SmartGurlz CEO Sharmi Albrechtsen Named Wentworth Woman of the Year
Robotics aficionado, educator, author and mom, and CEO and co-founder of SmartGurlz Sharmi Albrechtsen has been named Wentworth Institute of Technology’s 2022 Woman of the Year.
A fast-growing start-up company focusing on closing the gender gap in technology, SmartGurlz is a line of friendly self-balancing robots and action dolls that engage and encourage girls to learn to code. Connected via smartphone or tablet, SmartGurlz allows girls ages six and up to immerse themselves in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
Albrechtsen’s robotics company is the first to focus on girls and was featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” Albrechtsen battled more than 40,000 companies to get placed.
Albrechtsen will serve as the keynote speaker for the 15th annual Women@Wentworth event on March 31. President Mark Thompson and Nicole Price, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will also speak, in addition to Women at Wentworth Endowed Scholarship Recipient Catherine "Cat" Roden, Construction Management '23.
Sharmi Albrechtsen began her career as an author and journalist and spent the last decade in communication and consumer education in STEM companies focusing on health and wellness. She was the managing director of the Ida Institute, a non-profit organization whose mission was to empower adults and children to overcome hearing disabilities.
In 2016, Sharmi started SmartGurlz after she became frustrated when trying to find educational but fun toys for her daughter. She saw a world of opportunity with tech fun, coding and digital learning for girls and at the same time inspiring interest in STEM related subjects.
As CEO, she is the visionary backbone of the company, ensuring that the company develops, markets and sells innovative products. SmartGurlz Partners include BlackGirlsCode, Girl Scouts of America and DigitalGirl Inc.
This year, INC MAGAZINE named her one of America’s top 100 female founders for her tireless work during the Covid-19 pandemic where SmartGurlz ran virtual coding camps for children stuck at home.
Sharmi was recently named a Morgan Stanley Multicultural Lab fellow and AdWeek's Disruptor Award, in Championing Gender Diversity in Advertising and Tech. She has also been named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 by the IEEE (the largest engineering association in the world).
She has been featured in countless media interviews including Forbes, Huffington Post, Financial Times, Fox Business News, Fox and Friends and CNN.
Teradyne is the premier sponsor of the Women@Wentworth event. This year’s event marks the 50th anniversary of women attending Wentworth.
Those interested in attending may register on Wentworth’s Alumni website.