{"id":9722,"date":"2025-01-09T09:49:08","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T14:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/?p=9722"},"modified":"2025-09-16T13:53:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T17:53:15","slug":"empowering-the-next-generation-linked-program-with-shopify","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/2025\/empowering-the-next-generation-linked-program-with-shopify\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering the Next Generation: Linked> Program with Shopify"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Empowering the Next Generation: Linked> Program with Shopify\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

Since its launch in 2017, Virtual Ventures\u2019 Linked> program\u2014a groundbreaking collaboration between Virtual Ventures, BGC Ottawa<\/a> (BGCO) and Shopify<\/a>\u2014has been empowering and inspiring youth to excel in the ever-evolving world of technology. With a focus on STEM education and leadership development, Linked> fosters curiosity, skill development, and confidence in underrepresented youth, equipping them for a digital future. This program aims to provide youth with positive role models and opportunities to become leaders in STEM. All while helping them develop essential life skills such as responsibility, problem-solving, team-building, and self-management. By offering hands-on experiences with technology and sparking an interest in entrepreneurship, Linked> encourages participants to explore new interests and build valuable skills through our 2 unique programs.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linked> Classic<\/a> is a 12-week after-school program that introduces BCGO youth to the foundational concepts of STEM, focusing on computational thinking and digital skills. Participants engage in hands-on activities run by our Virtual Ventures team, while Shopify volunteers provide mentorship, sharing their technical knowledge and inspiring young learners to dream big in the tech world. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linked> Leaders, targeted at older BGCO youth, is an 8-week program emphasizing leadership and skill development. Participants are trained to deliver STEM activities to younger club members, gaining employment and leadership experience in the process with the help of our team. This versatile initiative not only fosters leadership in older youth but also introduces younger members to the vast opportunities within the STEM landscape.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Mentor\u2019s Perspective<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To shed light on what it means to be a Linked> mentor and a role model for youth, Charles and Sofia from Shopify share their <\/span>personal experiences<\/span> as Shopify volunteers.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles Bougard<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Charles Bougard, a Retail Technical Merchant Support at Shopify and former Linked> mentor reflects on his journey into the technology industry:<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/span>I wanted to be in a career\/workplace that moved fast and seeks to push the envelope of what’s possible. For \u2018Why Shopify\u2019, it was to be around a community of individuals who seek constant personal and professional growth, shying away from the Status Quo as much as possible.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles\u2019 involvement in Linked> was pivotal in his decision to continue his journey with Shopify. <\/span>His passion for giving back is deeply rooted in his own experiences, having spent eight years working in public libraries, being exposed to technology in his teens through his summer camp experience at VV, and mentoring youth through Linked> programming. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles saw firsthand how low digital literacy can limit people\u2019s ability to navigate the digital landscape. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cF<\/span>rom an early age, I wanted to give that gift to our next generation so that they can grow an engineering\/tech friendly mindset to carry through their lives, whether they pursue tech \/ STEM life objectives or otherwise\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Charles now works at Shopify, s<\/span>pecializing in providing technical support for POS software and hardware solutions.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sofia <\/span><\/span>Qureshi<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Sofia, a Computer Science student at Carleton University, is currently working at Shopify as a Dev Degree Intern in Infrastructure Engineering.<\/span> Her journey into the STEM field was unexpected as she had the opportunity to participate in <\/span>the CDL Apprentice Program at the University of Toronto\u2019s Rotman School of Management, where she was exposed to emerging technologies and inspiring conversations, including one with the founder of Hackergal:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere, I met the founder of Hackergal who had an inspiring conversation with us apprentices, which later became my initial catalyst for continuing to explore more opportunities in technology and coding.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Sofia, the Linked> program resonates with her own transformative experiences as a mentor, and as a student in the STEM faculty. By utilizing her experiences mentoring in Linked>, she hopes to pay it forward, creating opportunities for youth to explore the possibilities within tech.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt is very important for me to give back through initiatives like Linked> because similar programs opened the doors to introducing me to STEM and to my current career path, which I might not have pursued otherwise.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Role models play a crucial role in our Linked> programs, inspiring youth to explore new possibilities and reach their full potential. By connecting underrepresented youth with mentors who share their knowledge, experiences, and passion for STEM, these programs help create a supportive environment where children and teens can envision their own success in the tech world. These role models provide guidance and motivation and demonstrate that with determination and the right opportunities, any goal is within reach.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By: Emily D\u2019Alessandro<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since its launch in 2017, Virtual Ventures\u2019 Linked> program\u2014a groundbreaking collaboration between Virtual Ventures, BGC Ottawa (BGCO) and Shopify\u2014has been empowering and inspiring youth to excel in the ever-evolving world of technology. With a focus on STEM education and leadership development, Linked> fosters curiosity, skill development, and confidence in underrepresented youth, equipping them for a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-vv-daily"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9722"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9734,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9722\/revisions\/9734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/vv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}