Barbara Birungi should not be confused with Barbara Barungi.
Barbara (Birungi) Mutabazi (born 7 August 1986) is a female technologist. She is a co-founder and founding manager of HiveColab in Kampala, Uganda.[1] She is the founder of Women in Technology Uganda, an initiative aimed at helping women and girls pursue technology careers.[2] Prior to Hive Colab, Mutabazi was a member of staff at the African technology firm Appfrica.[3]
Barbara graduated with honors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, where she earned her MBA. She also holds a master's degree in Information Systems Management from the University of Salford in Manchester, UK, and a bachelor's degree in Business Computing from Makerere University. Additionally, she received a postgraduate degree in Project Planning and Management. While at Makerere, she volunteered at an orphanage, teaching basic ICT skills and providing career guidance to high school students, many of whom have become tech professionals. Barbara is deeply passionate about ICT for Development (ICT4D), innovation, artificial intelligence, and supporting women and girls in Uganda. She has mentored and taught over 300 young girls, aiming to increase female participation in STEM fields, and is committed to the advancement of Innovation Ecosystems and Financial Inclusion.
She won the Anita Borg Change Agent award in 2014 an award that recognizes outstanding international women (non-US residents with an emphasis on developing countries) who have created opportunities for girls and women in technology. She has spoken at several international events including at UNESCO, the United Nations, Motorola, the United Nations Development Programme, and ITU on the importance of closing the gender technology gap in sub-Saharan Africa over a period of 5 years. On 26 February 2013, she was one of several speakers invited by UNESCO to describe how e-science was being used in their country to strengthen the interface between science, policy, and society.[4]
In 2015, Women In Technology Uganda was awarded the project inspire grand prize, which is awarded to outstanding organizations supporting that enable and empower women economically.[5]