A large number of females all around the world are really new to the idea of Technology and Entrepreneurship, due to the stereotype: ‘Girls who cook, Boys who code’.
For decades, women are seen as uneducated, incapable of running businesses and belong to the kitchen, when men are out in the business world, programming applications and have most of the right to pursue a career they want.
Is it reasonable, fair, and beneficial to continue this stereotype?
Or Must we debunk this stereotype and start encouraging women?
What is Technovation and How it fights the stereotype of girls towards innovation?
Technovation is an international program that offers girls all around the globe (in the age of 12 to 18) the opportunity of learning the skills to become tech entrepreneurs. This 12-weeks program invites girls to work in teams to identify any major or small problems in their community and create a mobile application to help solve the problems. At the end of the program, the teams are required to pitch their ideas to regional pitching events and determine the regional winners. In addition to that, we also submitted our work to the global judges for international competition.
The program focuses on four mains skills including:
- Ideation (Identify a problem in the community)
- Technology (Develop a mobile app solution)
- Entrepreneurship (Build a business plan to launch the app)
- Pitch (Bring the business to the market). – Technovation Challenge
From: Incarabia
The immense impact Technovation has made is hopeful for the future of Girls. According to Technovation Survey from participants, more girls are interested in Computer Science, Entrepreneurship and Business Leadership.
Visit the Technovation Website and Detailed Description of the Program
My Personal Journey in Technovation Cambodia
Due to my interest in Business and Entrepreneurship, I have been joining Technovation for 3 years in a row. During these years, I have grown a lot in terms of understanding Entrepreneurial Concepts, Business Management, Leadership Skills and Embracing a team, Professional Pitching, and Public Speaking. After joining this program, I have developed a passion for Tech Entrepreneurship, because I see the need in my community and the great change that Tech Entrepreneurship can bring to my country, and the world.
In my first year, My team and I created an application to help spread awareness on Environmental Issue, and We made it to the Last Round of the National Pitch.
In my second year, My team came up with an idea to create an application (MEP Center) to help Mechanical, Electricity and Plumbing Suppliers find daily customers and help people to ask for those services from Professional Suppliers and Company. We have made a success that year because we won the First Place in the National Pitch Event and the judges and newspaper media are very interested in our idea, as well as the potential customers that we interviewed.
My 2019 Application: Amara, the app that helps empower Cambodian traditional artists and help bring authentic cultural performances and events to tourists.
This year, which is my third year, is another huge step for me in Tech Entrepreneurship. My team and I work endlessly to develop an application called Amara (meaning immortal Cambodian goddesses in Khmer) in the vision of empowering Cambodian Culture, especially Traditional performances that suffered a tragedic history during the Khmer Rouge.
During the Khmer Rouge, 90% of Cambodian artists are killed, which means almost all of our arts, traditions, and culture is lost during the genocide. In addition, the risk of losing our culture is continued until the present, due to the immense lack of media promotion to our very own people and especially tourists, the lack of awareness of cultural events which results in the extremely low income for artists, dwindled support from both national and international tourists and guests. According to data from a survey conducted by an organization (Cambodian Living Arts), shows that 52% of 400 artists earn an income of less than $100 per month! If there are still no new solutions implemented to preserve our nearly lost culture, I believe the beautiful heritage past down from Cambodian ancestors since ancient times would face a huge risk.
That is the reason why my team, The Credos, is putting a lot of work to bring the hopes back.
Amara features allow artists and organizations to post and promote their performances and events (by including basic details such as the date, time, location, contacts) and especially, they can sell their tickets online.
For the tourists, they can have access to all cultural performances posted by professional and local artists and organizations, and especially booking the tickets to the events freely.
Watch our Pitch Video that explains more about what we do:
In the business development processes, we have sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to ask for support and recognition. In addition, we interviewed about 6 organizations and all of them support our idea and give many positive feedbacks to further improve our application. Furthermore, 95% of about 70 potential customers we interviewed in major tourist attractions love our idea and are willing to use our app if it is launched. We believe the market is really wide for our app, due to the fact that 6.2 million international tourists came to visit Cambodia in 2018. We have developed the business plan for our application and hoping that one day, we will have the resources, time and chance to implement this idea into a real app that we can launch.
Watch this Video to learn the processes of using Amara:
We believe that Amara (the application) will bring more audiences to those artists and bring them decent incomes while giving authentic events and memorable experiences of Cambodian Culture to tourists. We believe this app will result in bringing more supports and interests in Cambodian Tradition and Cultural performances and preserving the heritage of our ancestors.
View our Pitching Slide Presentation Here! It will help you see detailed information about our Idea.
Technovation 2019 Achievements:
On May, 5th, 2019, the National Pitch Event was held at ITC university with the presence of a large crowd of audiences, experienced judges who were professionals from tech and business companies, photographers, journalists, teachers, and sponsor companies representatives.
This year, we are the First Place Winner of Junior Division from the national pitching event. This is a great achievement for the team which can help to bring more recognition to our application.
In the international competition, our team is qualified as a Semi-Finalist team.
The Credos and Technovation in the News:
Business Cambodia’s Article about Amara, and the Team Credos
National Pitch Winners of 2019 and more details
My perspective towards girls in Tech Entrepreneurship
As a Technovation participant for three years, I have a strong belief that girls have the ability to be learning anything they want, as examples, Technology, and Entrepreneurship.
I believe we have the power to study the skills, and therefore, BE THE CHANGE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, no matter who we are, what country we are from, how old are we and what the stereotype says. We have what it takes to pursue our passions, dreams and therefore, become a change agent.
Therefore, I would highly encourage everyone, especially girls to do what you love, whether that means coding, developing a business, being a company CEO, you just have to believe in what you are doing.
Youths, Girls, and Boys need to come together and collaborate to create impacts and fill the needs of our world.
It is the time to change the stereotype, and become the era of embracing everyone to create change.