Nisreen Khader

Jordanian tech entrepreneur who created the Middle East's first online education platform for girls' empowerment

Nisreen Khader (b. 1975) is a Jordanian innovator whose work bridges technology and education to empower girls in the Middle East. In 2003, she founded iKnow, the region's first online platform offering STEM education tailored for girls aged 12-18. The platform now serves over 500,000 students across 20 Arab countries, with 85% of users continuing to STEM higher education.

Khader's platform combines gamified learning with mentorship from female engineers and scientists. Her 'Girls in Robotics' initiative has produced 15 world championship teams at the FIRST Global competitions. She developed the UN Women-endorsed 'Digital Confidence' curriculum addressing gender stereotypes in tech.

In 2016, Khader launched the Arab Women Mentorship Network, connecting 12,000 female professionals with students. Her work influenced Jordan's 2018 National Education Strategy to include mandatory digital literacy programs. Khader's TED Talk 'How I Gave Girls a Voice in Tech' has been translated into 15 languages.

Her advocacy led to the creation of the UN SDG Fund's Arab Women in Tech Initiative. Khader's strategies are detailed in Code for Change: Building Arab Girls' Futures (2020) and Breaking Barriers: Education in the Digital Age (2022). She advises the Microsoft AI for Accessibility program and sits on the Open Society Foundation board.