October 23, 2009
Ella Silverman (M.R.P. ‘05), executive director of World of Good Development Organization, has been selected as one of the 15 laureates in the annual Tech Awards, which recognizes organizations for applying technology to benefit humanity and spark global change. Silverman and her colleague Audrey Seagraves are being honored in the equality category for the development of the Fair Wage Guide software.
The Fair Wage Guide provides localized pricing evaluation of handmade goods to improve wages for female workers. The free web-based platform encourages ethical trade by comparing wages worldwide. To date, the software has helped to increase the incomes of more than 25,000 women in over 60 countries throughout the developing world.
“The Tech Award is an incredible honor, recognizing individuals and organizations whose ideas and execution of those ideas are changing the world,” said Silverman. “We are proud to be among those recognized for their contributions, and will continue to develop solutions that improve the economic livelihood of women throughout the developing world.”
The Tech Awards (Technology Benefiting Humanity) is the signature program of the Tech Museum in San Jose, CA. The program honors 15 global innovators who are addressing critical issues facing the planet and its people in five universal categories: environment, economic development, education, equality, and health. One laureate in each category will receive a $50,000 cash prize at the annual awards gala in San Jose in November. World of Good’s entry was selected from among more than 600 nominees, representing 66 countries.
“The global challenges of the day have become increasingly strident, more deeply rooted,” said Peter Friess, president of the Tech Museum. “Still, there is hope. These incredibly impressive laureates have all proven to be equal to, or better than, the challenge to make the world a better place. By celebrating their accomplishments today, we are encouraging future innovators to work toward solutions to make the world healthier, safer and more sustainable.”
The World of Good Development Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2004. The group focuses on building strategies to substantially improve economic and social conditions for millions of women and adolescent girls in the developing world living on less than $2 a day.
