We live in a knowledge society, one where digital literacy is everything.

Communication today is largely conducted in a digital realm. No longer is in-person engagement the norm, not when digital devices have become the platform of choice for purposes of expression, of advocacy, of conversation.

With over 2.5 billion internet users and a global penetration rate of internet connectivity at 35%, now more than ever, an understanding of digital technology has become paramount. It isn’t surprising then that education reforms globally are looking to integrate technology into core curricula as a means of keeping pace with a constantly evolving digital information age, and to facilitate the transition from a classroom environment to the job market.

No one understands this better than Roya Mahboob

Roya Mahboob is a serial entrepreneur forced to flee Afghanistan for New York in 2014. She focuses on building #DigitalLiteracy for women and children in developing countries. Her personal goal for #DigitalLiteracy is to bridge the gap between education and job markets, by offering practical online skills. Roya pursues this through her new company and platform EdyEdy for women and youth in developing countries.

Roya Mahboob is a board member and president of the Digital Citizen Fund, formerly “Women’s Annex Foundation”, a non-profit that aims to increase women’s technological literacy and provide employment and educational opportunities for girls and children in developing countries like Afghanistan. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Forbes School of Business of Ashford University, Resolution Project and the Global Thinkers Forum Organization.

Roya was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2013 for her work in building Internet classrooms in high schools in Afghanistan.

The TIME 100 essay was written by Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, who is also the author of “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead”.

Roya is also a member of the 2014 Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards, Civic Innovators, Young Leader of World Economic Forum and The Advancement of Gender Equality Through Education.