Kerubo’s journey: Turning curiosity into digital empowerment

Hackathons have evolved beyond just coding marathons. They are creative platforms where ideas are combined with urgency, collaboration promotes innovation, and bold solutions are developed. The act of developing solutions to real world problems has enabled young women in tech to use hackathons as a powerful platform to demonstrate skills and combat stereotypes. One such narrative is that of Annmaria Kerubo, a young Kenyan computer scientist, whose journey into technology reflects the spirit of the hackathon.

Kerubo is a Siemens EmpowerHer Ambassador and AGCCI alumna who describes herself as a ‘curious problem solver’. Her fascination with technology began at home. “Anytime I had access to a screen, I’d be glued to it,” she recalls. A playful question from her mother whether she was training to be a computer engineer planted a seed. What started as a childhood joke became a career-defining pursuit.

Computer science was never about screens for Kerubo, it was a path to discover. “You’re problem solving, you’re creating, you’re always learning,” she says. This combination of logic and empathy informed her sensibility that technology is most effective when it enhances people’s experiences.

Programmes such as AGCCI and Siemens EmpowerHer opened her eyes to her own personal experience with the digital gender gap, and the need for representation in technology. “Working on that experience really refueled my desire to create solutions that help women, and to be a spokesperson for girls going into technology,” she says. An example of this is her work on Malaica, a platform that ensures safer and more joyful pregnancy journeys for women in Kenya.

Much like a hackathon, her experience has included struggle, intensive learning, and moments of insight. “The tech space is demanding. The downside of all these new technologies is that there is always something new to learn. In many ways, it’s not just a career, it’s a lifestyle,” she admits. What has kept her going is the support of global platforms, mentors, and peers who gave her the space to test ideas, refine them, and see their impact.

This year, Kerubo will carry the hackathon spirit abroad when she attends One Young World in Germany, a global forum for emerging leaders. “Attending as a delegate will push me to think bigger, approach challenges with a global mindset, and spark new ideas,” she says.

Her ambitions are also for the world around her. “Having a solution is not enough, the solution also has to work and improve people’s lives,” she says. The solution for Kerubo is a combination of technology and empathy.

“Think big, be curious and don’t be afraid to take up space. The world needs your voice. Your perspective,” is a message she sends in her outreach to young women, a message reminiscent of the energy in a hackathon pitch, because technology is not just machinery, it’s about dealing with real world problems and moving the future forward.

Though a hackathon may be only 24 or 48 hours long, the creative and collaborative spirit lingers far beyond the actual event. Hackathons represent the culture of innovation under pressure, cooperation across boundaries, and turning big ideas into solutions. Kerubo’s journey embodies that spirit and is a reminder that when young women enter tech they don’t just belong, they become the future.