The creative founder of Botswana’s Deaftronics (Pty) Ltd, Sarah Molema, has been shortlisted for the renowned 2024 Aurora Digital Award, which honors female innovators who fight gender imbalance in the digital sector.
Selected from a pool of 649 applications, Molema’s ranking among the 20 worldwide finalists is a testament to both her accomplishments and Botswana’s increasing influence in the technology sector. Inspired by a deep belief in the deaf community’s right to unfettered access, her leadership at Deaftronics is leading the way in supporting the deaf community. Her noteworthy accomplishments are acknowledged, and Botswana is proud of this achievement.
The Award was established in 2020 by inDrive, a worldwide mobility and urban services platform with its headquarters located in the US. Its main objective is to challenge gender imbalance in IT by providing support to women entrepreneurs who are utilizing technology to improve their communities.
The Executive Director of the Aurora Tech Award, Ekaterina Smirnova stated, “Our venture capital partners have meticulously evaluated each of their submissions, which showcase the increasing participation of women IT leaders who are enhancing the quality of life in their communities, despite the challenges.
“This year’s Awards celebrate the work of these founders and highlight both the diversity of projects and the vital role of local role models in inspiring change. The inDrive team passionately advocates for gender equality in IT. We are proud to recognize and support women through awards that honor their achievements, and actively promote their impactful contributions”, she added.
The winners will get three cash awards ($30,000, $20,000, and $10,000 for first, second, and third place, respectively). The entrepreneurs will receive access to the driver mentorship program in addition to the awards.
Announcement of the winners of the 2024 Award will be made at an online ceremony on March 8, 2024, at AuroraTechAward official website.
The judges panel will include notable female IT entrepreneurs, the Aurora Tech Award winners from the previous year, and important industry figures. Distinguished jurors include Social Entrepreneur Ms. Sadaf Abid, CEO of the Kashf Foundation (Pakistan); Head of User Experience at Carsome (Malaysia) Leonor Cogneau; CEO and co-founder of Eventtus (Egypt) Mai Medhat; CEO and Founder of Mukuru Clean Stoves (Kenya) Charlot Magayi; Principal at monashees; and General Counsel at inDrive Tatyana Terentyeva are among them.
The non-profit Aurora Tech Award program is part of inDrive, a platform for urban services and global mobility. The Aurora Tech Award is given to female founders of tech startups whose work has significantly advanced global development. Supporting women in the realm of cutting-edge technologies is the goal, particularly for female entrepreneurs.