Zola Teams Up with Black Girls CODE to Create Beautiful Holiday Cards That Give Back

Wedding conglomerate Zola is teaming up with the organization Black Girls CODE to help educate the future of the wedding industry—young women!

Black Girls CODE is an organization that educates young women of color with the goal to introduce African American youth to technology and STEM fields, and this holiday season, they’re teaming up with Zola. As a female-founded and run company, Zola was inspired to help pave a path for these young women. 

Leading up to the holidays, Zola will donate 10 percent of proceeds (up to $30,000) from their holiday card sales to BGC. And get this: the cards have all been coded by 9-14-year-old girls, taught and led by Zola engineers. By purchasing Zola’s holiday cards, you’re not only donating money to these young aspiring coders, but you’re also supporting their hard work that went into coding these cards. 

You can see your contribution first-hand through any holiday cards you purchase, which are a great way for newlyweds to commemorate their first holiday season together. Or any fun family holiday card—especially if maybe they can’t all be together this year. There are over 200 card options to choose from, so there is truly something for everyone. And incredibly affordable starting at just $0.99 a pop (which includes free addressing and shipping!), but you really can’t put a price on holiday cheer and helping young women. 

But the program doesn’t stop with the holidays—Zola and BGC have launched a long term partnership that will stretch well into 2021. Zola will participate in the Black Girls CODE 2021 mentorship program, which will teach important skills like resume building and leadership, and will also have two BGC alumni join the staff as engineering interns.

“Black Girls CODE is an incredible organization that we are absolutely thrilled to support,” says Zola CEO and Co-Founder Shan-Lyn Ma. “We’re most proud to be partnering with and supporting Black Girls CODE in a variety of ways, which includes and goes beyond our donation. Today’s younger generation spends so much time on their mobile devices, but to someday work as an iOS or Android engineer or as a product designer is not always the first career path that comes to mind for many young women. We hope that we can help to illuminate all of the endless possibilities that these girls have in front of them because they are the next generation of leaders.” 

As the world and wedding industry become increasingly influenced by technology, it is important to encourage the youth, especially young women of color, to pursue dreams and careers in the tech field.

“The long-term partnership fostered between Zola and BGC will be instrumental in eliminating socio-economic barriers that stand in the way of accessibility to STEM education and will ultimately generate pathways for youth of color to have a seat at the tech table,” says Kimberly Bryant, Founder & CEO of Black Girls CODE. “Zola's commitment to inclusion within their company and in the tech sector exemplifies the importance of corporations stepping up to the plate to change the narrative surrounding racial and gender diversity. Together, Black Girls CODE and Zola will empower the next generation of changemakers." 

So get in the holiday spirit and send out some cards to your loved ones. Brides readers can use code BRIDES50 for 50 percent off through Jan. 4, 2021. Happy shopping and happy holidays!