Today, technology keynote speaker Marita Cheng is one of the leading women in robotics and engineering However, Marita’s robotic and engineering destiny wasn’t so clear when she was a child. Her parents wanted her to be a doctor.

Then Marita attended a four-day engineering camp in her final year of high school. The instructors taught her how to build robots and construct mechatronic catapults. This experience inspired her to pursue a career in engineering and robotics. Even more importantly, the camp inspired Marita to encourage more girls to learn about science and engineering.

So in 2008, Marita founded Robogals to encourage young women to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Now Robogals runs free engineering and technology workshops all over the world in local communities.

Girls from primary to secondary school gain self-confidence and hands-on experience in STEM activities, while working closely with female role models. Like Marita, the girls get to do fun activities with robotics, computer programming, and engineering.

When Marita isn’t inspiring girls, she’s also creating robotic devices like the telepresence robot, Teleport, which allows people with a long-term illness or disability to attend school or work remotely. 

If you like to learn more about robotics or Robogals, contact BigSpeak Speakers Bureau to hire Marita to speak at your next conference or event.

Kyle Crocco is the Chief Creative at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, a UC Santa Barbara graduate, and lead singer of Duh Professors. He regularly publishes business book reviews, personal development insights, and thought-leadership articles on Medium, Business 2 Community, and Born 2 Invest.