Ayah Bdeir.

Ayah Bdeir is the Founder of littleBits, the educational technology company that creates electronic building blocks designed to make engineering accessible and fun for children.

Bdeir founded littleBits in 2011 with the vision of democratizing hardware and empowering everyone, especially kids, to become creators rather than just consumers of technology. The company's modular electronic components snap together magnetically to enable users to build circuits and inventions without prior electronics knowledge. littleBits has been used in over 20,000 schools and has inspired millions of children to explore engineering and electronics. The company was acquired by Sphero in 2019. Bdeir, who holds an MBA from MIT Media Lab, has been named to Fortune's 40 Under 40, Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, and Inc.'s 30 Under 30. She is a prominent advocate for hardware innovation, open-source hardware, and STEM education. Her work represents an important contribution to closing the gender gap in STEM-ensuring that the next generation, especially girls, grows up seeing themselves as capable of creating technology rather than just using it.