Charlotte Lopez, a Viz Artist Designer and Developer, at Corus Entertainment who creates graphics for clients like Disney and Teletoon, reflects on her success after attending Lighthouse Labs coding bootcamp.

Mediaplanet: What inspired you to pursue a career in STEM?

Charlotte Lopez: My mom is a chemist and my dad is an engineer. Growing up under their influence, I gained an appreciation for being not only a consumer of technology but a builder of technology as well.

MP: What excites you most about the industry you’re currently in?

CL: I’m excited about the future and innovation of broadcasting and web. My goal is to combine what I learned from live broadcasting, design, animation, and web into one. I’m very fortunate that I’m in a company that encourages me to do that. I work with a wonderful creative director and fantastic team members who are smart, innovative, and supportive. I’m so fortunate I get to design, animate, and code at work. I always think to myself, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do this!”

MP: What advice would you give other women looking to break into Toronto’s tech scene?

CL: Be excited about the various avenues and opportunities available! Learn how to code and don’t let yourself get discouraged by anyone. There will always be that small number of people who are negative about the role of women in tech, but from my experience it’s a very small number in Toronto. I agree that there is a diversity issue, but I would rather be a developer in Toronto than anywhere else right now.