Meet Lyndsey Scott: Model, Actress And App Developer

By Vanna Le 

Lyndsey Scott is a 29-year-old stunner who cracks computer codes…and stereotypes. When she started her education in theater and computer science at Amherst College, Scott found love in programming, a TI-89 graphing calculator — and, eventually, the runway.

Since being discovered on the Internet by a modeling agency, the 5’9 coding queen has modeled for big names like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Diane von Fürstenberg, Victoria’s Secret and Gucci. One of her first big meetings was with Calvin Klein, who booked her on the spot and gave her an exclusive contract.

Building her modeling portfolio isn’t a full-time career, though. During Scott’s spare time, she makes apps. Her most popular app is the iPort. Originally used to create professional portfolios by models, it is now used by actors, writers, directors, and even architects. 

“I wanted to find a beautiful way to display my work using an app. With iPort, you can also added videos, which is something a traditional portfolio can’t do,” Says Scott. “Now, I’m focusing on one of iOS 7′s hidden gems: the iBeacon.” 

Over the past few months, she’s been increasingly embedded into the world of tech, but still moonlights as a model, which Scott claims is a job that requires more than just a symmetrical face. 

“Models are way smarter than people give them credit for,” she said. “Imagine getting dropped off in Paris at 15; you’re given a mad, and you must navigate on your own. Most of us can speak multiple languages. These are very young, worldly girls.” 

The self-proclaimed computer geek has accomplished enough to crush stereotypes about models. Many of them are lodged too deeply in our minds: long limbs, good hair, no brains. All of these are despairingly untrue, but they aren’t as concerning to Scott. Many models leave their countries at 13 or 14, she says, and it’s an industry issue that is rarely discussed. 

Another matter is race: “As an African-American woman, I can walk into a room and automatically be told by casting folks that they already have black models. Models have very little control over agencies.” 

But education and confidence is the key to illuminating society, and Scott is determined to change the way women are perceived in professions that are unfriendly to women. “A lot of people have a very particular and narrow-minded idea of how people in technology should look,” says Scott, “and it’s highly destructive.” When she isn’t modeling or teaching herself coding tricks, Scott speaks at schools and meets with young women interested in pursuing a career in computer programming.