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Marita Cheng
Founder at aubot - Forbes World's Top 50 Women in Tech - Keynote Speaker: Technology, Leadership, and Inspiration
Marita Cheng is a prominent Australian technology entrepreneur, recognized for her contributions to robotics and her advocacy for women in technology. She is the founder and CEO of Aubot (formerly known as 2Mar Robotics), a company that develops telepresence robots, including their flagship product, Teleport. This robot enables children with cancer to attend school remotely and assists individuals with disabilities in maintaining social connections and participating in work environments.12
Early Life and Education
Cheng grew up in Australia and pursued engineering at the University of Melbourne, where she noticed a significant gender disparity in her classes. This observation led her to establish Robogals, an initiative aimed at encouraging young girls to engage with engineering and robotics. Under her leadership, Robogals expanded internationally, reaching over 100,000 girls across multiple countries.134
Career Achievements
- Aubot: Founded in 2013, Aubot focuses on creating robots that enhance daily living. The Teleport robot has been utilized in hospitals, offices, and educational settings.14
- Aipoly: Cheng co-founded Aipoly, an artificial intelligence company that develops applications to assist visually impaired individuals by recognizing objects in real-time using smartphone technology.12
- Awards and Recognition: In 2012, she was named the Young Australian of the Year for her leadership in promoting STEM education among girls. She has also been recognized as one of Forbes' Top 50 Women in Tech in 2018 and was inducted as the youngest member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for her significant contributions to science and technology.125
Current Endeavors
Cheng continues to lead Aubot while also serving on various boards related to innovation and education. Her work emphasizes not only technological advancement but also social impact, particularly in making technology accessible and beneficial for all.145
Marita Cheng's journey reflects a commitment to innovation and empowerment, making her a notable figure in both the tech industry and the movement for greater female representation in engineering fields.
Highlights
I had lunch with the Premier of China 🇨🇳 and the Prime Minister of Australia 🇦🇺 in the Great Hall of Parliament House!!! I sat across from the Science Minister and we discussed my company. The highlight for me was catching up with my former floor tutor and the first person I met in Melbourne, the amazing, accomplished, award-winning author Alice Pung (she’s a pretty big deal)!!!!
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Fierce Girls series decided to feature me as a fierce girl, and had 11-year-old Yashica Chauhan write and read my segment for the show. Yashica does a stellar job in telling my story.
I’m so proud to be an ABC Fierce Girl alongside some amazing Australian women including Layne Beachley AO, Michelle Payne, Julia Gillard, Ash Barty, Bindi Irwin, Jackie French, Turia Pitt, Dame Nellie Melba, Veena Sahajwalla and Melanie Perkins.
I actually narrated one of the ABC Fierce Girl episodes myself a few years ago for their first season! The episode about “Ruby Payne Scott”.
To find out more about my story, my book, "Smart Girl Books: Marita Cheng" shares my story from the high-highs to the low-lows.
Links:
- ABC Fierce Girls - Marita Cheng, narrated by Yashica Chauhan https://lnkd.in/g8r_G6VE
- ABC Fierce Girls - Ruby Payne-Scott, narrated by Marita Cheng https://lnkd.in/g-HVZAc5
- Smart Girl Books: Marita Cheng https://lnkd.in/gsfs8vDp
#engineering #australia #australiaday #community #communitybuilding #stemeducation #stem #stemforkids #roboticsengineering #sustainable #socialenterprise #womeninstem #womeninsteam
