Leila Benali

Pioneering Tunisian tech entrepreneur promoting gender equality in STEM fields

Leila Benali (b. 1987) revolutionized Tunisia's tech sector through her startup Tech Village, which has trained over 15,000 women in coding since 2020. Her 'Code for Change' initiative created Tunisia's first AI-driven education platform, reaching 500,000 students across North Africa. As UN Women's 2023 Innovation Award winner, she developed the Women in Tech Network, connecting 3,000 African female engineers with global opportunities.

In 2021, she launched the Girls Can Code national curriculum adopted by 120 schools, increasing female STEM enrollment from 18% to 42%. Her 2024 blockchain project provides tamper-proof academic credentials for 50,000 African students. Forbes named her among 2023's Top 100 Arab Innovators, recognizing her work in creating Tunisia's first all-female venture capital fund ($15M raised for women-led startups).

Her advocacy led to Tunisia's 2022 Digital Gender Equality Act, mandating 30% female representation in tech boards. Current projects include Africa Digital Bridge, a pan-African infrastructure initiative connecting 20 million rural residents to high-speed internet by 2025.