the Emily Carr Institute, and the Interdisciplinary Design Program at the Institute without Boundaries, Ayla has worked at Normative Design, Bruce Mau Design, and HoBO Magazine. Today, Ayla is a freelance designer and the co-founder of 1THINGapp.com, which helps people improve their lives through gratitude. She’s extra grateful to be involved with Ladies Learning Code because it’s a chance for her to share her passion for good design and meaningful technologies.
Ryan Bannon | @rdbannon
A perpetual student of the world and graduate of the Creative Advertising program at Seneca College. In September of 2009 Ryan helped co-found Playground Inc. a user-experience design agency in the heart of Toronto. Day to day he works with web startups to help align their user-experience with business goals. In his short career Ryan has been lead designer on many innovative projects. One such project, Toronto Standard, won the Canadian Online Publishing Award for design of the year and was shortlisted by .Net Magazine (@netmag) for site of the year. His involvement with Ladies Learning Code comes from a passion for the magic of hands-on practical learning and the drive for Toronto to be one of the best places in the world to make the web. If you have any questions or just want to say hi, you can reach him at ryan[at]playgroundinc.com or @rdbannon on Twitter.
Charlotte Tang | @charlottejtang
Charlotte is Espresso Agency’s resident Interactive Designer virtuoso with skills spanning design, animation, and video. Her penchant for non-traditional media led her to a degree in New Media at the University of Toronto, where she obsessively examined the effects of social media and technology on everyday interactions. This, combined with her black belt in design, makes her an expert in all things interactive. Charlotte’s love for creating interactive experiences is evident in every aspect of her life. When she’s not coming up with inspired and intuitive designs, you’ll likely find her crafting the perfect personalized gift for someone—a giant Chicken McNugget pillow, for instance. In this Ladies Learning Code workshop, Charlotte is eager to pass on her knowledge of design and empower people to step out of their comfort zone to explore their creativity. Find Charlotte on Twitter @charlottejtang.
Angelica Ramos | @angelykke
Angelica is a graphic designer originally from Mexico City. In 2009, she came to Canada for a postgraduate degree program at the Institute without Boundaries at George Brown College. When she finished the program, she was hired by the Institute as a part-time designer and facilitator. Next, Angelica joined Hypenotic, a communication firm that serves values-driven clients and specializes in meaningful marketing, where she works as an Art Director. Angelica loves a challenge – last year, as a personal project, she decided to design an album cover for a new song every day for a hundred days. This year, her project involves creating a design each day in an attempt to graphically communicate (and hopefully understand) winter in Toronto. Now, she is thrilled to accept a brand new challenge: being one of the designers leading the first Illustrator/Photoshop workshop for Ladies Learning Code. You can find her design series on her tumblr: http://angelykke.tumblr.com/, follow her on Twitter at @angelykke, or see her portfolio at www.angelica-ramos.com.
When Can You Buy Tickets?
Tickets for our first Ladies Learning Code Intro to Photoshop & Illustrator course go on sale on February 15th at 7 pm. An additional round of tickets will go on sale the next morning at 9 am. The registration page isn’t ready yet, but when it is, you’ll find it at http://ladieslearningcodefeb25.eventbrite.com.
Ladies Mastering Mobile
The second Ladies Learning Code workshop of January took a little field trip away from our usual CSI location, and visited the home of our sponsor, mobile development shop Xtreme Labs. It was a natural fit, as the workshop was mobile focused, instructed by two Xtreme Labs employees, Rebecca Putinski and Kitty Shum, and the learners were even pair programming to match the Xtreme theme.
Throughout the day, 40 pairs (including a husband/wife and brother/sister combo) took a bloated big browser site, and streamlined it specifically for those devices we are all so hooked on. We embedded videos and maps, stripped out content, conquered the “Fat Finger Problem” and made our very own icons.
At the end of it all, each pair demoed their creation to compete for the top prize of an Apple TV. From Ryan Gosling, to Lego mania, and even an employee themed site, our learners showed off their creativity and their new skills, and blew our minds in the process.
