10 WOMEN GLOBALLY CHANGING THE TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE

Before the year 1974, women were considered little more than trophies to be decorated at various homes, with no mind of their own, no power to own tangible properties in their own name nor were they allowed to run for public positions. They were also denied some basic opportunities, such as education, which were easily accessible to their male counterparts.

Today, things have come a long way for women, especially in the technological sector, as it continually boasts of a significant influx of women in this field – women who can be said to be of a special breed because of the amazing difference they keep making globally in the technological landscape.

Recognizing that these women are not given adequate recognition despite spearheading most major operations that have been found to be globally beneficial, Women And Career wishes to celebrate their successes by mentioning a few women utilizing various disruptive technologies to effect societal changes.

Here are 10 amazing women that are changing the technology landscape globally:

• Elsa Bernadotte– Elsa is the founder of Karma, a Swedish-born app that connects grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants to eager customers who wish to buy unsold food at discounted prices. The app was created with the aim of increasing sustainability and zero waste for a more eco-conscious world. The company’s efforts of fighting global food waste have landed Bernadotte a spot on the 2018 Forbes 30 under 30 list as well as other awards.

Photo Credit: Twitter.com

• Kathleen Yu– Kathleen was only 23 when she pioneered an innovative concept that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to revolutionize talent recruitment in several industries. After a number of failures and rejections, this concept garnered grants and awards at international startup competitions, giving rise to what became a Rumarocket. With this concept, the hiring needs of multinational clients are met as the best job candidates for specific roles are recruited.

Photo Credit: Ashoka Blog

• Sadaf Monajemi– Sadaf is the founder of See-Mode Technologies, a disruptive med-tech startup that empowers doctors to predict strokes without any additional test. Combining computer vision, artificial intelligence and computational fluid dynamics, the critical risk factors required for stroke predictions are provided for routine medical images that were collected. Sadaf completed her PhD in the National University of Singapore, focusing on machine learning and AI for medical applications.

Photo Credit: LinkedIn.com

• Jessica O. Matthews – Jessica is a Nigerian-American inventor. Founder of Unchartered Play (also known as Uncharted Power), she invented Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator. This soccer ball can also be used as a sort of play toy for children, whereby 15 minutes of kicking it around stores up energy enough to power a small attachable LED light for 3 hours. She also trademarked MORE (an acronym for Motion-based Off-grid Renewable Energy) – a system which uses Soccket’s energy-storing method in consumer products beyond toys. The company also makes a jump rope that stores energy in a means similar to Soccket’s, called Pulse, which generates three hours of power through 15 minutes of jumping rope. She is also a co-founder of KDDC, a developed hydropower dam project in Nigeria and has won numerous awards, honors and recognition.

Photo Credit: Twitter.com

• Nneka Mobisson– Nneka launched mDoc Healthcare app in 2013, an integrated healthcare management platform that provides 24/7 access to virtual, credentialed doctors, nurses and allied healthcare providers via SMS, voice and video platforms. Their goal is to leverage technology and quality improvement methodologies to ensure that people who have chronic diseases are living healthier, longer and happier lives.

Photo Credit: Twitter.com

• Thato Kgatlhanye– Thato is a South African, who at the young age of 18, founded Rethaka company; a company that uses recycled plastic shopping bags and transforms them into solar-powered schoolbags that can also be used as a light source at night. These bags are eco-friendly and feature reflective material which enables more visibility in the darkness as the school children trek long distances to and from school each school day. The bags are popularly called Repurpose Schoolbags and have fetched Thato several awards and recognitions.

Photo credit: Twitter.com

• Shona McDonald– Shona McDonald is the founder of Shonaquip, a high impact multi-entity hybrid social enterprise that uses innovative technologies to develop mobility devices aimed at improving physical access and quality of life for people living with disabilities in under-resourced and rural regions in Africa. This enterprise designs innovative mobility devices for children manufactures equipment, provides clinical support services, trainings and skills programmes in Africa. It is the first woman-run wheelchair business in Africa and is considered a model for many social enterprises all over the world.

Photo Credit: Ashoka Blog

• Edith Harbaugh– Edith is the founder of LaunchDarkly, a feature management platform designed to help software developers control the entire life cycle of product development and launch. This startup helps businesses all over the world improve the way they build their own software. Microsoft as well as a few other multinational businesses have been known to employ this platform.

Photo Credit: Medium.com

• Ihejiamaizu– Grace is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and educator, who is utilizing technology to facilitate easy access to opportunities for next-generation leaders and entrepreneurs. She is the founder of two organizations; iKapture Networks, an after-school program providing post-secondary educational services to young people; and Opportunity Desk, an online platform for global opportunities. Her works as a Social Entrepreneur has earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including being named as one of Google’s 12 brightest young minds in 2011.

Photo Credit: Facebook.com

• Riana Lynn– Lynn is the founder of Journey Foods, an AI-powered platform that helps support new product development and nutrition precision. This enterprise seeks to create the future of nutrient consumption through food-forward technology and micro food. It combines AI and machine learning technologies to produce nutritionally fortified and plant-based snack foods. Her first product in the micro foods category, known as Journey Bites, is making waves in the food industry and are being sold on the company’s website as well as on Amazon.

Photo Credit: Twitter.com

These 10 women are only but a small margin of the numerous women breaking new grounds in the Tech sector. In a field dominated by males and surrounded by unbecoming societal controversies and biases, these women are not just trailblazers but also a source of inspiration to young girls who plan to venture into the field of Technology in the future.

Written by Chiamaka Adinnu

She is a food scientist who’s also passionate about writing. As such, she has over 5years experience in high-level research and academic writing, with several awards to her name. A contemporary youth activist and gender advocate, she currently writes for Ananke – a digital platform that seeks to empower young girls and also volunteers with several Non-profit organizations in rendering services to humanity. Chiamaka is also a voracious reader of all things book, in order to make for an informed opinion in her writings. As a long-term goal, she aims to engrave her name in the sands of time through her various writings.