Nadia Akkad

Pioneered tech education for women in Jordan through TechWomen Jordan, transforming access to STEM careers in the Middle East

Nadia Akkad is a Jordanian tech entrepreneur and social innovator who founded TechWomen Jordan in 2014. This organization has trained over 10,000 women in digital skills, creating pathways into the tech industry in a region where only 17% of tech professionals are female. Nadia's work directly addresses UNESCO's gender gap report showing Middle Eastern women face 25% higher barriers to tech careers than global averages.

Her initiatives include:

• Free coding bootcamps in Amman and Irbid
• Partnerships with Google and Microsoft for certification programs
• National digital literacy campaigns reaching 500,000+ students

Nadia's impact extends beyond Jordan through her regional network, which now operates in 7 Arab countries. In 2020 she was named one of World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders, and her TEDx talk "Breaking Barriers in Tech" has over 2 million views.