Tag Archives: Entrepreneurs

Our accelerator for Black founders calls for a second class

Last June, Google announced an expansion of our support for Black entrepreneurs, including the launch of the inaugural Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders. Today, we are opening applications for a second series of the accelerator. And this year we have expanded the program to include Black-led startups across all of North America, newly opening the program to applicants from both Canada and the Caribbean. 

Our inaugural 2020 cohort featured twelve Black-led startups for a 10-week virtual program. Today, these founders have collectively raised over $40 million in venture capital funding. With the support of Google, our alumni have used technology, data and machine learning to solve a wide range of meaningful challenges, from helping individuals to get out of debt to improving the healthcare system for at-risk youth to increasing sales for small businesses.

During the upcoming accelerator, we will pair startups with Google experts to identify and solve their most pressing technical challenges, from implementing machine learning to developing mobile apps to improving user experience design. Founders will also participate in workshops focused on fundraising, hiring and sales. 

Kanarys, a diversity, equity and inclusion-focused platform, graduated from the inaugural Black Founders Accelerator in 2020. Founder and CEO, Mandy Price, says she found the program provided key mentorship for the technical challenges her company faced around machine learning, since her team uses hundreds of data sources to quantify equity and inclusion, uncover structural biases and drive systemic change. “Our partners at Google were instrumental in helping us scale our use of machine learning and natural language processing through AutoML (automated machine learning),” she says. “The accelerator was a wonderful experience with great leadership.”

With the Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders, we are excited to continue investing in top founders as they tackle today’s biggest challenges. If you or someone you know would be a great fit for the program, we encourage you to apply here by July 9. The program will start on August 16, 2021.

Funding Europe’s future with the Black Founders Fund

To cement our commitment to racial equity in Europe, last Octoberwe announced the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund, a $2 million initiative to provide cash awards up to $100,000 to Black-led startups in Europe. These are non-dilutive awards, meaning companies won’t have to exchange equity for the funding, and are paired with up to $120,000 in Ads grants and up to $100,000 in Cloud credits per startup. The founders will be introduced to each other and a wider community of experts for leadership, growth, technical support and access to Google for Startups’ body of knowledge, mentors and best practices.   

We often hear that lack of diversity in tech is a pipeline problem. This program shows that isn’t the case. We received almost 800 applications for the fund from 18 countries in Europe and the quality we saw was truly exceptional — from tech prodigies, to former executives of the most successful companies in the world, to serial entrepreneurs. 

Our team interviewed almost 100 founders for the fund to understand their businesses, their ambitions and their lived experience as leaders, whether they are serial or first time founders. Did they need to work three jobs at a time? How much perseverance did it take to get that degree? Did they have a friend or a cousin to call up to get easy funding? We looked at what opportunities each founder has been given (or not given) and what they did with them. The answers we heard made clear the caliber of these founders.

Today, we’re announcing the30 startups from the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands who have been selected to receive awards from the Black Founders Fund. Their inspiring, fast-growing startups address global challenges like access to healthcare, financial inclusion, energy and education, in the most competitive industries, from hardware design and advertising to data and risk management. And it’s not only racial diversity that they represent: 40% of startups we selected are led by women.

Lasting change only happens when you engage everyone —  the corporations, the VCs, the angel investors, the founders themselves — and invite them to support each other. With less than 0.5% of venture capital (VC) funding going to Black-led startups, and only 38 Black founders receiving venture capital funding in the last 10 years, the Black Founders Fund in Europe is a third region, after the U.S. and Brazil, where Google for Startups is helping to level the playing field by backing Black founders who are disproportionately locked out of access to capital.  

We are so impressed by the founders’ experiences — the depth of their industry knowledge coupled with their valuable lived experiences of being Black leaders. This makes them uniquely positioned to build successful startups and create important solutions for our community. Backing Black founders not only means creating individual success stories, but also supporting job creation and wealth generation for decades to come. 

Meet a few of the founders:

  • Image shows Bruno Mendes Da Silver against a white background, sitting on a stool, looking into the camera and smiling.

    Bruno Mendes Da Silva, from France, is the founder of Heex. Heex Technologies provides AI-powered software and web services to development teams in data intensive fields such as autonomous driving. 

  • Photo showing Deborah Choir smiling looking at the camera against a wall of flowers and plants.

