Shirin Laor-Raz Salemnia

Shirin Laor-Raz Salemnia is the Founder and CEO of WhizGirls Academy and PlayWerks , an interactive media company that creates immersive games and experiences. At WhizGirls Academy students engage in project based learning with tech literacy while acquiring coding skills, entrepreneurship tools, and building confidence as members of their communities with a healthy balanced lifestyle slant.

As a thought leader and tech pioneer, she has created programs for The White House Council of Women and Girls and collaborated with President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and former VP and now President Joe Biden at the Reach Higher Summit at the White House where they announced a commitment to serve 25,000 inner-city children and adults nationwide. Salemnia is also a TEDx speaker and was an esteemed panelist at the Milken Institute Global Conference, one of the most prestigious conferences in the world.

Salemnia has been honored with these exemplary distinctions: The Los Angeles City Pioneer Woman of the Year, Tribeca Disruptor Innovation Fellow, and the IJWO Woman of the Year awards. Salemnia was an adjunct professor at the USC School of Engineering teaching a course on social impact and entrepreneurship. Salemnia was on the Advisory Board of the Interactive Media Peer Group at the Television Academy. Salemnia hosted the from Idea to Game concept workshop for X Prize in 2020.