Ayah Bdeir - littleBits
Ayah Bdeir is the founder and CEO of littleBits, an award-winning library of electronic modules that snap together with magnets to allow anyone to learn, build, and invent with electronics. Bdeir is an engineer, interactive artist and one of the leaders of the open source hardware movement. Bdeir’s career and education have centered on advancing open source hardware to make education and innovation more accessible to people around the world. She is a co-founder of the Open Hardware Summit, a TED Senior Fellow and an alumna of the MIT Media Lab. Bdeir was named one of Inc. Magazine’s 35 Under 35, one of NY Business Journal’s Women of Influence, one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, one of Popular Mechanics’ 25 Makers Who Are Reinventing the American Dream, one of Entrepreneur’s 10 Leaders to Watch, one of the CNBC Next List, and one of MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35. Originally from Lebanon and Canada, Ayah now lives in New York City.
About littleBits™
littleBits is making hardware limitless and has one mission: to put the power of electronics in the hands of everyone. littleBits makes a library of electronic modules that snap together with magnets to allow anyone to learn, build, and invent with electronics—no soldering, wiring, or programming required. The company was founded in 2011 by MIT Media Lab graduate, TED Senior Fellow, and cofounder of the Open Hardware Summit, Ayah Bdeir.
The littleBits library includes 9 kits and more than 67 interoperable modules, with products sold in more than 70 countries around the world and in over 2,000 schools and maker spaces. littleBits products have won more than 25 tech and education awards including an acquisition into the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) permanent collection, IDEA Gold Award, Parents’ Choice Gold Award, Popular Science Best of Toyfair, Good Housekeepings Best Toy Award and Makerfaire Educator’s Choice and Editor’s Choice Awards. The company was featured in CNN’s “Top 10 Startups to Watch” in 2013. Ayah Bdeir was named one of Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business,” one of Inc.’s “35 Under 35” and “Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2015,” one of Entrepreneur’s “10 Leaders to Watch,” one of Popular Mechanics’ “25 Makers Who Are Reinventing the American Dream,” one of MIT Technology Review’s “35 Innovators Under 35,” and one of the CNBC Next List.
Social Media:
Website – www.littlebits.cc
Twitter – @ayahbdeir
Facebook – littlebits
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