Speedway

Barbara Birungi

Barbara Mutabazi
Mutabazi in 2024
Born
Barbara Birungi

(1986-08-07) August 7, 1986 (age 38)
Kampala, Uganda
CitizenshipUgandan
Education
Alma materMIT
OccupationTechnologist
Years active2008- Present
OrganisationWomen In Technology Uganda
Known forCo-founding first Tech Innovation Hub in Uganda, Among first 5 in Africa
Children4

Barbara Mutabazi (née Birungi; born 7 August 1986) is a Ugandan technologist, entrepreneur, and mentor. She is a co-founder and founding manager of HiveColab in Kampala, Uganda.[1] She is the founder of Women in Technology Uganda, an initiative aimed at helping women and girls pursue technology careers.[2] Prior to Hive Colab, Mutabazi was a member of staff at the African technology firm Apfrica Labs.

Early Life and Education

Barbara Birungi Mutabazi was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda. She pursued a degree in Business Computing at Makerere University, A Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management from Uganda Management Insitute, An M.Sc in Information Systems Management at University of Salford, Manchester, UK. In 2024, she graduated from the MIT Sloan School of Management with an SFMBA degree, where she focused on management technology and received the prestigious Sloan Fellows Global Scholars Fund Fellowship.[3]

Women In Technology Uganda

Mutabazi founded Women In Technology Uganda (WITU) to address the gender gap in technology and entrepreneurship. Under her leadership, WITU has empowered over 20,000 women and girls through digital skills training, STEM education, and job placement opportunities. WITU has partnered with organizations such as the Cherie Blair Foundation and Uganda Communications Commission to expand its impact. In 2015, WITU won the **Project Inspire Grand Prize** for its efforts in empowering women economically.[4][5]

Hive Colab

Hive Colab, co-founded by Mutabazi, is Uganda's first innovation and technology hub. The hub has incubated over 1,100 startups and supported entrepreneurs through mentorship, training, and access to resources. It has been instrumental in fostering a vibrant technology ecosystem in East Africa.[6]

United Nations Engagements

Barbara Mutabazi has delivered impactful speeches at renowned international platforms, including the United Nations (UN) and UNESCO, addressing technology, gender equality, and entrepreneurship. At the age of 26, she was invited to speak at the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum, where she shared innovative solutions for integrating youth and women into the digital economy. Her engagements include:

United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forum (03/2013): Spoke on leveraging technology and innovation to empower youth, particularly women, emphasizing solutions for integrating underserved communities into the digital economy.

United Nations General Assembly (11/2013): Contributed to discussions on "The Future of Employment: The World of Work in 2030," offering insights on inclusive education and skill-building programs to prepare marginalized groups for the evolving job market.[7] [8]

United Nations: High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 21 April 2016.[9]

UNESCO YouthMobile Experts Meeting (2014): Presented her work on STEM education for girls and mobile innovation to address local development challenges, influencing global frameworks for digital inclusion. 9th UNESCO Youth Forum (2015): Delivered a keynote on using Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) for climate change adaptation, particularly focusing on water and biodiversity.[10]

Major Initiatives

Mutabazi has led several initiatives aimed at promoting technology and entrepreneurship, including: - **The Nile Explorer**: Uganda's first mobile learning bus, a classroom on wheels developed in partnership with the U.S. State Department.[11] - **Digital & Financial Literacy Toolkit**: Developed with UNCDF and adopted by the Bank of Uganda, this toolkit enhances financial inclusion for marginalized communities.[12] In 2024, Mutabazi launched a data-driven, female-led investment vehicle dedicated to accelerating the growth of women-led businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. [13]

Recognition and Awards

Mutabazi has received numerous accolades for her work, including: - **Anita Borg Institute Change Agent Award** (2014) for advancing women in technology.[14] - **MIT Legatum Fellowship**, supporting impactful entrepreneurship in emerging markets.[15] - ** Mandela Washington Fellowship**, The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)[16]

Memberships and Advisory Roles

In 2017, Mutabazi served as: - Steering Committee Chairperson for the National Innovation and Incubation Support Program in Uganda.[17] - Mentor in the AnitaB.org Mentorship Program.[18]

- Advisory Committee Member of the BPO/ITES committee at NITA-U [19]

Personal Life

Barbara is a Christian, a wife and mother of four and is dedicated to advancing technology for social good.[20]

References

  1. ^ "FEATURE: The week in startups". Archived from the original on 2013-10-14.
  2. ^ "Rise of the African Female Entrepreneur". Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  3. ^ "MIT Sloan Fellows Program". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  4. ^ "Project Inspire Winners 2015". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  5. ^ "WITU - Women In Technology Uganda". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  6. ^ "Hive Colab". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  7. ^ "Barbara Mutabazi speaks at UN". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  8. ^ "Barbara Mutabazi speaks at UN" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  9. ^ "Barbara Mutabazi speaks at UN". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  10. ^ "Barbara Mutabazi speaks at UN". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  11. ^ "U.S. Launches Mobile Library to Support Education in Uganda". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  12. ^ "A Financial Digital Literacy Toolkit". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  13. ^ "Nsimbi Impact". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  14. ^ "Announcing the 2014 GHC ABIE Award Winners". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  15. ^ "Legatum Fellowship". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  16. ^ "MWF Fellowship". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  17. ^ "National Innovation and Incubation Program". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  18. ^ "AnitaB.org Mentorship Program". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  19. ^ "Advisory Committee Member". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  20. ^ "About Me – Barbara Birungi Mutabazi". Retrieved 2024-12-23.
Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Birungi