Avye Couloute is a passionate tech advocate, award-winning young coder and tech advocate, and an influential Project Influencer at DesignSpark-RS. She is also the founder of Girls Into Coding, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), which aims to increase girls’ participation in technology and engineering. Drawing from her own lived experiences as a young Black girl navigating the male-dominated tech landscape, Avye is a vocal and impactful racial equality speaker. Her mission is rooted in creating inclusive opportunities for girls from all backgrounds to engage with STEM. As a speaker, she tackles topics such as diversity in tech, intersectionality in STEM, youth empowerment, and dismantling barriers to participation for underrepresented groups.
Avye’s journey began at the age of seven, when she started attending coding and physical computing workshops. Quickly gaining skills and confidence, she not only became a regular participant but also began leading workshops. Noticing a clear gender imbalance in her sessions, she decided to take action. In 2018, aged just 11, she launched Girls Into Coding, a programme of hands-on STEM events for girls aged 10–14. Her initiative grew from a local grassroots effort to a national platform, engaging thousands of girls annually. Her early leadership in designing robots, fundraising for tech kits, and blogging about her projects helped establish her as a powerful young voice in the maker and tech community.
Avye’s work has received numerous accolades. In 2019, she was honoured with the Diana Legacy Award, followed by the FDM EveryWoman Award in 2020, recognising her as One To Watch. In 2022, she was named UK Young Engineer of the Year and earned a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Her technical and advocacy efforts, including an innovative IoT Air Quality Project with DesignSpark-RS, continue to be featured at national and international events, further amplifying her influence as a changemaker.
Avye speaks powerfully on racial and gender inequality in STEM, the need for diverse representation in tech, and the importance of early engagement and community-led solutions. She draws on her lived experience and technical achievements to highlight how marginalised voices can lead innovation. With a focus on inclusivity, her workshops and talks demonstrate her unwavering commitment to equality. Organisations hire Avye because she brings both authenticity and action, inspiring change and empowering the next generation to thrive in technology regardless of race, gender, or background.
