Leading British Businesswoman and Surrey Resident Receives UNICEF & Bill and Melinda Gates foundation Award for Innovation

Mariéme Jamme, an inspirational, Senegal-born British businesswoman and Surrey resident known for breaking new ground for women and girls in the global technology industry, has won the Innovation Award at the Global Goals Awards 2017.

The event, held at Gotham Hall in New York City on the 19th September 2017, recognised the contribution of outstanding individuals who are working towards the achievement of the United Nation’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development which they hope to realise by 2030.

Mariéme, named on the 2017 PowerList of Britain’s top 100 most influential people, is passionate about eliminating the global ‘digital divide’ and empowering marginalised individuals, particularly women and girls, to realise their full potential through technology and digital literacy training.

Speaking about her motivations, Mariéme explains,

Not having the chance to attend school at an early age and to have an opportunity to a formative education made me start this movement. I believe strongly that we need to help correct the failure of policy makers by investing in girls and women through creative learning and technology.

After overcoming difficult childhood circumstances, Mariéme rose to become influential in the technological world, encouraging global investment in African IT infrastructure and founding the  international iamtheCODE movement which seeks to teach 1 million women and girls to code computers by 2030.

IamtheCODE is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 4,5,8 and 9, that seek to achieve gender equality and improve education whilst encouraging innovation, infrastructure and economic growth. As a ‘Goalkeeper’ for the UN’s campaign, Mariéme is committed to the UN’s agenda and works to improve access to STEAMED (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, Entrepreneurship, and Design) Education for marginalised people. Mariéme garners the support of governments, investors and the private sector to pursue the iamtheCODE initiative. She hopes to see a new generation of female digital leaders rise up, especially in Africa.

IamtheCODE run digital clubs, hackathons and mentorship programmes around the world, with the aim of using creativity, technology and coding in different subject areas to promote learning in an engaging and interactive way.

Mariéme has been a Surrey resident for the past 25 years and over the coming months is keen to provide iamtheCODE training in coding, robotics and technologies related to STEM subjects for schools across the county.

If you would like Lady Mariéme to visit your school, you can get in touch via the iamtheCODE E-Courses