Talita Boodhram

General Info

What will be your most valuable contribution to your TechWomen mentorship?

As a South African female founder of MiDesk, I bring a lived experience of building a grassroots innovation into a global, award-winning social enterprise. My journey from a high school science project to impacting over 5,200 children across 62 schools offers real-world insight into education, poverty and innovation in underserved communities. With recognition from the African Impact Challenge, Mastercard Foundation and CSI Legacy Awards, I aim to contribute a strong Global South perspective. I hope to enrich the mentorship experience by sharing my knowledge of leadership, cross-sector partnerships and scaling impact-driven solutions in emerging markets.

The Top Three Things I Would Like to Learn or Experience During my Mentorship

1. Build global networks to scale MiDesk's impact across emerging markets.
2. Learn effective strategies for fundraising.
3. Strengthen leadership skills in tech-driven social enterprises.

Mentorship Characteristic

• Visit an office or attend a site-visit
• Identify workshops or certificate programs to further my learning after the program has ended
• Focus on leadership skills building
• Present my current work to professionals in my industry
• Expand on a project that I’m working on in my current role at home

Ideal Company Type

My ideal mentor is a female leader in a large-sized tech or impact-driven company, with a strong focus on innovation, sustainability and product design. The company should foster a collaborative, mission-driven culture that values purpose alongside profit. I seek mentorship from someone experienced in scaling global ventures, building strategic partnerships and navigating fundraising for social enterprises. A mentor with a background in EdTech, hardware solutions, or emerging markets would be ideal. I values a mentor who is passionate about representation, youth empowerment and using technology to drive change in underserved communities.

What are three adjectives that best describe you in the work place?

1. Innovative
2. Driven
3. Strategic

What impact will your mentorship have on your career and professional path?

The 15-day mentorship will give me hands-on exposure to global best practices in tech innovation, social entrepreneurship and strategic leadership. I hope to develop new skills in scaling hardware-based education solutions, securing funding and building cross-sector partnerships. Learning directly from a U.S.-based mentor will help me explore how to expand MiDesk into new markets and lead more effectively in a global context. This experience will support my goal of impacting one million children by 2030 and strengthen my confidence and capabilities as a young African female founder working at the intersection of tech, education and impact.

After participating in the TechWomen program, how will you leverage your mentorship experience to make an impact in your home country?

After participating in the TechWomen program, I will leverage the experience to strengthen both the operational and strategic goals of MiDesk Global. We've established the MiDesk Global Foundation with the long-term vision of not only providing functional learning tools, but also creating a full-circle impact - ensuring MiDesk recipients have access to bursaries and academic support to pursue degrees and become doctors, engineers, lawyers and other changemakers. I will use the mentorship insights to grow this pipeline of opportunity, forge new partnerships and advocate for representation in education policies that empower under-resourced learners to reach their full potential around the globe.

Work History

Years of Full-time Work Experience

3

Primary Professional Focus

• Educational Technology and E-learning
• Individual contributor leading innovation
• Technical product marketing

Education History