Technovation Alumnae win recognition for their innovative uses of AI to address misidentification of medical plants and to reduce paper consumption
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award! We were blown away by the caliber and creativity of our applicants and how they are teaching their own communities to leverage AI as a tool for good. For the first time ever we have TWO winners. We are proud to introduce Ruvarashe Sadya from Zimbabwe and Carolyn He from the United States as our 2024 Alumna Changemakers!
What is the Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award?
The Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award recognizes alumnae who are currently working to solve a problem in their community. The 2024 award specifically recognizes alumnae who have integrated AI into their projects. The Alumna Changemaker Award is open to any alumna over the age of 18 who successfully participated in the Technovation Girls program. The project alumnae submitted did not have to be related to their project from when they participated in the Technovation Girls program, but it must have been worked on between January 2023 and the present.
2024 Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award Winners
There were so many great projects submitted for consideration this year! We were blown away by the innovative ways young women in our community are continuing to use AI to expand their visions for a better world. After a difficult deliberation, we selected 2 co-winners this year, for the first time ever!
Ruvarashe Sadya (Zimbabwe) for her project Dr. Roots
Ruva created Dr. Roots, an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot that identifies images of common medicinal plants. Using AI, the bot analyses user-submitted images to help prevent the misidentification and misuse of medicinal plants which pose significant health risks to the community. Currently, it works with seven popular plants in Zimbabwe: Madagascar Periwinkle, Guava, Ginger, Lemon, Mango, Moringa, and Aloe vera.
Using AI, the bot analyzes images submitted by users, classifies them, and provides information about each plant, including scientific and local names, physical descriptions, medicinal uses, preparation methods, and conservation status. All data about the plants has been compiled from public research papers. At present, the bot serves an educational purpose, enabling users to learn about these popular medicinal plants and how to identify them independently.
Dr. Roots is also an expansion of the work Ruva did as a Technovation Girls participant!
Carolyn He (United States), for her project A Sustainable Future (ASF)
Carolyn created A Sustainable Future (ASF), an AI-driven, nationally-trained data analysis tool to help schools and students reduce academic paper consumption. ASF leverages a synergistic, two-way approach to help schools and students reduce academic paper consumption. First, ASF’s Paper Consumption Model (PCM) is an AI-driven data analysis tool trained on national data sets that produces actionable cost- and print- reduction plans from a school’s easily-obtainable inputs. Next, ASF’s Paper Consumption Program (PCP) teaches students that aforementioned analysis to research, design, and implement an original PCM designed for their school: mitigating paper use while contributing valuable data to ASF’s national PCM. Most tangibly, ASF’s PCP offers students skill-building, resources, and support to conduct local research, inform district-level action, and recognize their agency for change.
Explore the A Sustainable Future website for yourself!
Congratulations to Ruva and Carolyn! We look forward to hearing more about your work in the months—and years—to come.
If you would like to learn more about the Alumna Changemaker Award and requirements, read our earlier blog post announcing the award.
You can also learn about more of our amazing alumnae on our Alumnae spotlight page, or by following us on instagram, facebook, and LinkedIn where we regularly share stories of incredible young women making a real difference in their communities.