Sara Berkai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Khartoum, Sudan |
| Alma mater | University College London University of Oxford |
| Occupation(s) | social enterprise founder and STEM educator |
Sara Berkai is an Eritrean and British social enterprise founder and STEM educator. She founded the company Ambessa Play. In 2024, she was named to the BBC's list of 100 Women.
Biography
[edit]Berkai was born in Khartoum, Sudan, to Eritrean parents.[1] When she was a young child, her family fled from conflict in Eritrea and moved to London in the UK.[2]
During her A levels, Berkai attended the University College London (UCL) Widening Participation scheme's "Computer Science Summer School" and learned the Java programming language.[1] Berkai was the first member of her family to attend university.[3][4] She studied Information Management for Business at UCL then MSc Child Development at the University of Oxford.[5]
After graduating, Berkai voluntarily taught Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects to displaced children in Ethiopia and Eritrea.[3][6] She also worked for Amazon and Cisco.[1]
In 2020, Berkai founded Ambessa Play,[6][7] a social enterprise that co-designs DIY educational kits for children which support them to learn about STEM through play.[2][5] For each DIY kit which is purchased, Ambessa Play donate a kit to an out-of-school refugee for free.[8] By 2023, Ambessa Play had sold over 5,000 kits.[2]
Awards
[edit]- Pass It On Award (2020)[9]
- Young ICT Leader Award from the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (2019)[1]
- Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK (2023).[10][11] During British Science Week, Berkai and other Innovators met with the UK Science Minister George Freeman for a roundtable discussion about STEM businesses.[12][13]
- BBC 100 Woman (2024)[3][4]
In 2024, Berkai was honoured with a purple commemorative plaque at her alma mater, the University of Oxford.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Technology and Maths geniuses". 100 Faces – First in my family. Archived from the original on 19 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Meet Sara Berkai". The Stemettes Zine. Archived from the original on 21 April 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Meet The Women Of Color Transforming Tech On BBC's 100 Women List". POCIT. Telling the stories and thoughts of the underrepresented in tech. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Department alumna receives purple plaque for winning Innovate UK's Women in Innovation Award". Department of Education. 24 May 2024. Archived from the original on 14 November 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Ambessa Play and Pentagram launch DIY flashlight co-designed with displaced children". Design Week. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Co-Designing STEM Education with Underserved Children with Sara Berkai, founder and CEO of Ambessa Play". Literal Humans. Archived from the original on 27 March 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Creatives in the Industry: Q&A w/ Sara Berkai". A New Direction. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Sara Berkai". AnitaB.org. Archived from the original on 15 March 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ Innovate UK (12 April 2023). Meet the Young Innovators – Sara Berkai. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "UCL-supported women entrepreneurs receive Innovate UK awards". UCL News. 20 March 2023. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Minister meets Young Innovators". UK Research and Innovation. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Freeman celebrates science and technology as he meets Innovation Award winners". SCI: Where Science Meets Business. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.