    Deborah Choi, of Germany, is the founder of Bosque. Bosque is the first tech-enabled, direct-to-consumer plant brand in Europe with digitized inventory, AR tech and on-demand access to vetted plant experts. 

  • Michael Musandu looks into the camera smiling.

    Michael Musandu, of the Netherlands, is the founder of Lalaland. Lalaland uses AI to create synthetic humans for fashion eCommerce brands to increase diversity in retail. 

  • Headshot of Nnamdi Emelifeonwu wearing a suit, looking into the camera and smiling.

     Nnamdi Emelifeonwu, of the U.K., is the founder of Define. Define is a legal technology company that optimizes the contract drafting and reviewing process for lawyers, serving the world's largest banks and consulting companies. 


  • Image showing a black and white photo of Nancy de Fays looking into the camera and smiling.

    Nancy de Fays, based in Belgium, is the founder of LINE. LINE builds powerful hardware and software tools for content creators.

  • Tolulope Ogunsina looks into the camera, using a Playbrush toothbrush, smiling.

    Tolulope Ogunsina of Austria is the founder of Playbrush. Playbrush is the innovation leader in oral care, growing smart toothbrush subscriptions to foster better mouth and body health. 


  • Two men stand against a wall that says "Google for Startups, Further, Faster, Together." One of them looks at his smartphone, smiling, while the other looks into the camera, smiling.

    Christian Facey and Wilfrid Obeng are the founders of AudioMob, based in the U.K. AudioMob provides non-intrusive audio ads within mobile games. 


A path to growth for Asia’s women founders

After Khushboo Aggarwal’s dad suffered a cardiac event brought on by complications from diabetes while she was traveling abroad, she realized there was a need for a better support system for Indian patients and their worried loved ones. 


Khushboo co-founded Zyla Health: a digital care management platform, providing personalized care to patients with chronic illnesses. Zyla offers services like live chat support and algorithms that can issue alerts when there are causes for concern in patient data. It also recently extended its services to help COVID-19 patients  recover at home.


For Khushboo, turning her original idea into a fully-fledged health management platform wasn’t easy. In 2020, Khushboo was part of the inaugural class of the Google for Startups Women Founders Academy in APAC, where she was able to gain valuable skills and tap into the advice of mentors — enabling her to take Zyla to the next level. 


Today, we’re opening applications for this year’s class, focused on women founders leading startups at an early stage of their growth. We will be accepting applications until June 25. 


The Google for Startups Women Founders Academy: APAC is a twelve-week program designed to help founders improve their leadership skills, build strong teams and address their unique growth needs, including funding. Participants will take part in workshops where we’ll share lessons from Google’s experiences to help them tackle some of the key challenges they might face. To connect founders to a wider network, we’ll bring together a community of Google advisors, venture capitalists and business executives. And selected startups will work with a dedicated mentor.


There are women like Khushboo across APAC and around the world, motivated to solve problems they see in their everyday lives. We are dedicated to supporting these women entrepreneurs, because we know their solutions build up our communities and help local economies grow. We look forward to helping the class of 2021 take their ideas forward.

Tips and shortcuts for a more productive spring

Posted by Bruno Panara, Google Registry Team

An animation of a person at a desk using a laptop and drinking out of a mug while different domain names pop up.

In my previous life as a startup entrepreneur, I found that life was more manageable when I was able to stay organized — a task that’s easier said than done. At Google Registry, we've been keeping an eye out for productivity and organization tools, and we’re sharing a few of our favorites with you today, just in time for spring cleaning.

.new shortcuts to save you time

Since launching .new shortcuts last year, we’ve seen a range of companies use .new domains to help their users get things done faster on their websites.

  • If your digital workspace looks anything like mine, you’ll love these shortcuts: action.new creates a new Workona workspace to organize your Chrome tabs, and task.new helps keep track of your to-dos and projects in Asana.
  • Bringing together notes and ideas can make it easier to get work done: coda.new creates a new Coda document to collect all your team’s thoughts, and jam.new starts a new collaborative Google Jamboard session.
  • Spring cleaning wouldn’t be complete without a tidy cupboard: With sell.new you can create an eBay listing in minutes and free up some closet space. And if you own or manage a business, stay on top of your orders and keep services flowing by giving the shortcut — invoice.new — a try.

