The thing is thinking about giving back. Outside of the normal workday, we have people that are working within different groups. For example, teachers at schools, part of a program called Girls Who Code. That for us is a great way to not only put our brand out there, but to really start tapping into potential at an earlier age. It also helps foster women in technology at an age where they are starting to really think about what they want to be when they grow up. It showcases that coding is really powerful and there is a lot that you can do with it (it just doesn’t just fall into like one area). There is a whole spectrum of industries that really require people to understand how to program. I feel that having people, specifically people at BuzzFeed, working with people at that young age can help plant those seeds into these young individuals and helps really see that this is a career opportunity that they can grow in. I feel like having it at a younger age is where we need to really start.

People have access to a lot of different accelerated programs (short term programs that allow them to change their careers and get into technology). We’ve been able to tap into some of these programs at Buzzfeed and have been able to provide individuals opportunities within BuzzFeed to test new careers out. It’s like hey, maybe this person came from a background that had nothing to do with technology, but they have an interest and aptitude. For example, we have a Senior Software Engineer here who started out as a Wine Sommelier. Today, she is probably one of our best engineers, and she brings a lot to the table. Some of these traditional backgrounds are just not always going to be there and people should be okay with that.