Roya Mahboob

Roya Mahboob is an entrepreneur and Afghanistan’s first female tech CEO, but her impact extends far beyond the sphere of business. She has used her success and technical expertise to help educate and empower Afghan women and girls, and she has been an outspoken advocate for their rights.

She founded the Digital Citizen Fund (DCF), which aims to increase Afghan women’s technological and financial literacy, and co-founded and continues to support the Afghan Girls Robotics Team. Ms. Mahboob has also worked to build Innovation and Tech Centers across Afghanistan and has launched an online platform to strengthen the voices of Afghan women and journalists.

She regularly speaks and writes about the vital importance of STEAM education and economic opportunity for women and girls as they relate to human rights. Ms. Mahboob was named to TIME’s 2013 list of the 100 Most Influential People and has received multiple international honors, including the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award, the Asia Game Changer Award, the Doha Forum Award, and the Lantos Human Rights Award. She is also a founding leader of The NewNow, a global collective of emerging leaders tackling worldwide challenges.