Visit whats.new to browse all the .new shortcuts, including our Spring Spotlights section.

Six startups helping you increase productivity

We recently sat down with six startups to learn how they’re helping their clients be more productive. From interviewing and hiring, to managing teamwork, calendars and meetings, check out these videos to learn how you can make the most of your time:

Arc.dev connects developers with companies hiring remotely, helping them find their next opportunity.

The founders of byteboard.dev, who came through Area 120, Google’s in-house incubator for experimental projects, thought that technical interviews were inefficient. So they redesigned them from the ground up to be more fair and relevant to real-world jobs.

To run more efficient meetings, try fellow.app. Streamlining agendas, note taking, action items and decision recording can help your team build great meeting habits.

Friday.app helps you organize your day so you can stay focused while sharing and collaborating with remote teammates.

Manage your time productively using inmotion.app, a browser extension that is a search bar, calendar, tab manager and distraction blocker, all in one.

No time to take your pet to the groomers? Find a groomer who will come to you and treat your pet to an in-home grooming session with pawsh.app.

Whether you’re a pet parent, a busy professional or just looking to sell your clutter online, we hope these tools help you organize and save time this season.

Tips and shortcuts for a more productive spring

In my previous life as a startup entrepreneur, I found that life was more manageable when I was able to stay organized — a task that’s easier said than done. At Google Registry, we've been keeping an eye out for productivity and organization tools, and we’re sharing a few of our favorites with you today, just in time for spring cleaning.

.new shortcuts to save you time

Since launching .new shortcuts last year, we’ve seen a range of companies use .new domains to help their users get things done faster on their websites. 

  • If your digital workspace looks anything like mine, you’ll love these shortcuts: action.new creates a new Workona workspace to organize your Chrome tabs, and task.new helps keep track of your to-dos and projects in Asana.

  • Bringing together notes and ideas can make it easier to get work done: coda.new creates a new Coda document to collect all your team’s thoughts, and jam.new starts a new collaborative Google Jamboard session. 

  • Spring cleaning wouldn’t be complete without a tidy cupboard: With sell.new you can create an eBay listing in minutes and free up some closet space. And if you own or manage a business, stay on top of your orders and keep services flowing by giving the shortcut — invoice.new — a try. 

Visit whats.new to browse all the .new shortcuts, including our Spring Spotlights section.

Six startups helping you increase productivity

We recently sat down with six startups to learn how they’re helping their clients be more productive. From interviewing and hiring, to managing teamwork, calendars and meetings, check out these videos to learn how you can make the most of your time:

Arc.dev connects developers with companies hiring remotely, helping them find their next opportunity. 

An illustration of a laptop screen with Christine's face and name on it, surrounded by other logos like a calendar and a lock.
10:25

The founders of byteboard.dev, who came through Area 120, Google’s in-house incubator for experimental projects, thought that technical interviews were inefficient. So they redesigned them from the ground up to be more fair and relevant to real-world jobs. 

An illustration showing Sargun and Nicole's faces and names on a laptop screen, surrounded by logos symbolizing productivity.
10:25

To run more efficient meetings, try fellow.app. Streamlining agendas, note taking, action items and decision recording can help your team build great meeting habits.

An illustration showing Aydin's face and name on a laptop screen, surrounded by images symbolizing productivity.
10:25

Friday.app helps you organize your day so you can stay focused while sharing and collaborating with remote teammates. 

An illustration showing Luke's face and name on a laptop screen, surrounded by images symbolizing productivity.
10:25

Manage your time productively using inmotion.app, a browser extension that puts your time on auto-pilot.

An illustration showing Harry's face and name on a laptop screen, surrounded by images symbolizing productivity.
10:25

No time to take your pet to the groomers? Find a groomer who will come to you and treat your pet to an in-home grooming session with pawsh.app.

An illustration showing Karthik's name and face on a laptop screen, surrounded by images symbolizing productivity.
10:25

Whether you’re a pet parent, a busy professional or just looking to sell your clutter online, we hope these tools help you organize and save time this season. 

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Twenty-one websites and apps on .new, .app, .page, and .dev domains to check out in the new year.

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These Black tech creators are changing the domain

In honor of Black History Month, the Google Registry team is featuring six Black creators on their #MyDomain video series.

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Eight women kicking butt and taking (domain) names

In honor of International Women’s Day, Google Registry is sharing eight videos of female leaders on their #MyDomain video series.