As always, a huge HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to all our mentors, instructors and learners for coming out and supporting us. We couldn’t do it without you! An additional thank you to Xtreme Labs for not the continuos support, and also giving us the awesome space to use for the day. For more pictures of the day, with a HILARIOUS commentary, check out this album Peter Newhook added to Facebook.
Our next workshop is a return of HTML & CSS, and it will be led by the talented and engaging Mark Reale.
Tickets will go on sale on February 8th at 7 pm, and an additional round will go on sale the next morning at 9 am. More details to come.
Note: February 19th is a Sunday, so the event is starting later (10 am) to accommodate those who take public transit.
Introducing our Mentors for Ladies Learning Code’s first ever Mobile Workshop:
As we prepare for this Saturday’s Introduction to Mobile workshop, I am thrilled to introduce our fabulous Mentors, led by the lovely Kitty Shum and Rebecca Putinski.
But we couldn’t do this without each and every one of our committed Mentors A big thanks to them all.
Lead Instructor: Rebecca Putinski(@h4xnoodle | http://bexsys.com)
Agile Engineer at Xtreme Labs
What are you passionate about? “Developing software that is beneficial to others and fun/easy to use. Mobile and web are great mediums and I love developing for them!”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I love the idea! Helping others learn this valuable skill and ensuring that the environment is a great place to learn for women is a great idea. Both roles of learner and instructor/mentor are empowering and give us the opportunity to learn more about the community. Coding should be a skill everyone has accessibility to and LLC does an amazing job.”
Lead Instructor: Kitty Shum(@kitty_shum | http://kittyshum.wordpress.com)
Product Manager at Xtreme Labs
What are you passionate about? “The magic of how technology improves our lives has always fascinated me. I’ve been passionate about technology since I wrote my first “Hello World” application. From a technical perspective, I spend a lot of time trying out new technologies, new mobile platforms and building cool products. Outside of the technology world, I enjoy being disconnected from time to time. I play a lot of sports; from snowboarding in the winter to LOTS of football in the summer.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “After working in a male-dominated environment for years, I would love to encourage more ladies into this field. I still recall being able to count the number of girls with one hand for one of my 4th year Computer Science course. Coding and working with technology is not a scary thing, I want to help change that perception. I love technology and love what I do everyday! I want to share that passion with others and support a great community/organization.”
Bijan Vaez (@bijanv | www.eventmobi.com)
Technical Co-Founder of EventMobi
What are you passionate about? “Making or building something that enhances someones life, even if it only affects 5 minutes of it!”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Bringing women into the high-tech field is not an easy task (for whatever reason) and I’ve seen numerous corporations and universities fail continuously at it. I’m amazed at what LLC has done up to this point and the sheer interest they’ve garnered within the community and I’m glad to do my part to help out!”
Steven Chung (http://map.placemarklist.com/)
Works at Home doing anything to make a great product – design, code, communicate
What are you passionate about? “Creating something I believe in”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I’m always willing to teach and help others.”
Lorne Lantz (@Lornestar | http://www.snap-pay.com)
Founder and Janitor at Snappay
What are you passionate about? “Creating a better way for people to buy & sell stuff.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I think the technology world would be more effective if you had more balanced teams of programmers….Plus I love passing on the many years of programming knowledge I’ve gained.”
Peter Iskandar (@bassingitup)
Agile Engineer, Mobile Application Development at Xtreme Labs Inc.
What are you passionate about? “Music, Computers, Art”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I decided to get involved with Ladies Learning Code because I wanted to help people further their knowledge in computers/coding. I think it’s a great cause and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Greg Burgoon (www.gregburgoon.com)
Agile Engineer at Xtreme Labs
What are you passionate about? “Music!”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Because coding is a useful skill!”
Kate Murphy (@kategeek | http://www.kategeek.com)
Software Developer at Konrad Group
What are you passionate about? “Education outside the classroom.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Learning and teaching is super fun and rewarding. Also, selfishness! I want more ladies in the industry.”
