Enuma CEO Sooinn Lee Named Schwab Foundation Social Innovator of the Year for Contributions to Increasing Access to Education Around the World
Sooinn Lee is one of 23 change-makers being recognized for responding to the needs of those disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Sooinn Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Enuma, Inc., which provides digital early learning solutions that are accessible to all children, has been named a Schwab Foundation Social Innovator of the Year 2020 in the Social Entrepreneur category. Lee is being recognized as one of 23 change-makers responding to the needs of those disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and is one of the few awardees in the education field. Lee will accept the award during the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Summit at 5:00am Pacific Time on 22 September.
"COVID-19 is widening the gap between those with resources and access, and those without," says Sooinn Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Enuma. "We want to help all children learn in spite of this global pandemic, regardless of their circumstance." Enuma has been tackling issues of equity and inclusion in education through the use of technology long before the pandemic. Since its founding, Enuma's solutions have enabled self-directed learning for children across a wide range of abilities and contexts, including remote villages and refugee camps without internet or teachers. In response to the education crisis caused by the global pandemic, Enuma made its early learning program Kitkit School available for free through 2021, with the support of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Kitkit School does not require wifi once installed on a tablet, and is currently available in English and Swahili. Enuma aims to increase the number of languages and cultures where it can be used.
"I'm a game designer and my husband/co-founder is an engineer," says Sooinn Lee. "When our son was born with special needs, we made the decision to focus on using technology to help all children learn independently." They founded Enuma in 2012, and their products have now reached over eight million people across six continents.
This is not the first time Enuma and Lee have been recognized internationally. In 2019, Enuma's Kitkit School was named a co-winner of the Global Learning XPRIZE, which challenged teams to develop open-source, scalable software that would enable children without access to schools to teach themselves basic reading, writing and math within 15 months. In 2017, Lee was named an Ashoka Fellow for changing the paradigm of basic education through child-centered learning.
The Schwab Foundation social innovator awardees are being recognized for driving significant social and environmental impact in service of vulnerable and excluded communities. They were selected based on their innovative approach and potential for global impact. "The Social Innovators of the Year 2020 represent a new ecosystem of leaders who are driving change and shifting organizations and systems towards a more just, inclusive, sustainable future," said Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
About Enuma, Inc.
Enuma is a mission-driven company that creates exceptional learning apps to enable all children, including children with special needs, to become independent learners. The name Enuma comes from the word enumerate, or to name one by one, which underscores our commitment to every child's individual success.
Enuma's products include Todo Math and Todo English with over 8 million downloads worldwide, along with Kitkit School, a tablet-based learning suite for early learners that co-won the Global Learning XPRIZE. Enuma was founded in 2012, and is headquartered in Berkeley, California with offices in Seoul and Beijing.
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Notes to editors
Visit Enuma: https://enuma.com/
Visit Kitkit School: http://kitkitschool.com/
Request free access to Kitkit School: http://kitkitschool.com/download-request/
For more information on the Schwab Foundation Social Innovators of the Year 2020, visit https://www.schwabfound.org/
SOURCE Enuma, Inc.
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