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GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com | 17 TECHNOLOGY Adda Birnir Founder and CEO, Skillcrush Adda Birnir first made a name for herself while working as an associate producer at MTV. She later went on to build a tablet publishing business called Balance Media, with clients including MTV, WNYC, ProPublica, and Audible. Now, she's working on Skillcrush, an online platform for teaching digital literacy. At the ripe old age of 27, she is re-shaping the concept of learning to code, teaching the next generation of programmers and entrepreneurs. POLITICS Aung San Suu Kyi Politician Like the South African leader Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi has become an international symbol of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression. e pro-democracy leader of Burma (Myanmar) spent most of the past two decades under house arrest because she was fighting for Burmese people's freedom and human rights in the face of a crushing dictatorship. Separated from her family, she made unfathomable sacrifices, missing her children's developing years and the chance to say goodbye to her husband before he succumbed to cancer in 1999. In 1991, when her party won an overwhelming victory securing 43 out of 45 contested seats, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. e committee chairman called her "an outstanding example of the power of the powerless." After Aung San Suu Kyi expressed her intent to run for the presidency in Myanmar's 2015 elections, a dubious constitutional amendment was created to bar her from running due to her sons and late husband's British heritage. "e constitution says all citizens should be treated as equals and this is discrimination on the grounds of my children," she said. Neha Gupta Founder of Empower Orphans ENTREPRENEUR Neha Gupta was just nine years old when she visited her parent's native country of India. While carrying out her family's tradition celebrating birthdays by delivering gifts to orphans, Gupta realized that she wanted to do more for those children living in very poor conditions. When Gupta arrived home to Pennsylvania, she developed the idea for Empower Orphans, a global charity that has raised more than $1.3 million and helped over 25,000 orphaned, abandoned and impoverished children in India and the United States. Today, Gupta is an 18-year- old college freshman and was recently awarded the prestigious International Children's Peace Prize for her work and dedication to children in need. To learn more about these women visit our website at GravitasMag.com for interviews, videos and links.

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