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Celebra el Día Mundial del Agua con este emprendimiento

La historia se repite, pero no tiene por qué hacerlo. Fui inspirado a fundar mi emprendimiento, Varuna, cuando Austin Water lanzó su primera advertencia de contaminación del agua en 2018; algo extrañamente similar sucedió semanas antes cuando se desató una masiva tormenta invernal en Texas.  Debido a que las empresas de servicios hídricos no tenían suficientes datos en tiempo real para medir la calidad del agua en los vecindarios individuales, optaron por el enfoque general de solicitar a los 950 000 residentes de la ciudad que hirvieran el agua para ingerir o cocinar. Después de seis días de reducir sustancialmente el consumo de agua y entregar más de 625 000 botellas plásticas de agua, me propuse encontrar una solución. 


Ingeniero en sistemas de oficio y solucionador de problemas por naturaleza, miré alrededor en busca de objetos domésticos y recordé que los lavavajillas cambian de modo cuando el agua que contienen está lo suficientemente limpia como para que pase la luz. Readapté el sensor del lavavajillas para crear mi primer dispositivo de medición de la calidad del agua. Emocionado, llamé a mi amigo y antiguo compañero de trabajo en Chicago, Jamail Carter, para contarle mi idea. Coincidimos en que los problemas de calidad del agua, como la crisis en Flint, son síntomas de un problema mayor: las deficiencias operativas dentro de los servicios hídricos. Cuando los técnicos no tienen visibilidad en tiempo real de lo que sucede en los sistemas de distribución de agua, las empresas de servicios derrochan en un único sensor vinculado a una ubicación o dependen de costosas mediciones manuales que consumen mucho tiempo. Si tan solo tuvieran conocimiento y acceso a la información correcta, cada sistema hídrico de cada comunidad en los Estados Unidos podría ahorrar miles de dólares
—y vidas— anualmente por cada punto de recolección de muestras in situ. 


Tras meses de realizar prototipos e investigaciones, Jamail y yo lanzamos Varuna. La plataforma brinda a los pueblos y las ciudades predicciones, recomendaciones y alertas basadas en la IA de Google para minimizar las deficiencias en las operaciones de gestión hídrica. Mediante una serie de sensores conectados, Varuna reduce la cantidad de veces que los técnicos necesitan recolectar muestras de agua para realizar pruebas de laboratorio para determinar problemas de calidad. La Google Maps Platform proporciona el “dónde” para el qué y el por qué de los problemas de contaminación de la calidad del agua, mientras que Google Cloud permite que los usuarios accedan a esta información cuando la necesitan. 


La investigación muestra que los sistemas hídricos en las comunidades de color cuentan con una cantidad desproporcionada de infracciones de la EPA. Al eliminar las excusas y permitir el acceso, podemos tener un impacto positivo en las comunidades marginadas. Por eso primero experimentamos con programas en ubicaciones históricamente diversas, como Luisiana, Texas
y Alabama, y abordaremos Chicago, Nueva Jersey y la Ciudad de Nueva York a continuación. 


Como inmigrante de color y fundador que desarrolló un emprendimiento en Texas, comprendo de primera mano la frustración de que se nos niegue el acceso a los recursos necesarios. Más allá de la humanidad inherente de la misión de Varuna y de nuestra trayectoria empresarial comprobada, Jamail y yo enfrentamos obstáculos sistemáticos cuando intentamos reunir el capital y relacionarnos en una industria predominantemente caucásica. Afortunadamente, se nos están abriendo puertas, de manera forzada en algunos casos, que antes no se abrían para equipos como el nuestro. La recepción de USD 100,000 por parte de Google for Startups Black Founders Fund el pasado octubre no fue solo una inversión financiera, sino un voto de confianza. Tan solo tres meses después de haber sido seleccionados para Black Founders Fund, recaudamos USD 1,6 millones adicionales, añadimos dos miembros y una agencia asociada de diseño al equipo, mientras rediseñamos y redujimos los costos de nuestro hardware a la mitad. Cuando se financia a los fundadores de color, no solo se estimula la generación de riqueza y se crea acceso igualitario a oportunidades económicas, sino que también se ayuda a devolver el favor dando cabida a otras comunidades poco representadas con nuestra tecnología; un vaso de agua no contaminada a la vez. 


