Only 22 and already creating ripples around Africa and the Middle East-- World, meet Evanna.
Evanna Hu, CEO of g.Maarifa, is using technology to exponentially increase the human capital in emerging markets. g.Maarfia just expanded services in MENA and Evanna shares with us initial insights into the region as well as what's behind her unrelenting dedication to change the status quo.
What inspired g.Maarifa to begin work in the Middle East?
We saw that the MENA region, for various and unique reasons, has the biggest problem with high youth unemployment. 26.5% of youths don’t have jobs in the region as opposed to the global average of 12%.
What has surprised you the most since launching in the Middle East? What have you noticed when working in this region and how does it differ from other areas g. Maarifa has worked in?
I’m surprised by the number of women in high powerful positions in companies and in tech. I always knew that Jordan is more liberal than most other Muslim countries in the region, but it still shocked me the first few months when I would walk into a potential client or investor meeting and meet with a female. Especially coming from East Africa, where I can safely say that 90% of my meetings are with older males, it is been refreshing to say the least.
I am continuing to be amazed by the passion and humanity in the Middle East (I’ve only spent a lot of time in the Levant). People genuinely want to improve society and are open to talking to people who are trying to affect change. This was especially true in North Africa, specifically in Tunisia, where I am impressed by the number of people who have heard of my idea and have gone above and beyond to help us set up legally and connect us to key people. The implementation of the changes can definitely be faster, but that will come with time.
What has inspired you to use technology to create change?
We chose tech as our platform because of its scalability. The biggest complaint about human capital development is that it’s very hands-on and can only reach limited number of people. We want to increase people’s access to quality information and enrichen their learning experiences as much as possible. So tech made sense as it can reach out to a massive number of people. At the same time, however, we don’t view technology as a panacea. In fact, for g.Maarifa, we see the best results and biggest impact when our technology is used in conjunction with occasional in- person training sessions.
What has been your greatest challenge and what advice do you have for other women who want to use technology to spur international development?
Our greatest challenge has been to stay focused. Technology is multipurpose and we have had a hard time deciding what to focus on while saying no or delaying other opportunities. This is especially true for startups or a new initiatives, when the world offers so many opportunities and you want to do everything at the same time.
Has there been someone who has inspired you? If so, can you tell us about it?
My mom and Madeleine Albright. My mom’s journey from an impoverished village in the China countryside to her current work position with a Ph.D. AND a MBA in the States has set an example for me to never give up and that there is always a solution to a problem. She’s the one who taught me to be optimistic while still being realistic. Most importantly, though she comes from a conservative background and is traditional in some aspects herself, she has never forbidden me from doing anything. And my journey and things I have done haven’t exactly been “normal”. I’m 22 and we are super close, so I still long for her opinion whenever I do something new. So the fact that while she might disapprove of something, she doesn’t forbid me has allowed me to explore life and the world without much burden on my shoulders.
Madeleine Albright inspired me because of her amazing accomplishments and because we come from a similar background. Both of us are first generation immigrants to the States and are interested in foreign policy and languages. She also fought and worked hard for the Secretary of State position and broke the glass ceiling more than once in her ascent. I really admire that.
How can companies get involved with g.Maarifa? What does a partnership look like?
We have two layers of partnerships: clients and strategic. A client partnership means that we work with the client on customizing its content for the mobile platform and the client uses our two way interactive system to train their end users. A strategic partnership is more diverse and can be with an academic institution, an aid agency, and/or an association. For example, we are partnered with an association of telecommunications operators because it is beneficial for both parties to be aware of each other’s work and how the technology can be adapted to other uses. We are also partnered with MIT Sloan School of Business through a program where they send students to help us with the business side while students get exposed to running a startup and emerging markets. We are definitely open to partnerships, regardless of its size and context. Just contact us!
Follow Evanna on Twitter to learn more about her journey.