Peter Newhook (@p337er | http://peternewhook.com)
Business Analyst at Cineplex Entertainment “I split my time between automating forms and workflows using SharePoint and designing reports and visualizations that provide new ways to look at numbers.”
What are you passionate about? “Making enterprise software usable and enjoyable. When I’m not in front of a monitor, I’m finding a way to get on a bike.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Women are going to look at problems differently than men will, and come up with different solutions. As an industry we need more well trained women writing code.”
Dmytro Yashkir (@dyashkir | http://dyashkir.com)
Senior Mobile Application Developer, also making things work on server (Node.js, mongo, redis)at Tenfour Labs
What are you passionate about? ”Building products, coding/programming of any kind, startups, minimalist running, good beer, TFC.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I enjoy teaching, chance to help people who motivated to learn is an amazing opportunity.”
Susan Elliott Sim (@benevolentprof | http://www.drsusansim.org)
Research, writing, teaching, and iPhone programming at Many Roads Studios
What are you passionate about? ”Social justice”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I spend my waking hours advocating for the dispossessed, empowering women, and challenging power structures. Getting involved in LLC lets me do all of that.”
Sameer Vohra
Software Engineer at Xtreme Labs
What are you passionate about? “I am passionate about design and building intuitive products. I thrive on deconstructing problems down to their core and finding the best applicable solution.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “The chance to create the “AHA!” moment and getting people excited about technology is very satisfying.”
Svetlana Kolupaeva (@skolupaeva)
Java developer / Team leader @ Exigen / “I work on a software solution for insurance companies and lead a remote development team”
What are you passionate about? “I love photography, caramels and web development.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “You always choose to support something that is personal. Women in technology is what touches me. Furthermore, volunteering for LLC is a very rewarding experience.”
Mark Bowman
Student – study, study, and more studying at Osgoode Hall Law School
What are you passionate about? “Software, Soccer, and Cooking.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I’d like to remain connected with the Toronto software industry, and I’d like to do whatever I can to support it.”
Christina Truong (@christinatruong | http://christinatruong.com)
Developer at Teehan+Lax
What are you passionate about? “Aside from the web, shoes and food!”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I want to help encourage more women to become developers.”
Pallak Grewal (@PallakGrewal)
Agile Engineer at Xtreme Labs
What are you passionate about? “Usability, user experience, ease of use.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “It is awesome 
”
Ameena Philips (@ameenaphilips | ameenaphilips.com)
Freelance Web Developer (html emails, landing pages, blogs) at WebCanada Inc.
What are you passionate about? “Web development and badminton”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I’m enthusiastic about helping llc learners who are eager to code.”
Todd Ritchie (@@lance_ | http://todd.ritchie.to/)
Agile Engineer at Xtreme Labs
What are you passionate about? “free culture in the Lessig and Stallman senses.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Xtreme sponsoring!”
Serguei Filimonov (@sergueif )
Student
What are you passionate about? “Music and simplicity.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I want Toronto to be a place where technology loves people and people love technology.”
Emir Hasanbegovic (@PhiGammEmir | http://www.emirweb.com)
Agile Engineer at Xtreme Labs Inc.
What are you passionate about? “I am all about developing core infrastructures that can be used as tools over and over again. Building stronger application cores allows for better end-user experience and development tools. I love to look at technology from the inside out.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I strongly believe in the power of learning. Learning is super, super fun and I want to help others have the same experience with learning technology as I have.”
Gavin Lobo (http://www.rabidgeek.net)
University of Ontario Institute of Technology, grad student, research assistant, tutorial instructor
What are you passionate about? “Teaching, Science, Mathematics and Programming”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Coding is so much fun! More women should get involved!”
Daniel Teoh (@danteoh)
Product Manager & Designer at Nulogy Corporation (I currently oversee integration initiatives with other enterprise systems, such as SAP, RedPrairie, etc. From a technical perspective, I am heavily involved in developing prototypes on our product team.)
What are you passionate about? “I love entrepreneurial opportunities. Understanding the strategy and motivators behind people’s ideas can be pretty exciting.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I read about the workshops from The Toronto Standard and got really excited about it. Since I moved to Toronto in September, I’ve been looking for opportunities to get involved in the community and industry and this lands right smack in the middle!”
