TECHNOLOGY

Innovation is the creation, development and implementation of a new product, “ process or service, with the aim of improving efficiency, effectiveness or competitive advantage.

- Dr Ken Hudson

SHAPING LEADERSHIP WITH TECH

Innovation and technology are two terms that have become tied at the hip making it almost impossible to mention one without the other. While technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, innovation may be expressed as something new/transformed/different. My favourite definition of innovation is by Dr Ken Hudson; “Innovation is

the creation, development and implementation of a new product, process or service, with the aim of improving efficiency, effectiveness or competitive advantage.”

Keeping our focus on innovation and technology, we keep challenging the status quo and ask about the women who have used the space to shape the future of the spaces they occupy. According to Elaine Montilla (founder of 5xminority, Assistant Vice President and CIO for information technology at The Graduate Center, CUNY and an AMA Women’s Leadership Center presenter) we need more women in technology. No arguments from me there, in fact, I advocate for the cause. By now, we all hopefully acknowledge the gender divide where technology is concerned. In one of the articles I read by Ms Montilla, she highlights that with more women in the space there comes diversity which encourages more revenue, a different way of thinking and a greater pool of role models. There is a common saying that “when you educate a woman, you educate a nation”. I couldn’t help but think of a few women that I have found to be movers and shakers in the spaces they occupy, shaping and challenging the norm, while making room for other women to follow suite.

One such woman is Dr Puleng Makhoalibe who is the founder of Alchemy Inspiration. Dr Makhoalibe has a background in Computer Science and Statistics. As an academic, she spent the last decade exploring, researching, writing, speaking, and engaging with this open-minded world and hopes to spend the rest of her life unleashing the creativity of Africans and other emerging economies.

Above all, Dr Makhoalibe specialises in Design Thinking, Creativity, Facilitation and Training, Project Management, Innovation, Creative Problem Solving, IT Management and Strategy.

Ms Portia Mngomezulu

Technology has become a very powerful tool to promote/ influence a lot of ideas. I was really impressed with the way that the Obama administration was able to use technology and the social media platforms to drive their campaign and create an echoning wave of “Yes We Can”. A beacon of hope for Americans. This had me thinking about Dr Mamphela Ramphele who in 2013 had the guts to start a political party called Agang SA. Dr Ramphele is an activist, physician, academic, businesswoman, and political leader known for her activism efforts for the rights of black South Africans and her fight against South Africa’s discriminatory policies of apartheid. An innovative and gutsy move to create a political

Dr Puleng Makhoalibe

Then there was the inspirational Ms Portia Mngomezulu (passionately known for her PortiaM brand) who started from humble beginnings in 2011 and has now become a brand to be reconned with. Ms Mngomezulu is a former IT medical engineer at Siemens. Between the support of her family and establishments such as The Innovation Hub and SEDA, Ms Mngomezulu has created beauty products that are distributed in more than 20 chain stores and in different countries as well.

Her business started from her kitchen and thanks to technology and innovation, has now boomed to huge factories that create employment and turns over sustainable income.

party as a woman in a young democratic country it was. Her wave may have not been long lived, but felt like an earthquake and shall remain in the history books. I can’t help but think that perhaps technology and innovation were not optimised in support of her efforts.

How different things may have been if our use of social media was the same then as it is now?

Just as Ms Montilla indicated, with more women in the technology space a lot can be achieved. Looking at these three women who have shaped and influenced the way of thinking, become role models, and created jobs and revenue, the world would really be a better place with more women in tech. Innovation and technology is exciting as it cuts across all industries and knows no boundaries. We celebrate these women and many others across the globe who continue to push boundaries.