Celebrating Women in Tech for Women’s History Month
Rana el Kaliouby
Written by: Semhar (Semi) Tesfasgy, Editor in Chief
Rana el Kaliouby is an incredible woman in tech who has made significant contributions to artificial intelligence research. She is an Egyptian-American computer scientist who grew up in Egypt and studied at the American University in Cairo, where she completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science.
She then travelled to Cambridge University, where she completed her PhD in Computer Science. Following this, she migrated to America as a research fellow, working with a team to develop the Autism & Communication Technology Initiative.
Seeking to impact the larger world, she co-founded Affectiva – a company specialising in ‘Emotive AI’, which is facial recognition software that considers cognitive states and human emotions. Her research has profoundly affected the commercialisation of AI, and the industry wouldn’t be the way it is today without her contributions.
Kimberley Bryant
Written by: Rosa Hernandez, Staff Writer
Kimberly Bryant, born January 14, 1967, in Tennessee, showed a gift for maths and science from an early age.
Despite challenges of inclusion and limited opportunities in her learning years, she studied Electrical Engineering and Mathematics at the world-renowned Vanderbilt University and went on to work in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry.
Bryant’s highly esteemed experience in Fortune 100 companies such as Genentech, Merck, and Pfizer is a testament to her unwavering dedication and success. Yet the highlight of her professional career is her creation of the Black Girls Code in 2011- a non-profit organisation aimed at encouraging and supporting girls of colour (ages 7-17) in the world of technology and computer science with a special emphasis on entrepreneurship.
By fostering knowledge, creativity and leadership, the Black Girls Code has empowered the next generation of girls of colour in STEM across the USA and South Africa. Bryant’s journey in tech inclusion has enriched the lives of many and paved the way for a more equitable future in the STEM industry.
Nzambi Matee
Written by: Megan Delaney, Staff Writer
Hailed as a Young Champion of the Earth by the UN Environment Programme, Nzambi Matee has channelled her frustrations with the rising problem of plastic pollution into a solution: recycled plastic bricks.
It may sound small, but her idea of mixing recycled plastic with sand to create bricks seven times stronger than concrete has had monumental impacts.
In the city of Nairobi in Kenya, Matee has followed her personal motto to ‘act for nature’ and developed a company that turns 500 kg of plastic waste daily into high-quality and sustainable building materials. Plastic is a major pollution issue, but her company has changed the narrative and utilised plastic waste rather than leaving it as just another global burden to be solved.
Hedy Lamarr
Written by: Mia Sawyer, Staff Writer
Have you ever wondered where the basis of WiFi and Bluetooth systems originate? In honour of Women’s History Month, this article centres on Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian-American actress and inventor who pioneered the technology that would be the foundation for today’s WiFi and Bluetooth systems.
In 1940, Lamarr met George Antheil at a dinner party. They both shared the same inventive traits, and the two created an extraordinary communication system intending to guide torpedoes to their targets in war. The system involved the use of frequency hopping amongst radio waves, with transmitter and receiver hopping to new frequencies together.
Lamarr did not receive recognition for her invention until 1997 when she was awarded the Pioneer Award.
