Jamaican-born aerospace engineer Ayanna Samuels is set to deliver an inspiring address as the keynote speaker at Flow’s highly anticipated second annual Girls in ICT Day Expo.

The event, scheduled for Thursday, April 25, will take place in Kingston and St Andrew and will be attended by approximately 300 third-form students from across the country.

Samuels says the invitation from Flow, a leading local telecommunications and entertainment service provider, easily conjured up a definitive yes.

“To be able to lift as you climb is a great honour. The remit of Girls in ICT Day is to create awareness of the acute need for more girls and women in the global ICT sector. As a proud Jamaican woman working in this sector internationally, it is my greatest privilege to be able to light a fire of inspiration in my fellow Jamaican girls,” Samuels said in a press release.

A distinguished alumna of Campion College, Samuels boasts a track record of academic excellence, having earned two MSc Degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Technology Policy and Aerospace Engineering, respectively. She also holds a BSc in Aerospace Engineering with Information Technology from the same prestigious institution. Currently, she is completing her PhD in Oslo, Norway. Her research focuses on promoting the creation of diverse and gender-inclusive innovation systems.

“My lived experience as a black woman aerospace engineer from the Global South has meant I have experienced the need for more balanced tables at the pinnacles of digital innovation and key decision spaces. This inspired me to create the change I can glaringly see is needed in the world,” said Samuels.

Among the attendees eagerly awaiting Samuels’ address is 14-year-old Jada Wright, a child prodigy and student at the University of Technology, who will engage her in a fireside chat during the event.

In emphasising the event’s significance, Marilyn Sealy, Senior Director, Head of Communications at Flow’s parent company Cable and Wireless Communications, said the expo aligns with the company’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) agenda.

“We pride ourselves on championing the cause of women in all spaces, particularly in ICT, which is our industry. Representation is paramount, and having women at the forefront of the ICT sector is crucial. To achieve this, we must start with empowering our young women,” said Sealy.

Daryl Vaz, Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications, and Transport, along with Senator Dana Morris Dixon, will offer greetings at the event.

Flow’s Girls in ICT Day Expo is endorsed by the International Telecommunications Union, the United Nations body responsible for establishing the calendar day.

Approximately 25 schools have registered for the event, which will feature a coding competition hosted by STEM Builders Learning Hub and displays from entities across Academia, Government, and the Private Sector.

Flow’s partners for the event include The University of Technology School of Computing & IT, The University of the West Indies, Jamcoders, The Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance, The Jamaica Constabulary Force, Real Decoy, The Universal Service Fund, The HEART VTDI, Northern Caribbean University, Virtual Reality Jamaica, and Ngage.

Flow’s 2024 Girls in ICT Day Expo is being held under the theme ‘Inspire Leadership’.