Karlie Kloss on Motherhood, Career Pivots, and Empowering Women in Tech

Motherhood and Career Balance

• 🤰 Motherhood has been a forcing function for prioritization, helping Karlie Kloss focus on what truly matters amidst a busy career.
• ⚖️ She acknowledges there's no perfect formula for balance, emphasizing the daily effort to show up for loved ones while managing professional ambitions.
• 🤝 A supportive partner is crucial, with her husband, Josh, acting as a champion for her ambition and a mirror during her adjustment to motherhood.

Transitioning from Modeling to Entrepreneurship

• 🌟 Karlie Kloss began her career at 15, initially feeling like a child pretending to be an adult, and later became a Victoria's Secret Angel.
• 🚶‍♀️ She made the bold decision to walk away from modeling in her early 20s, seeking more intentionality in her public projection and a desire to represent her authentic self.
• 📚 This pivot led her to study feminist theory at NYU, deepening her understanding of culture, imagery, and their impact on society, particularly young women.

Empowering Women in STEM with Kode With Klossy

• 💡 Inspired by her own journey and the realization of her platform's influence, Karlie founded Kode With Klossy in 2015.
• 💻 The initiative aims to increase access to computer science education for young women, with 70% of its alumni majoring or minoring in the field, compared to the national average of 4% for women.
• 🚀 The program has grown significantly, offering 3,000 scholarships this summer alone and impacting over 11,000 young women globally, with a strong focus on women of color and those from lower-income backgrounds.

Investing and Media Ventures

• 💰 Karlie Kloss has been an angel investor since her early 20s, focusing on women-led, mission-driven brands, and sees entrepreneurship as a way to solve problems sustainably.
• 📰 She has ventured into publishing, acquiring iconic magazines like i-D and W, aiming to reimagine their business models for the digital age while preserving their core DNA.
• 🤝 Her approach to investing and business is guided by principles, focusing on impact, access to opportunity, and supporting ventures that align with her values.

Navigating Underestimation and Personal Growth

• 🗣️ Despite her success, Karlie Kloss has frequently been underestimated, a feeling she has learned to navigate by trusting her own voice and instincts.
• ⏳ With time, age, and motherhood, she has developed a greater sense of self-assurance, no longer placing significant weight on external perceptions.
• 🌟 Key lessons learned include trusting her instincts, making choices on her own terms, and valuing punctuality and presence in both personal and professional life.