The Bad Academy
When Amanda Kao moved to Vancouver more than ten years ago, she was searching for connection. That search led her to start The Bad Academy, a community-driven learning space where women and gender non-conforming folks come together to try new skills, embrace being “bad” at them, and discover the magic of doing it all together.
In our latest At the Heart of Community feature, we sat down with Amanda to talk about the origins of Bad Academy, what community means to her, and her excitement for an upcoming collaboration with She Summits and Two Rivers Meats.
Photo Credit: Sid Baar of Say Hey Studio
What inspired you to start Bad Academy?
When I first moved to Vancouver, I really wanted to make friends who were women. The easiest way I knew how was to go to workshops. I took embroidery, weaving, flower arranging, wreath making - you name it. I probably did a dozen of them.
They were fun, but I realized I was in my mid-20s and didn’t know how to do things like change a tire or skateboard. There were all these skills I wanted to learn but didn’t know where to go. And I wanted to be taught by women, because their perspective was closer to what I needed.
That’s when I thought - what if I ran a limited series of workshops on the things I wanted to learn? I started with cars, money, and weed.
My background definitely helped - back in university, I was president of the student union, which meant planning events and negotiating contracts with artists at a young age. I also studied film and costume design. But I didn’t launch Bad Academy to make money, I just wanted to learn.
When I put on our first workshop, Car Maintenance 101, it sold out in two hours. That was in 2019. Six years later, we’ve run over 350 workshops. Two years ago, I left my HR and operations career in tech and social change to run Bad Academy full time.
How do you define community?
To me, the meaning of life is feeling like you belong. That’s what most people are searching for - whether platonically or romantically.
For women, especially, the patriarchy thrives on keeping us separated. But when we gather, we’re so much more powerful. There’s something extremely magical when we’re in the same room together, without the weight of the patriarchy.
In Bad Academy workshops, you get to feel like a kid again - laughing hysterically, trying something new, and being vulnerable with others who are also trying it for the first time. It’s not just about learning a skill. It’s about watching another woman lead with expertise. That inspiration is a valuable byproduct of education.
Our name reflects that: we’re all bad at something, but we’re badass for trying.
Partnerships seem like a big part of your work. How do you approach them?
I like to seek out partnerships with people who inspire me - other community builders and organizers. I recognize my people when I see them.
These days, a lot of people also reach out to me. They get what Bad Academy is about and understand the value of how loyal our community is.
After COVID, I went through a bit of a brand identity crisis. I wondered, “Why would someone come to Bad Academy when they could just learn online?” But after talking with our community, I realized what they valued: trust.
The internet has endless information, but so much of it is garbage. People don’t always know what’s credible. At Bad Academy, they trust the instructors, the information, and the experience. We also coach our instructors to start from the very basics.
And it works - people really open up during the workshops. That’s also why we host monthly meetups like Bad Climbers and Bad Artists. It’s about education and belonging.
You have an upcoming butchery workshop with She Summits and Two Rivers. Tell us more about that.
Butchery has been something I’ve wanted to do since day one, but the logistics always felt tricky. So I’m incredibly grateful to be working with She Summits and Two Rivers on it. They’ve been so open and collaborative.
I know it might seem funny - doing a butchery workshop in a city like Vancouver that’s often associated with veganism. But to me, it’s about giving women the choice to learn what they want.
Food inspires me so much, and learning butchery from a woman butcher (Taryn Barker, owner/operator of The Little Butcher) feels even more powerful. There’s just something magical about food and community - about gathering, creating, and sharing knowledge together.
Save the Date: Join us for this Bad Academy x Two Rivers Meats butchery workshop on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 from 7-9 pm at Two Rivers in North Vancouver.
