Media-savvy female founders from Central Asia

Today, a successful IT founder is not just about the product, but also about personal branding. This ranking features female founders from Central Asia who are building IT companies while simultaneously becoming prominent media personalities.

Kazakhstan

Laura Vaigorova
CEO and co-founder of Smartestprep, a Seed-stage EdTech startup, and participant in the Stanford StartX program.

Yana Shoibekova
CEO of Citix, a Kazakh startup in smart city technologies, creating innovative solutions for the urban environment.

Elmira Obry
Founder of Foody.AI and serial entrepreneur, participant in the TechWomen emerging leader program and SelectUSA Global Women in Tech.

Asem Bolatzhan
Director of Women in Tech Kazakhstan, advisor to the Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, and founder of the Qazaq IT Community.

Laura Eralieva
CEO and founder of YAYA, a subscription platform for children's activities that unites over 250 centers across Kazakhstan and helps parents choose and book activities for their children.

Aziza Shuzheeva
CEO and co-founder of TechnoWomen. An expert with over 20 years of experience in GovTech, digital transformation, media, and community development.

Alina Abdrakhman
Entrepreneur and expert in education and urbanism, founder of YASSA EDU and managing partner of the Kazakh American University.

Yana Ten
Founder of ZebraEye, a medical AI technology for autonomous detection of rare eye diseases.

Dara Tumenbayeva
Entrepreneur and technical leader with experience at Amazon and SEEK Asia, currently founder and CEO of Black Swan and Doro, an AI startup in dermatology, and an active participant in Google Women Techmakers.

Rinata Ilyubaeva
CEO of Tumar Innovation Hub, leader of the AI and Data Committee at Compliance Association, and head of the Women in Tech Astana community.

Aruzhan Mede
Founder of AMAN Security Tech, a startup in mobile security solutions.

Aisha Orymbayeva
Founder of the Element programming school, which has been helping people master IT professions for eight years. Included in the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

Ainur Temirkhanqizi
Entrepreneur, CEO of the IT holding Globerce Capital, which unites companies in FinTech, delivery, marketplaces, and digital solutions.

Zuldyz Saulebekova
CEO of the Almaty Air Initiative, applying a business approach to solving Almaty's environmental problems together with leaders from inDrive and Sergek Group.

Kyrgyzstan

Dinar Ruslan
Founder and CEO of CODIFY, which teaches children digital skills and programming from ages 7 to 17, both online and offline.

Aizhan Alisherova
Founder of Startup Lab and impact investment advisor. Mentor to over 50 startups, launched over 20 accelerators and hackathons for young entrepreneurs.

Asel Sartbaeva
Chemist and entrepreneur, Associate Professor at the University of Bath, co-founder and CEO of EnsiliTech, and ambassador of the UNICEF Girls in Science program.

Aisuluu Zhamangulova
Product Owner and CEO of MUGALIM AI, developing an online platform for upskilling school teachers, university staff, and educational center personnel.

Kunduz Narynbekova
CEO of Inwork — a service for automating work time tracking with timesheets and reports in one click.

Aliya Chynybaeva
Director of Women in Tech Kyrgyzstan, an expert with over 30 years of experience in the financial sector of six countries, promoting initiatives to support women in the digital world.

Uzbekistan

Anna Ambrozevich
Director of Women in Tech® Uzbekistan, founder and consultant in personal branding and LinkedIn, expert in Customer Success and MarTech.

Dildora Atajanova
Founder of Teodora Goods and Dalatek, a platform for transparent and efficient work for farmers, technologists, and agricultural exporters in Uzbekistan.

Tajikistan

Zulfiaurunova
CEO of Take Care Mom, which created a digital platform supporting over 18,000 moms with tools for mental health, legal, and medical assistance.

Zarina Achilova
Director of Women in Tech Tajikistan. Founder and CEO of the outsourcing call center T@mos.

Rahima Nugmanova
Co-founder and CEO of the International Coding Academy, entrepreneur and researcher in EdTech, developing gamified digital solutions for teaching children programming.