Scaling local to global support: Technovation Girls
Shopify x Technovation Girls
During my tenure at Shopify, I spearheaded a strategic partnership with Technovation Girls, empowering girls around the world to solve problems in their community using technology.
We reduced barriers and built for the long term, while positioning Shopify as a strong advocate for tech and entrepreneurship education around the world.
Key achievements and impact data that showcase the success of our collaboration:
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Local to Global Scale
Developed and scaled the partnership from hyper local engagement in 1 city to global reach in 6 countries across 4 continents.
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Impactful Volunteering by Shopify Employees
Developed a global volunteer strategy in order to engage hundreds of Shopify employees annually.
Shopifolk collectively contributed 7,500+ volunteer hours to support and mentor Technovation Girls participants.
These volunteers reported leveling up their skills and experiencing an increased sense of belonging through their involvement.
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Engaged 15,000 girls
Our partnership directly engaged nearly 15,000 youth in 6 countries, providing them with the necessary skills and resources to affect change in their communities with technology.
Technovation Germany Girls' Day Event @ Shopify's Berlin Office
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Early Talent Hires
Built a successful early talent pipeline from Technovation into Shopify.
Intended as a longterm strategy, we saw early wins as 17+ alumnae from the Technovation program were accepted into Shopify’s competitive Dev Degree program within a few years, showcasing the potential and caliber of participants from our partnership.
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From IRL to Virtual
Developed and implemented the Technovation Girls Ontario pilot program, a successful virtual-learning pilot that sought to address many of the obstacles and shortcomings associated with education during a global pandemic.
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Events & Activations
In collaboration with local Technovation chapters, we organized and hosted 50+ in-office events, inviting teams of girls to learn from Shopify speakers and meet mentors, fostering a supportive and inspiring environment for their growth.
Program Highlights Video Across 4 Canadian Cities at Shopify
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Technovation Girls Receive Accreditation
Partnered with uOttawa to offer girls a course through the Faculty of Engineering Secondary School, an accredited Ontario high school.
This unique setup allows those taking the Technovation course to get credits toward their high school diploma, making this option even more accessible.
This partnership provided an innovative approach to increasing the likelihood of girls entering computer science classes in high school.
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Hardware Donations
To ensure access to necessary resources, we donated laptops and other hardware to Technovation Girls across 9 countries, bridging the digital divide and enabling more youth to participate in the program.
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Storytelling
Brought together Shopify’s communication teams on a variety of social campaigns with Technovation to highlight the voices of women in tech.
Collaborated with Technovation alumnae who are now working at Shopify to tell the story of their journey into tech.
This was a critical piece of our partnership — Shopify had some incredible women in engineering, design, data science, product management, etc., etc. — and it was up to us to make sure that these girls heard from them and understood that they could do those roles too!
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Partnership Featured at the UN Transforming Education Summit
In 2022, our partnership and the positive impact it has created were recognized and featured at the UN Transforming Education Summit, further solidifying Shopify's commitment to empowering youth through education.
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World Summit Impact
Technovation's World Summit is where girls, technology, entrepreneurship, and social good intersect.
Shopify’s partnership provided funding, keynote speakers, technical workshops, women in leadership panelists, c-suite involvement via judging, and more!
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Launched Career Summit
In partnership with Technovation, we launched the inaugural Alumnae Career Summit in 2022 — an exclusive event, where program alumnae can connect with their peers, industry professionals, and recruiters from today's biggest companies.