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History
đź’Ś Director's Note: From Volunteer to Community InnovatorÂ
Time flies. What began two years ago as a simple volunteer effort to teach basic Python in a local financial literacy class has evolved into something far beyond my expectations. As a Staff Data Scientist, my nights and weekends quickly transformed into a mission: how do we deconstruct high-level, university-grade technology stacks and algorithms into concepts that Grade 7 students can deeply understand and, more importantly, enjoy?
Alongside my incredible co-mentors, Steve and Yongzhen, we have been charting new territory with an exceptional group of kids. We aren't just teaching syntax; we are using coding as a tool to unlock advanced algorithmic thinking, problem-solving, and financial data analysis.
Seeing our members take the Python and data analysis skills we taught them to build their own Tableau dashboards—sourcing their own data and delivering professional-grade presentations—has been the highlight of my year. I couldn't be more proud to say that these middle schoolers have already surpassed the visualization and presentation skills I had in university.
HaloData is built on the belief that youth can master complex logic early. As we look to the future, I will continue to enjoy this process, and my ultimate hope is that our students always enjoy coding, digging for insights, critical thinking, and the teamwork that makes it all possible.
Jonathan WangÂ
Founder & Lead Mentor, HaloData Coding & Innovation Centre
Who we are
Who we are
👨‍🏫 Meet the Team: Industry Experts & Youth Leaders
Jonathan Wang
Jonathan Wang
Founder & Lead Mentor
Founder & Lead Mentor
Jonathan brings over 15 years of industry experience in Machine Learning, Business Intelligence, and LLM-based predictive modeling. With a Master's in Computer Software Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology, Jonathan's passion lies in translating complex, university-grade algorithms into engaging, interactive logic challenges for youth. At HaloData, he leads the curriculum design, ensuring that every student learns to view coding not just as typing syntax, but as a powerful tool for solving real-world data problems.
Joyce Zhao
Joyce Zhao
Co-Founder & Technical MentorÂ
Joyce is an expert in enterprise-level software architecture, specializing in AI application frameworks, distributed systems, and backend development (Python, Java, Kubernetes). Also holding a Master's in Computer Science from Harbin Institute of Technology, Joyce spent over a decade developing advanced healthcare workflows and AI tools at IBM before joining Domino Data Lab. At HaloData, she is the technical backbone, ensuring our members learn industry-standard coding practices and robust software engineering principles from day one.
Yifan Yang
Yifan Yang
Director & Financial MentorÂ
Yifan is a distinguished financial leader with over 15 years of experience in corporate financial planning and strategic analysis within Canada’s top financial institutions. Holding a Master of Management from the University of Windsor and a CPA/FCCA designation, Yifan specializes in financial modeling, cost optimization, and data-informed decision-making. At HaloData, Yifan mentors our members on the intersection of finance and technology, providing them with the professional frameworks used by the world’s leading banks to analyze complex business cases and multi-year strategic initiatives.
Lancy Wang
Lancy Wang
Lead Teaching Assistant
Lancy is the living proof of HaloData’s methodology and our most vital link to the student body. As a top-tier competitor, she has achieved Honor Roll status in the Canadian Computing Competition (CCC). Beyond coding, she recently secured 2nd Place Nationally in Creative Problem Solving at the 2026 HOSA Canada Spring Leadership Conference. Lancy provides peer-to-peer guidance, inspires our younger Grade 7-9 members, and demonstrates the immense leadership potential of youth in STEM.Â
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