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| Juliana Rotich | |
|---|---|
| Name | Juliana Rotich |
| Birth date | 1978 |
| Birth place | Kenya |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Occupation | Technology entrepreneur, software developer, activist |
| Known for | Ushahidi, BRCK, iHub |
Juliana Rotich is a Kenyan technology entrepreneur, software developer, and civic technologist noted for co-founding Ushahidi and co-creating BRCK. She has worked at the intersection of humanitarian response, open data, mapping, and innovation, collaborating with organizations across Africa and internationally. Rotich's work bridges practical technology deployment with advocacy for digital inclusion and resilience.
Rotich was born in Kenya and grew up in Nairobi, engaging with educational institutions and regional networks such as University of Nairobi, Kenya Institute of Management, and community hubs that connected to initiatives like African Union programs and UNICEF outreach. She pursued tertiary studies in the United States, attending institutions linked to technology and development sectors including Worcester Polytechnic Institute and networks tied to MIT Media Lab affiliates and Harvard Kennedy School alumni events. Her formative years involved interactions with mentors from Cisco Systems, Microsoft, and regional innovators from Nairobi and the Silicon Savannah ecosystem.
Rotich's professional trajectory spans work with international organizations and private sector partners such as IBM, Intel, and development agencies including USAID and UNDP. She has been involved with entrepreneurship ecosystems at iHub, Nairobi Garage, and accelerator programs associated with Seedstars World and Techstars. Rotich collaborated with collaborators from startups influenced by Google, Mozilla Foundation, and networks like Girls Who Code and Women in Tech Global Movement. Her roles have intersected with philanthropic and research institutions including Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiatives addressing digital access in Africa.
Rotich co-founded a platform that emerged during crises with colleagues connected to Harvard, CrowdFlower, and humanitarian groups such as Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières. The platform she helped build was adopted by responders during events like the 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis, and informed mapping work used in responses to the Haiti earthquake and other humanitarian incidents that engaged actors such as UN OCHA and Human Rights Watch. Her team worked with developers from communities around GitHub, contributors linked to OpenStreetMap, and partners in research at University College London and Stanford University to scale crisis mapping, verification, and data visualization methods for civil society, media organizations like BBC and Al Jazeera, and investigative entities including Amnesty International.
Rotich has been active in promoting open data, digital resilience, and infrastructure projects with collaborators such as World Bank, African Development Bank, and civic networks like Code for Africa and Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative. She has spoken and consulted with policy and academic forums tied to UNESCO, ITU, and OECD panels on technology and development, and engaged with community tech spaces including FabLab initiatives and makerspaces connected to BRCK deployments. Her advocacy work aligns with initiatives from Open Data Institute, Wikimedia Foundation, and regional policy dialogues involving Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Information and Communication (Kenya)-linked programs.
Rotich's contributions have been recognized by institutions and award programs such as MIT Technology Review listings, honors from Fast Company, fellowships including Ashoka, and recognition by World Economic Forum communities. She has been featured in profiles by Forbes, The Economist, and acknowledged by regional awards hosted by Africa Leadership Forum and Tony Elumelu Foundation-associated events. Her work has also been cited in academic awards and conference programs at TED, South by Southwest, and Mobile World Congress.
Rotich participates in public speaking and mentoring through platforms like TEDGlobal, LeWeb, and university lecture series at institutions such as University of Oxford, Cambridge University, and Stanford University. She mentors startups in networks including 500 Startups and regional incubators tied to MEST Africa and Norrsken Foundation. Outside professional work, she is connected with communities and organizations such as African Women in Technology, Women Deliver, and cultural forums including Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française cultural exchange programs.
Category:Kenyan businesspeople Category:Living people