Varuna se basa en la creencia de que cuanto más se sabe, más se puede hacer. El primer paso para la creación de un cambio real es prestar atención a la gravedad del problema, ya sea mejorar la calidad del agua o crear condiciones de competencia equitativas para las empresas entre la población de color, porque solo así abordaremos colectivamente el problema. El acceso al agua potable es una necesidad humana fundamental y universalmente reconocida; algo que todos los seres vivientes compartimos. Con el respaldo de las personas y los productos de Google, en este Día Mundial del Agua pretendemos convertir ese derecho
en realidad y dar impulso a los futuros fundadores de color a lo largo del camino.

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Funding Black founders fuels generational change

Today we’re announcing the recipients of the $5 million Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.

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How my startup uses AI to reimagine water utilities

History repeats itself, but it doesn’t have to. I was inspired to launch my startup, Varuna, when Austin Water released its first-ever boil water warning in 2018 — a moment eerily similar to the massive winter storm in Texas just a few weeks ago. Because the water utility companies didn’t have enough real-time data to measure water quality in individual neighborhoods, they took the blanket approach of asking all of the city’s 950,000 residents to boil any water ingested through drinking or cooking. After several days of substantially reducing water usage — and seeing more than 625,000 plastic bottles of water handed out across the city — I set out to find a solution. 


A systems engineer by trade and a problem-solver by nature, I repurposed our dishwasher’s sensor to create my first water-quality measurement device. Excited, I called up my Chicago-based friend and former employee Jamail Carter to talk about my idea. We agreed that water quality issues like the crisis in Flint are symptoms of a bigger problem: operational inefficiencies within water utilities. 


When technicians don’t have real-time visibility into what’s going on across the water distribution system, utilities companies either splurge on a single sensor bound to one location or rely on manual measurement, which can be costly and time-consuming. By simply getting access to the right information, each community water system in the U.S. could save thousands of dollars — and lives — annually for every sample collection point they have on-site. 


After months of prototyping and research, Jamail and I launched Varuna, named for the Vedic deity associated with water, truth and enlightenment. The platform provides cities and towns with Google AI-powered alerts, recommendations and predictions to reduce inefficiencies and violations in their water management operations. With a series of connected sensors in the distribution systems, Varuna reduces the number of times technicians need to collect water samples to lab test for quality issues. Google Maps Platform provides the “where” to the what and the why of water quality contamination issues, while Google Cloud gives users a way to access this information whenever they need it—all essential for adopting a proactive, preventive approach to water treatment.


Varuna is founded on the belief that when people know better, they do better. Research shows that water systems in communities of color have a disproportionate amount of EPA violations. By taking away excuses and providing key information, we can positively impact underserved communities. That’s why we first piloted programs in historically diverse locations across Louisiana, Texas, New Jersey and Alabama — and are tackling Chicago and New York City next. 


As a Black immigrant founder building a startup in Texas, I understand firsthand the frustration of being denied access to needed resources. Despite the inherent humanity of Varuna’s mission and our proven entrepreneurial track record, Jamail and I faced systemic obstacles as we attempted to raise capital and network in a predominately white industry. Less than 3% of U.S. venture capital funding went to Black-led companies in 2020, despite the fact that 10% of American companies are Black-owned, according to U.S. Census data.


Thankfully, doors are getting opened — forced open in some cases — that have been previously closed to teams like ours. Receiving a $100,000 cash award from theGoogle for Startups Black Founders Fund last October wasn’t just a financial investment; it was a vote of confidence. Only three months after being selected for the Black Founders Fund, we've raised an additional $1.6 million, added two team members and a design agency partner, all while redesigning and halving the cost of our hardware. When you fund Black founders, you not only create equal access to economic opportunity, but also empower us to create real change with our tech, one glass of clean water at a time. 

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Funding Black founders fuels generational change

Today we’re announcing the recipients of the $5 million Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.

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How we’re supporting startups combating climate change

Combating climate change requires action from everyone—businesses, governments, cities and people. We believe that by investing in technology we can help build novel solutions and empower people to take action. Which is why we’re focused on elevating people using technology to combat climate change and create a healthier planet for everyone. 


