#125 Dr. Tara Chklovski founder of the world's largest tech entrepreneurship program for girls

Prepare to be inspired as Dr. Tara Chklovski, founder and CEO of Technovation, shares her remarkable journey from growing up in India to building the world"s largest female tech talent network. Against the backdrop of a culture that traditionally prepared girls for marriage rather than careers, Tara"s extraordinary family defied norms – her grandmother founded a school at 65, her mother became an army doctor at 43, and her father taught her mechanical skills from childhood. This foundation of strong role models and hands-on technical experience propelled Tara from aerospace engineering to founding Technovation, which now reaches 400,000 people across more than 160 countries. What makes her approach revolutionary? Rather than simply teaching coding skills that might quickly become obsolete, Technovation focuses on real-world problem-solving through entrepreneurship and cutting-edge AI education. The results speak volumes – 76% of program participants go on to pursue STEM careers, an unmatched success rate Tara attributes to meaningful mentorship. When paired with a mentor, girls have a 95% program completion rate compared to just 10% for typical online courses. This human connection makes all the difference in a girl"s technological journey. Looking ahead, Tara shares her bold 15-year strategic vision to reach 25 million young women worldwide – a plan informed by her research showing AI education for girls represents a $200 billion opportunity for the global economy. Her insights on innovation, relevance, and the courage required to pursue ambitious goals offer valuable lessons for anyone seeking to make lasting impact. Want to be part of this transformative movement? Become a mentor and help shape the next generation of female tech leaders while gaining hands-on experience with entrepreneurship and AI. Your involvement could be the difference that changes a young woman"s life – and perhaps the future of technology itself. Tune in to this inspiring interview and reach out and let me know what you think. Resources:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarachk/ https://www.technovation.org/  Thank you to our supporting partner:  Learn more about AnitaB.org  Support the show When you subscribe to the podcast, you are supporting our work"s mission, allowing us to continue highlighting successful women in a variety of careers to inspire others helping pay our wonderful editor, Chris, and helping me in paying our hosting expenses. 🎉