Amazing group, right?
This Saturday is going to be a BLAST!.
For more info about Ladies Learning Code, follow us on Twitter or check out our Facebook Page. If you’d like to join our email list, click here or to volunteer as a Mentor, join our developer email list
Sunday at 5 pm: Google+ Hangout for WordPress Next Steps
How cool is the Ladies Learning Code developer community?
After last weekend’s WordPress workshop, a few of our mentors noticed that many of the participants had questions about the next steps – whether they want to launch the site they worked on that day, want to tweak one of the free Themify themes they received for filling out our feedback survey, or start from scratch to create their own theme. So, WordPress Workshop Mentors Peter Newhook, Linn Farley, Gavin Smith and Jenny Zhang have offered to host a Google+ Hangout to answer any questions from WordPress attendees this Sunday at 5 pm. Feel free to participate if you were at the January or November WordPress workshops, or even if you weren’t at either of them – this is an experiment, to see if people are interested in Google+ Hangouts or other ways of learning online.
Unfortunately, Google+ Hangout links can’t be shared in advance, so pay attention to the Ladies Learning Code Twitter account at 5 pm on Sunday evening, and we’ll tweet the link for you. If you follow Peter, Linn, Gavin or Jenny on Twitter, you’ll be even more likely to see the link to the Hangout. If you know something about WordPress and want to join the Hangout to help out, contact Peter on Twitter – he’s @p337er.
Thanks to Peter, Linn, Gavin and Jenny for taking the initiative to offer this chance to the Ladies Learning Code community! We appreciate you!
Google+ Hangout Details:
Sunday, January 22nd at 5 pm ET
Follow @llcodedotcom on Twitter for the link! It will be posted just before 5 pm on Sunday.
Here are our Intro to WordPress (#2) Workshop Mentors
Well, here we are again. 2012 is off to a roaring start. Whoa. It is going to be a fun year.
To launch this exciting year, this coming Saturday marks the first “back by popular demand” workshop – Introduction to WordPress, with Wes Bos, and we are excited!
So, without further adieu, here are our mentors A big thanks to them all.
Lead Instructor: Wes Bos(@wes_bos | http://www.wesbos.com)
Self Employed Web Designer and Developer
What are you passionate about? “From a high level, I’m super passionate about design, development, and business. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to do all three as a career. From a technical standpoint, I spend most of my time working with JavaScript, PHP, and HTML5. I’ve been a WordPress developer for 5 years now and over the past year have been working a lot with HTML5, NodeJS and sprinkles of CSS3. New and open sources web technologies make me super excited and I can’t wait to see whats to come of the web in the next few years.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “All of the best things in my life are because of the community that surrounds them. With a group of people that are passionate about a certain topic, it fosters a community that allows for learning, sharing of knowledge and growth. I believe that sharing what you know with others is one of the best way to not only improve the community but also improve upon your skills. I’ve never taken a formal web development or design course and I haven’t read very many books. Everything I’ve learned comes from seemingly total strangers who offer up their time to help others learn. Passing this knowledge on is the obvious next step.”
Gavin Smith (@gavinsmith | http://gavinsmith.me )
Lead Front End Developer at Jet Cooper
What are you passionate about? “Building interfaces and functional user experiences.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Heather attended one of Jet Cooper’s Show and Tell sessions – Kept an eye on it since then!”
Avery Swartz (@AverySwartz | http://averyswartz.com/ )
Independent Web Designer and Front-End Developer
What are you passionate about? “Professionally, I’m most passionate about helping my clients understand the web. And making kickass websites for them. Personally, I’m most passionate about my family (including my baby girl!) and travel.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I want to see more women in technology! I’m often lonely as the only girl in the room. I’ve also heard that the Ladies Learning Code events are lots of fun, so I want to join in and meet new people.”
