NAADIYA MOOSAJEE, civil engineer and head of WomHub

Why we think she’s brilliant: A civil engineer by training, Moosajee is, as she puts it, a serial entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of WomHub, a boutique incubator for female-led innovation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). She heads up the WomHub innovation team, where she develops incubator programmes and focuses on gender in AI and cybersecurity. Named as one of the ‘20 Youngest Power Women in Africa’ by Forbes magazine in 2014, she has also co-founded WomEng, a global social enterprise working on the development of women and girls in the engineering and tech industries. The initiative is part of a commitment by UNESCO to empower 1 million girls through STEM education.

In addition to serving on a number of local and international boards, Moosajee is also an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow and an accomplished speaker. She is regarded as a global leader when it comes to gender, inclusivity, business and innovation. Having won many accolades over the years, her career has seen her revolutionising the face of engineering through diversity, inclusion, innovation, entrepreneurship and education. To top it all off, she owns a restaurant group that runs three Turkish restaurants! What drives her: ‘I thrive on being able to challenge myself, but also I get bored easily, so I’m always looking for and chasing new avenues of growth. I think this is why being an entrepreneur works so well for me. I get to dictate new areas for us to explore!’ She says: ‘I’m currently focusing on new technology, especially cybersecurity and AI, as we move into the metaverse, or this idea of living in digital worlds. When more women are at the tech design table, we will have more equal and safer digital networks.’