This month we launched the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change for climate-focused technology startups across Canada and the United States. This 10-week program helps bring the best of Google to startups using artificial intelligence and machine learning to combat climate change. In addition to mentorship and technical project support, the accelerator will focus on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership development for founders. If you or someone you know would be a great fit for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change, encourage them to apply by April 1, 2021.


This program builds on the success of last year's Google for Startups Accelerator: Sustainable Development Goals which supports startups from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Through this program, we supported Everimpact from France, a company that combines satellite imagery and ground sensing to monitor air quality and carbon emissions in cities, and Ororatech from Germany, a commercial supplier of infrared satellite data used for early detection and real-time monitoring of wildfires. 


Supporting startups focused on climate change is just one way we’re taking action as a company. Last September, our CEO Sundar Pichai announceda set of ambitious sustainability commitments, including a vision for a carbon-free future for everyone and our mission to empower people and communities to realize their own potential for impact. Recently, we released our 2020 Climate Report and reaffirmed our ongoing commitment to making sure that everyone—people, cities, governments and businesses—have the tools to be part of the solution. We’re optimistic that technology and entrepreneurship can help avert climate change.

Eight women kicking butt and taking (domain) names

Who do you think of when you hear the words sister, daughter, mother? How about when the words are leader, founder, CEO? As a mom of three, I want my kids to grow up in a world where the second set of words is as likely as the first to bring a woman to mind. Which is why we’re elevating the voices of women and making sure their stories are heard in today’s #MyDomain series. On this International Women’s Day, Google Registry is sharing eight new videos — all featuring female leaders who are taking care of business on their .app and .dev domains. 

Alice Truswell

Alice Truswell is co-founder of Snoop.app, a money-saving app. “Fear being forgettable more than fearing not fitting in,” she says, “because the earlier you get comfortable with your voice, the earlier you can start refining results.”
A video interview with Alice Truswell
10:25

Annie Hwang

Annie Hwang is co-founder of Jemi.app, a company that helps creators and public figures interact with their audiences and make money. “Don't let imposter syndrome ever stop you,” she advises. “We've grown up in a society where we are constantly told that we should be a follower. Don't be a follower anymore; be a leader!”
A video interview with Annie Hwang
10:25

Elena Czubiak

Elena Czubiak is the developer and designer behind saturdaydesign.dev and co-founder of imaginarie.app. She quit her day job in 2018 to start her own business and hasn’t looked back since. Elena says, "Remember that although it might feel like starting over, you'll quickly see that your unique experiences will help you solve problems and make connections that nobody else could."
A video interview with Elena Czubiak
10:25

Ifrah Khan

Ifrah Khan is co-founder of Clubba.app, a platform that provides virtual creative extracurricular clubs (led by college students) for kids ages 6 to 12.  Ifrah encourages entrepreneurial women to find and connect with other women who are also working on their own ventures. “Really talk to them and get to know their journey,” she says. “If they fundraised, how did they fundraise? Fundraising is so hard when you start your own business in general, but as a woman it’s even harder.”
A video interview with Ifrah Khan
10:25

Rita Kozlov

Rita Kozlov is a product manager who leads the Cloudflare Workers product, which uses the workers.dev domain. Rita’s advice for women who want to become a product manager is, “Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. In product management that’s definitely 100% a strength and never a weakness.”

A video interview with Rita Kozlov
10:25

Romina Arrigoni Samsó 

Romina Arrigoni Samsó is founder and CEO of ADDSKIN.app, a social marketplace for skincare, where community recommendations help customers choose the best products. Romina says, “La gracia de la tecnología es que como dice el dicho, el avión se construye en el aire. Lo importante es lanzarse,” which translates to, “The grace of technology is that, as the saying goes, the plane is built in the air. The important thing is to launch.”
Romina Arrigoni Samsó
10:25

Soraya Jaber

Soraya Jaber is co-founder and CEO of Minsar.app, a no-code AR-VR creative and publishing platform. “We don't care about your age, your gender, your race, or sexual orientation — there is no space where you are not allowed,” Soraya says.“Don't hinder yourself, jump into entrepreneurship. I can assure you that's a hell of a great adventure!”

