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Stephanie Harris
Stephanie Harris

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Nevertheless, Steph Harris Coded

I began coding because...

Put simply, I desperately wanted to be able to build things - to make my ideas real. I'm also just the type of person who needs to understand why and how things work.

I love the art of creating and part of that, for me, is having working knowledge of every stage in the process. I spent years as a digital product designer, scratching the surface without any real depth of understanding for the foundation of it all. Eventually, I had to scratch the itch. Then, that itch became a rash... and now? I need more arms.

I'm currently hacking on...

Right now I'm working diligently to launch a volunteer opportunity aggregator in the 5 boroughs called BeGood.NYC. It's a RESTful web application- the stack is 100% JavaScript (Node/Sequelize/React).

It's my passion project, my baby and a concept very much born out of my own struggle to find opportunity in areas I care about.

I feel very strongly that in a world full of drone-delivery services and self-driving cars finding opportunities to do good and 'be good' shouldn't prove such a challenge. My goal is to empower others... to empower others and just get people excited about giving back!

I'm excited about...

I'm really excited about inclusive design, web accessibility and leveraging technology to effectuate positive social impact.

The web is such an incredible tool- perhaps the most democratized form of communicating relevant information- and I feel a sense of responsibility, particularly in this current political climate, to use it for good.

I'm inspired to be part of this paradigm shift I interpret as a 'civically engaged movement' grounded in social consciousness - specifically as it relates to tech. It's time to shake things up!

My advice for other women who code is...

At the risk of sounding like a Tumblr account, I'd just say be kind to yourself - embrace what you have to offer and what makes you awesome/unique/weird/different. Don't be afraid to speak up or ask 'dumb questions' - especially in the beginning.

And in those moments of glory, however short-lived, when you're feeling on top of the world - channeling Beyonce, as we do, take an extra second to reflect on how you got there/who helped you get there and make a conscious effort to show gratitude by lifting others up, as well. No one comes out of the womb programming (although, admittedly, that would be amaaazing... I think this might be meme material?).

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