Ayah Bdeir
Ayah Bdeir
CEO of littleBits
Ayah's Accolades
Ayah was named
Entrepreneur Magazine's 10 Up and Coming Leaders to Watch and
Popular Mechanics' 25 Makers Who are Reinventing the American Dream in 2014 and on
Fast Company's list of Most Creative People in Business in 2013.
Q&A
What are the challenges of being
an entrepreneur?
Developing something new, that has never existed before, takes time. And solving real problems takes time. The highs are very high, and the lows are very low. Don’t give up. Devote time to your passion. And don't start a company just for the sake of starting a company.
You should only start a company if you are obsessed with the problem
you're trying to solve!
What do you love about your job?
Startup life is intense. You run fast and never feel like you're running fast enough. But the awesome thing is everyone is passionate and energized towards making the impossible possible!
What's been your proudest
career-moment?
I love going to events, demos, and workshops and seeing people use littleBits. I love seeing their faces light up—whether they’re young or old, the reaction is the same. First there’s this moment of wonder, followed by this moment of comprehension, and then comes the amazing moment of empowerment. You see them realize what they have the power to do themselves.
I love seeing this happen!
What would you like the next generation of girls to know?
I want them to not concern themselves with what others or society tells them they should be or be interested in. Feed your curiosity, find what makes you excited, get exposed to STEM/STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) as early as you can. STEAM doesn't have to be this profession that you do, it can exist in any profession or hobby or activity you like, whether robotics or arts and crafts or fashion or social activities.
How has your company, littleBits, made an impact?
littleBits is a gender-neutral platform that is designed to unleash creativity and instill a love of STEAM through the cycle of inventing. We get girls to fall in love with STEM by showing them how it fits in with hobbies they are already interested in. And we introduce new concepts via hands-on, project-based challenges. As a result, we see girls learning to code by inventing adaptive keyboards, or designing interactive games - thinking about the applications of STEM by solving real world problems with littleBits.
Advice for girls interested in STEM...
"Take part in STEM online courses, after school programs, robotics and coding camps. And it’s not a question of money or where you are, much of it is online and on YouTube. Lead your own self-discovery and lifelong learning journey. I highly recommend the Star Wars competition we're leading; participate at www.littlebitscompetition.com"