STEM tech business Elkei Education officially became a national awardwinner at the AusMumpreneur awards on the weekend of 7 and 9 September. Toowoomba based co-founders, Andrea Madden and Steph Piper have kicked another professional goal taking out third place in Big Idea-Changing The World category at the awards. Andrea and Steph are giving primary-aged girls the vision to see themselves in STEM (the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers.
STEM leader, Steph (a Maker space creator) and Andrea (mum of 3) have teamed up with the united purpose of sparking the interests in STEM for girls aged 8 to 12yrs and to challenge and inspire them to no longer accept the myth of “that’s too much for my girly brain!”. The AusMumpreneur Awards are designed to recognise the growing number of women who successfully balance motherhood and building a business in a way that suits their life and family.
“This award validates the message we have been striving to get out there with Elkei: reduce the gender gap in STEM industries and see a huge change in the world as we know it, for the better! I cannot say how much it means to win this category!” Andrea said. The Toowoomba co-founders have been running school holiday workshops and are currently developing the first round of ed-tech kits for retail sale. Andrea and Steph got back the week before the awards from China, where they were sourcing a high-quality manufacturer for the new kits. This award now launches them into the next phase of their business: a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to get the new kits manufactured and into the hands of willing little hands ready to change their world.
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