Chelsea Oswald: From Scribbles to Success
Chelsea is a charismatic 19-year-old from Toronto, Canada who volunteers her time teaching technology skills to children in her community.
As a child I always had a huge imagination. I stayed up long past my bedtime daydreaming and scribbled down ideas in notebooks that I still have today. My dad’s career as an entrepreneur has been a large contributor in molding my drive and passions. He has always told me I can do anything that I put my mind to; he encouraged the wildest ideas. We often developed mock up business plans over our travels, car rides, and dinners together. Although growing up I often let fear steer me away from what I really wanted, I knew there was something inside of me itching to get out. I did not truly embrace this until I got older and, honestly, no longer cared what people would think. Whatever the issue, I believed in bigger and better, and I wanted to get my hands dirty as soon as possible. After high school, I started at Dalhousie University, but my gut was constantly telling me “this is not where you’re supposed to be”. I left school after my first year and came home ready to kick into high gear. I began volunteering a lot with children and taught code to kids in TDSB schools with a company called Hatch. I came to the conclusion I could probably do this myself. All thanks to my mom, I am super independent and I saw it as my next challenge. I created The Computer Kids, which was truly just a website and some business cards from Vista Print that I used as a platform to reach girls in my neighborhood who were interested in being coached on HTML & CSS. This was my first project and it was an amazing experience to not only teach but to learn from these interactions.
Currently, I work full time at a digital startup, Hilborn Digital, in search engine optimization and web development for small businesses. I also work as a brand ambassador at various events around Toronto for Fuse Marketing Group. Just recently, I launched RadKid- creative workshops for young game changers- that will start July 15th with Design Thinking + Leadership Skills for girls. This workshop is powered by the Girls Driving for a Difference teaching toolkit. As previously mentioned, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Dalhousie University. However, I found that the traditional methods of teaching/learning Computer Science at a university did not resonate personally, nor were they as creative as I would have liked. I have now spent the past year attending George Brown College as a part time student. I find that the practical, hands-on experience and the relatable lectures are the most motivational way for me to learn. Because tech moves so fast, I find that through intense, shortened courses I can be exposed more readily to the quickly evolving world of tech.
Volunteering through different programs involving children and technology gives me an opportunity to be devoted to a cause that’s close to my heart while spreading my passion to others. One of my goals in life is to positively interact with as many people as I can and thus far, volunteering has served as a way of doing so.
I’d like to name some of my biggest inspirations to date who I’ve continuously looked up to throughout my personal and career development.
- Brian Wong: Canadian Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of Kipp
I read his book, “The Cheat Code,” and saw him speak at OCAD University last year. Brian’s energy is so fresh, awakening and addicting that I think it is almost impossible to turn him down from a business standpoint.
2. Melissa Sariffodeen: Co-founder of Ladies Learning Code
One of the best organizations in my mind; Ladies Learning code is a program I have been fortunate enough to take part in through mentoring, volunteering, and attending one of their first ever teen coding programs. Their latest initiative Canada Learning Code will drive the development and implementation of an action plan to create 10 million meaningful technology education experiences for Canadians over the next 10 years. Ladies learning code is truly changing the future of women and technology.
3. My Dad, Dr. Chris Oswald: President of CFFHP, CEO of MuscleCare, and Founder of JustStretch
My dad has taught me to make the most of your time on this planet, don’t stress the small things, and most importantly, stay hungry.
Starting with mentors, I believe that there is a confidence that comes from a strong professional relationship with someone whom you admire and respect. Secondly, easier access to people from different demographics, whom I, as a creator, could observe for research and product development purposes.
I hope that with Catalyst I will be able to reach a community of like-minded Changemakers, potential business partners, and friends who I can ultimately collaborate with to develop awareness and solutions to issues in Canada that I feel are important to myself, women and our country as a whole. This includes bringing attention to the lack of women in STEM and gender diversity issues in the technology sector, as well as bringing light to organizations that provide schools with tools they need to excel in these areas, such as access to Wi-Fi and computers.
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Want to reach out to Chelsea? Send her a message via Linked In.