Mohammad Jangda (@mjangdar | http://digitalize.ca )
I wrangle code and provide support for VIP developers on WordPress.com at Automattic
What are you passionate about? “Finding new challenges and finding ways to overcome them.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “We need more women in tech. Without them, we miss out on much. Plus, coding is fun. Teaching people to code is even more fun!”
Jenny Zhang (@phirephoenix | http://www.phirephoenix.com )
Auditor at Big Accounting Firm
What are you passionate about? “Writing about everything and anything that interests me – this includes silly stories, attempts at novels, and most recently, lengthy blog posts about social issues and the role of technology in our lives.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I dabble in web development beceause I find coding and building a page from scratch to be really rewarding, and I’d like to help bring that experience to other women who may not have thought to get involved in something like this otherwise. Also, I would really like to meet other likeminded geeks who could help me along in my attempts to learn more code myself.”
Damyan Petkov (@damyanmp | www.damyanpetkov.com | www.damyanphotography.com)
Software Developer at Ryerson Digital Media Zone
What are you passionate about? “Beautiful design and Photography.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I decided to help out because I believe that there is an existing gap between software developers and other industries. There is a certain stigma associated with developers and I would like to change that.”
Kandirra Wilson (@kandirra | http://www.kandirra.com)
Program Coordinator: Web design, project coordination, communications, multi-media production in support of professional development programs at the Centre for the Support of Teaching, York University.
What are you passionate about? “Creative means of communication. I’m an ideas person.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I decided to get involved because of my love for making connections, networking, and creating community support that facilitates learning and knowledge sharing; something we are most in need of in an industry where women are under-represented.”
Peter Newhook (@p337er | http://peternewhook.com)
Business Analyst at Cineplex Entertainment “I split my time between automating forms and workflows using SharePoint and designing reports and visualizations that provide new ways to look at numbers.”
What are you passionate about? “Making enterprise software usable and enjoyable. When I’m not in front of a monitor, I’m finding a way to get on a bike.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Women are going to look at problems differently than men will, and come up with different solutions. As an industry we need more well trained women writing code.”
Vanda Marasan (@vandamar | http://vandamar.com)
Graphic Designer & Art Direction
What are you passionate about? ”I have many loves, including design, development and business. I am always excited to meet good people and have interesting conversations.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I feel there is a lack of women leaders and mentors in the web design and tech industries, and I would like to help close the gap.”
Nadine Lessio (http://nadinelessio.com/)
Freelancer – Designing websites for mostly independent creatives
What are you passionate about? ”Cycling / Architecture / Travel”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I wanted to give something back and help people get started.”
Gabriel Mansour (@gabrielmansour | http://gabrielmansour.com/ )
Freelance Web Designer & Developer
What are you passionate about? “Web Standards. Ruby is also pretty darn fun. And Improv (not technology-related, but hey).”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I think LLC’s a fantastic initiative and I want to see more ladies getting involved in the tech space, or at least learning how to write program, and it’s not as daunting as it may appear.”
Dwayne Forde (@dwayneforde )
Software Architect at Xtreme Labs
What are you passionate about? “Coding Creating innovative software that pushes technology past its limits and encourages innovation.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I like teaching people who are willing to learn. I usually take any chance I can get to teach/learn someone something new.”
Ivonne Karamoy (@ivonnekn | http://ivonnekaramoy.com)
Freelance Designer and Developer (art direction, graphic design, web/interactive/UI/UX design & development, illustration)
What are you passionate about? “Great design in any shape or form, using technology and design to enrich a person’s experience, collaboration and learning in technology and creativity in all forms. I’m also passionate about travelling, good food, and my relationship with others, especially my family and friends.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I stumbled upon Ladies Learning Code and thought it was such a great idea, I bookmarked it. Shortly after I read some articles about the shortage of females in technology programs and positions and I thought that was unfortunate. I remember being one of a handful of women in my Computer Science program but I thought things had progressed since. That’s when I knew I had to get involved with LLC. I also like that at it’s core, it’s about people in the industry (male or female) helping women who are willing to learn and have a craving for it.”
