Rana el Kalliny

A pioneering Egyptian tech entrepreneur who revolutionized online education access in Africa through scalable digital platforms

Introduction

Rana el Kalliny (born 1985) is an Egyptian entrepreneur and founder of Maktaba, a groundbreaking online education platform that has transformed learning opportunities for over 5 million students across Africa. Her work bridges the digital divide by providing affordable access to high-quality educational resources through partnerships with governments and NGOs. Featured in Forbes Africa's 2020 list of Top 100 Women Shaping Africa, her innovations have been adopted in 15 African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Early Life & Inspiration

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Rana's passion for education began at Cairo University where she studied computer engineering. Her 2010 internship with UNICEF in rural Kenya revealed systemic educational inequities. 'Children were using textbooks from the 1980s while holding smartphones,' she told TEDx Cairo in 2016. This experience inspired her to create technology solutions that democratize learning.

Innovation & Impact

Maktaba's breakthrough came in 2015 with its offline-first approach, allowing content access even in low-connectivity areas. The platform now offers:

• 20,000+ lessons in 12 African languages
• Government-certified vocational training programs
• Teacher training modules used by 15,000 educators

In 2018, her partnership with the African Union launched the Pan-African Digital Classroom Initiative, expanding reach to 300,000+ rural students. A 2021 World Bank study showed Maktaba users improved test scores by 40% in pilot regions.

Philosophy & Recognition

Rana advocates for 'education as a human right' through her LinkedIn platform and speaking engagements at MIT and Stanford. Her 2019 collaboration with Google.org provided $2M in infrastructure funding. In 2022, she received the Ashoka Fellowship for systems-changing social innovation.