Meet The Team: Chaoyue Zhao, Senior Frontend Developer

Tell us a little about yourself, Chao!

Hey wonderful people! I’m Chao, who spent way too long thinking about how to answer this question.

I landed on sharing a few random facts about me: 

• I was born and raised in Beijing, China. I lived in Ottawa for 6 years. Then my big city gene kicked in and led me to Toronto, where I now call home. 
• All of my pets are furless and live in a fish tank, which means I can’t show them off on camera in virtual meetings. 
• I am a proud coding bootcamp grad!! My first-ever Javascript project was a Mondrian generator. 
• I live in Toronto and I get around the city by cycling. My boyfriend and I own 4 folding bikes, all from the exact same brand (Brompton). 
• In my previous life, I planned B2B events for a living. The very first event I planned was a fundraiser dinner for Children’s Wish Foundation. Along with a couple of my classmates, we raised over $6000 in one night. 

‍How did you first get into software development?

It all started with email HTML. Back in the days I was doing events, I faced countless issues with the styling of our event emails. Tired of waiting on hold for customer support, I decided to take matters into my own hands. With a few hours of tinkering on a Sunday morning, I discovered a whole new world.

Fast forward a few years, a friend of mine wanted to learn how to build websites. I got curious and tagged along. Little did I know, that turned into a full-time coding bootcamp and eventually a whole new career. Four years later, I'm still coding and couldn't be happier.

Why did you first join CoLab? What’s the most exciting thing about working here?

I first heard about CoLab back in 2019. Cheryl, who went to the same coding bootcamp as me, said she took a job and was moving to St.John’s from Toronto. That’s not a story you hear every day, so naturally I was intrigued. Last year I was job searching and another friend, Jen, mentioned her company was hiring — and it turned out to be CoLab! 

Seven months in, the thing that excites me is the potential to grow with CoLab. We're in the midst of a high-growth period, and the opportunities to build and create are endless. We're never afraid to explore new technologies, to innovate and experiment. The culture here is vibrant, supportive, and filled with a shared sense of purpose. It’s a team that is united by a passion for what we can achieve together, not as individuals. 

If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs—such as food and water—were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?

I am really into pottery lately. I would love to be on the island with a pottery wheel and kiln and just wheel away.