Bloom

Bloom - Title Card
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Inspiration 👩‍🎓

As women in technology, we were inspired to create Bloom after experiencing firsthand the challenges of being severely underrepresented in the industry. Stepping into our first technological jobs, we were struck by the stark reality of often being the only women in the room. Women make up just 26.7% of the tech workforce, with even lower percentages in leadership roles. For women of color and underrepresented genders, the numbers are even more sobering. These experiences made us acutely aware of the need for a supportive community tailored specifically for women in technology. We envisioned a space where we could connect with others who understood our unique challenges and find the encouragement to thrive in this male-dominated field. Bloom was born from this vision! It's a place where we can share experiences, mentor each other, and access opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.

What it does 💻

The Bloom website features Skill Swap, a Tinder-like experience for professional networking. Users can match with others based on skills, interests, and career goals, creating monthly pairings for peer learning. Additionally, the Connect feature allows users to directly connect with experienced professionals in the area who can offer tailored advice. These tools help users build meaningful relationships that can significantly boost their careers in the technology industry.

How we built it 👾

We built Bloom using a combination of web technologies. HTML was used to create user profiles and networking features. CSS was applied for responsive layout and branding. JavaScript powered interactive elements like connection requests, messaging, and form validation. This tech stack allowed us to create a user-friendly, visually appealing platform that supports Bloom's core features and enhances the user experience.

Challenges we ran into 🤔

We encountered challenges with PropelAuth, which was not functioning as expected for profile authentication. Since it was a new platform for us, we faced difficulties in implementing it, despite our strong desire to utilize it for our users.

Accomplishments that we're proud of 🚀

We take immense pride in several key accomplishments that highlight our journey with Bloom, including introducing the Skill Swap feature. This Tinder-like experience for professional networking allows users to engage in peer learning, significantly enhancing their skills and career prospects.

What we learned 🧠

Through the process of creating Bloom, we gained valuable insights into both technical and interpersonal aspects of building a platform for women in technology. This experience enhanced our proficiency in web development technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The challenges we faced, particularly with PropelAuth, taught us the importance of adaptability and problem-solving when working with new tools. Additionally, we learned the critical importance of designing with our target audience in mind. By focusing on the specific needs of women in tech, we created features that directly address the challenges they face in the industry.

What's next for Bloom 🌸

We would like to have a forum for user-generated posts for sharing experiences and achievements. We would also like to implement liking and commenting functionality within this forum to encourage interaction!