A video interview with Soraya Jaber
10:25

Stefania Olafsdóttir

Stefania Olafsdóttir is the co-founder and CEO of Avo.app, a next-generation analytics governance company. Her advice? “It’s way more important to be brave than to be perfect.”
A video interview with Stefania Olafsdóttir
10:25

To see a special video featuring all these amazing women, check out goo.gle/mydomain. If you have a unique story to share about a .app, .dev, or .page domain and would like to be considered for our series, please fill out this short application form. Here’s to helping tell the stories of women everywhere so that we may inspire generations to come.

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Get to know our Women Techmakers Ambassadors

Last March, Google’s Women Techmakers (WTM) community was preparing for International Women’s Day with hundreds of in-person events all across the globe. But as COVID-19 spread and people everywhere went into lockdown, WTM Ambassadors had to change their plans.

Fast forward a year later, our community is preparing for International Women’s Day (IWD) events again — this time, going virtual from the get-go. 

2021 marks the ninth year the Women Techmakers global community has celebrated IWD by hosting events to educate, connect and inspire hundreds of thousands of women in technology. This year, Ambassadors are hosting events around the theme #CouragetoCreate. #CouragetoCreate means having the strength to deal with adversity and the passion to make extraordinary things. 

In preparation for IWD and the various virtual events, I spoke with several of the WTM Ambassadors about their role models, planning online events and what sessions they’re looking forward to.

  • A women smiling at the camera.

    Shilpa is a data scientist from Bathinda, Punjab (India). She's been a WTM Ambassador for three years.

  • A woman smiling at the camera.

    Diana is from Durham, N.C., and she's the founder of Eulerr. She's been a WTM Ambassador for seven years.

  • A women holding a stuffed animal and smiling at the camera.

    Merve is a freelance illustrator from Eskisehir, Turkey. She's been a WTM Ambassador for three years.

  • A woman looking into the camera.

    Priya is a student from Ranchi, India. She's been a WTM Ambassador for two years.


  • A woman smiling into the camera.

    Hasenat is from the Balkh province of Afghanistan. She's finishing up her Computer Science degree and has been a WTM Ambassador for for two years.


Who’s an inspirational woman in your life, or someone you look up to?

Shilpa: My mom is someone I look up to. She always gave me courage and strength to face  challenges. She’s always been there for me and is a guiding force in my life. I am who I am because of her.

Diana: I would say WTM ambassador Stacy Devino. She's a positive influence on so many and definitely a role model to me. She's not only one of the smartest people I've ever met but also someone with a big heart. She’s community driven and she really cares about others. 

Hasnet: You might expect to hear the name of a famous person, but my mother is the most inspiring person in my life. She isn’t famous but she sacrificed so much for her family. She inspires and pushes me.

What’s the hardest part about planning online-only events?

Merve: You don’t get that face-to-face communication. Attendees can see us and see our body language and get to know us, but we usually only see their comments on chat. 

Diana: Making sure our community has accessible tools that aren’t distracting or more it difficult for them to access our events. 

What about the best part?

Priya: The best part of online events is virtually meeting a lot of brilliant, like-minded people and making good networking.

Diana: We can reach and connect to far corners of the world, which would otherwise be impossible in person.

In the spirit of #CouragetoCreate, what project are you working on right now?

Shilpa: I’m working on an e-learning chatbot  focused on helping students and teachers.

Hasenat: I’m part of a team working on a project that  creates  timetables for schools and universities so teachers and  administrations can coordinate better.

Diana: I’m working on an open source notification app for diabetic patients — it's actually already online. The idea is to notify relatives or friends of diabetics — like me! — when someone’s insulin levels are dangerous. I don't want anyone with diabetes to feel like they are helpless.

What session are you most excited for? 

Priya: The session on deploying Machine Learning models on Cloud and a session on API integration definitely interest me  most.

Diana: All of them! There's so much I'm looking forward to learning! 

What does IWD mean to you?

Priya: IWD is a joyride! It motivates more women to come forward to speak about their journeys, and for others to find their own paths to success.

Hasenat: This day reminds everyone that women have extraordinary power and are remarkable and respected. It’s a day to reflect on the work that remains: Many women continue to be unheard and don't have the opportunity to speak out. 

Merve: It’s a day for women in tech, and women everywhere, to congratulate ourselves. And it’s a chance to give courage to more women who want to enter this beautiful, limitless area.

You can join our IWD events virtually from anywhere in the world. Take a session with Women Techmakers in your area, or check out a keynote from a speaker somewhere across the globe. We hope you’ll join us from wherever you are.