SHAYLA GLOADE was born in Cape Breton and is a member of Millbrook First Nation in Nova Scotia. She lived in Nova Scotia until she was 12, then moved to Saskatchewan, where she graduated from Campbell Collegiate High School. After high school, Shayla pursued post-secondary education at Toronto Film School. 

Upon completing her education, Shayla became interested in pursuing remote work opportunities and aimed to gain more experience in this field. One day, during a phone call with her brother, she learned about his positive experience as a former IndigiTECH graduate. Her brother explained how the program offered skill-building, focused on empowering Indigenous Peoples, and included a remote internship component. This conversation sparked Shayla’s interest, and she decided to learn more about IndigiTECH on the official Indigenous Friends Association (IFA) website. Inspired by the internship aspect and the opportunity to reconnect with Indigenous Peoples and her community, Shayla signed up.

During her time in IndigiTECH, Shayla built upon the coding skills she had acquired during her post-secondary education. She credits the program for allowing participants to choose between foundational and advanced modules, which helped her expand her skillset and boosted her confidence in her coding abilities. Additionally, through art classes led by Tsista, Shayla explored various methods of creating art, including traditional techniques, which helped to expand her creative skills further. By collaborating on multiple projects with fellow program participants, she also honed her communication skills through effective teamwork and group interactions. One memorable group project Shayla worked on during IndigiTECH, focused on highlighting the lack of access to clean drinking water in various Indigenous communities across the country. Through video calls and Slack messaging, Shayla and her peers developed a mock application called Water Reflections, aimed at raising awareness about the water crisis. The team created a high-fidelity prototype of the application on FIGMA, showcasing its design and functionality. This project was particularly impactful for the group, as it allowed them to address a critical issue affecting many Indigenous communities and develop a meaningful solution for a cause close to their hearts.  

Upon completing IndigiTECH, Shayla began an internship with York University as a Video Editor. She collaborated with the project manager on a York University-funded initiative called Creative Space: Precarious Status Women Leading Local Pandemic Responses. In her role, she sharpened her video editing skills by learning Adobe Premiere Pro. Throughout her internship, Shayla created video content for multiple projects, ensuring a cohesive feel across all videos. Currently, she is still working with York University on the Creative Space project. 

In the near future, Shayla aims to leverage the knowledge and skills she gained from IndigiTECH to create a one-week workshop for youth on reserves. She plans to teach them about tech, how to get involved, and the flexibility of remote work. Her ambition is to provide the same opportunities for growth and development that she experienced, empowering the next generation of Indigenous youth to pursue their interests in technology and remote work.