Opportunity

Too few girls have the chance to see themselves as technology leaders and changemakers. The lack of visible role models makes it harder for girls to imagine themselves in positions of influence. Today, AI is changing the world. Without targeted support, there’s a real risk girls could be excluded from building the AI solutions that will shape the future of their communities. Given our deep AI experience, we looked for a scalable way to go all in to help our people upskill girls in the technologies that will define tomorrow.

Solution

TAIFA – a partnership EY joined, led by Technovation and UNICEF – aims to empower 25 million girls and young women with AI education, skills and technology by 2037. In the Technovation Girls program, business professionals mentor girls as they choose a problem to solve, learn to create an app and pitch their ideas in a global competition. Empowering young women to innovate creates a ripple effect that in turn benefits whole communities. As Technovation CEO Tara Chklovski emphasizes, “Our goal is to bring the most powerful, cutting-edge tools to the most vulnerable groups so that they can solve their own problems.”

In 2025, more than 33,000 young girls and women across 100 countries joined the program. In one of many program upskilling events, this time in Hyderabad, India, 150 volunteers from EY, ServiceNow and NVIDIA supported girls in solving pressing community challenges through presenting their AI-powered solutions.

From apps that help visually impaired pedestrians cross streets safely to tools breaking down language barriers in health care, these highly creative projects showcase the problem-solving skills of young women who are given space to innovate.

Impact

Ninety-seven percent of participants report an improvement in skills, with a majority seeing improvements in coding, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving and confidence. Eighty-seven percent of alumnae pursue or plan to pursue STEM degrees, and 81% say the program influenced their career choice.

For EY Ripples volunteers, the benefits are equally transformative: 83% report increased creativity in their workplace, by opening up their own horizons, and 75% say the experience improved their team-building skills. What begins as mentorship evolves into shared momentum, as both learners and mentors leave better equipped to shape the future with confidence.

Get involved with or learn more about this program.