Anne Thomas (@AlfalfaAnne | annethomasdesign.com)
Front-End Web Developer at Grip Limited
What are you passionate about? “UX Design / WordPress / Horses.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Love the idea / Love to help / Love to meet awesome people.”
Linn Øyen Farley (@Linndelicate | http://drollic.net)
Freelance web designer – Building websites from scratch for a variety of fellow freelancers, small businesses and arts workers
What are you passionate about? “Empowering website owners to get their hands dirty with their own sites (and I often use WordPress as a means to that end!). On my free time: theatre tech of all kinds.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I had a fantastic time at the Ruby workshop as a learner, and jumped at the chance to help out with a subject I work with on a daily basis. I’m entirely self-taught and owe a lot to the amazing web community for that, so I’m excited for the opportunity to start paying it forward.”
Conrad Muad (@radicalradical | http://www.radicalradical.com/)
Independent Contractor – Web Developer, front end and server side
What are you passionate about? “Usability, user experience, ease of use.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “It is awesome ”
Ameena Philips (@ameenaphilips | ameenaphilips.com)
Php Web Developer (html emails, landing pages, blogs) at WebCanada Inc.
What are you passionate about? “Web development and yes, WordPress!”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Being the only female web developer at my company, I’m lonely and would love to see more women out there. Also, I’m very excited about helping someone else have fun with web development.”
Andy McIlwain (@andymci | http://www.andymci.com)
In-house Web Specialist at Quartet Service Inc.
What are you passionate about? “Entrepreneurship!”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I love WordPress, and I love introducing others to WordPress. It’s an amazing tool.”
Cristina Graci (@Cryssi996 | http://www.obsessivecompulsive.me)
Project Manager at TPM Communications – Managing the production of websites and multimedia projects for Toyota Canada Inc.
What are you passionate about? “I am passionate about technology and figuring out how things work. I love learning new things and it amazes me that a simple google search can be the greatest teacher. Over the last year I’ve also mixed in crafts/fashion into my passion, and I’ve recently become a little obsessive over nail art.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I originally wanted to attend the WordPress session because it seemed like a great way to meet people with similar interests and motivate me to start developing as a hobby again. Once I found out that I was better suited as a mentor, I jumped at the opportunity. With mentoring I get the added bonus of helping people become passionate about the web, and facing their development fears.”
Emir Hasanbegovic (@PhiGammEmir | http://www.emirweb.com)
Agile Engineer at Xtreme Labs Inc.
This is Emir’s 3rd time instructing Ladies Learning Code!
What are you passionate about? “I am all about developing core infrastructures that can be used as tools over and over again. Building stronger application cores allows for better end-user experience and development tools. I love to look at technology from the inside out.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I strongly believe in the power of learning. Learning is super, super fun and I want to help others have the same experience with learning technology as I have.”
Gavin Lobo (http://www.rabidgeek.net)
University of Ontario Institute of Technology, grad student, research assistant, tutorial instructor
This is Gavin’s 3rd time instructing Ladies Learning Code!
What are you passionate about? “Teaching, Science, Mathematics and Programming”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Coding is so much fun! More women should get involved!”
Laurie M. Rauch (@lauriemrauch | http://www.lauriemrauch.com)
Owner and Chief Code Nerd at Elle Media
This is Laurie’s 2nd time instructing Ladies Learning Code!
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code?
What are you passionate about? “I am passionate about good, semantic, valid code. There’s something just so awesome about how a couple of lines of code can so dramatically transform a site and make it come together the way you want it to. Though I’ve also been known to get a little passionate about my TV, a cute purse, or the perfect pair of shoes. ”
Ibrahim Muhammad (@ibrahimm | http://www.ibslab.me)
Ruby on Rails Developer at StokFridge
What are you passionate about? “It is fun to teach and meet people who like technology.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I am really passionate about building things, whether its robots, aircrafts, websites or applications.”
These people make us so very happy
We are excited to see some of our Ladies Learning Code friends this Saturday.
For more info about Ladies Learning Code, follow us on Twitter or check out our Facebook Page. If you’d like to join our email list, click here or to volunteer as a Mentor, join our developer email list