Marita Cheng

Marita Cheng is an inspiring and influential female motivational speaker known for her pioneering work in technology, engineering, and innovation. As a passionate advocate for women in STEM, she is often hired to speak at conferences, schools, and corporate events due to her extraordinary journey from university student to tech entrepreneur. Marita engages audiences with her personal story of resilience, vision, and determination, encouraging others – especially young women – to pursue careers in science and technology. Her speeches are rich with insight, grounded in real-world impact, and delivered with energy and warmth that makes her an unforgettable presence on stage.

Marita’s journey began at the University of Melbourne, where she pursued a double degree in Mechatronics Engineering and Computer Science. While still a student, she founded Robogals Global in 2008, an organisation dedicated to encouraging girls to study engineering and technology at university. Robogals expanded internationally, offering workshops and mentorship programmes that inspired thousands of girls worldwide. Her dedication to youth and education saw her appointed to the board of the Foundation for Young Australians in 2012 and later, several other advisory roles supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.

Her entrepreneurial achievements are remarkable. In 2013, she launched aubot (formerly 2Mar Robotics), which develops robotic technology to improve everyday life, including Teleport – a telepresence robot that enables sick children, people with disabilities, and the elderly to connect with the world around them. In 2015, during a programme at Singularity University, she co-founded Aipoly, an app that uses artificial intelligence to assist the visually impaired by identifying objects in real time. Her contributions to technology have earned her a place on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2016, recognition as one of the World’s Top 50 Women in Technology in 2018, and the title of youngest Member of the Order of Australia in 2019.

Marita is frequently hired as a speaker because she exemplifies what is possible when innovation meets compassion. Her unique blend of technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to social impact resonates with audiences of all backgrounds. Through her talks, she inspires people to think bigger, break barriers, and use technology to make the world a better place.