GirlTech.
Tech power in your hands.
The Team Behind GirlTech.
Like many great ideas, GirlTech was initially concieved in a college dormroom at 3am. It all started when we realized the only way forward was to take power into our own hands - and to help you "tech" it into yours. We aim to empower women by the use of technology.
Malala Khan
CEO and Founder
Malala Khan is a driven entrepreneur and an exchange student in the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of North Dakota. As a Junior at NUST-SEECS Islamabad, Pakistan she was passionate about two things: Women Empowerment and Engineering. From Peshawar, Pakistan, Malala is fluent in multiple languages. GirlTech is more a dream come true than a job for her. Malala also works with another startup drone company in Grand Forks, Snowy Owl Productions
Matt Dunlevy
COO
Matt Dunlevy is the CEO of Snowy Owl LLC and a drone enthusiast. Matt has been the CEO of several successful technology startups and serves as a lecturer in the School of Entrepreneurship at the University of North Dakota. Matt has a fundamental understanding of Aerospace Mechanical Engineering and has logged hundreds of flight hours in glider and powered aircraft and was in the Air Force Reserve for four years. He is wrapping-up an M.A. in History from the University of North Dakota. Matt’s considerable experience in the technology industry as well as his critical thinking abilities allow him to make precise, strategic decisions with confidence.
Board of Advisors
Bruce Djovic
Director, Centre for Innovation
Bruce Gjovig is Entrepreneur Coach and founding director of the Center for Innovation at the University of North Dakota, a program focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and private investment. Launched in 1984, the Center has been actively involved in over 770 entrepreneurial ventures and product introductions, raised over $140 M in entrepreneur capital, and their entrepreneur clients have created more than 6800 jobs across North Dakota.
Gjovig is a champion for entrepreneur causes including fostering innovation, tech incubators, tech parks, tech entrepreneur programs and seed and angel capital initiatives across the Upper Great Plains. He was instrumental in founding the Center for Innovation, the Skalicky Tech Incubator, the Ina Mae Rude Entrepreneur Center, InnovateND venture competition, ten angel Funds, the Beginning Entrepreneur Loan Program, the 45% seed capital tax credit, the Great Plains Chapter of AUVSI, the BioND Association, the UND Patent & Trademark Depository Library, the North Dakota Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, the North Dakota Business Innovator of the Year award, and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program in North Dakota - vital infrastructure for innovation, entrepreneurship and private investment to flourish. Gjovig serves as CEO of the UND Center for Innovation Foundation to support innovation, entrepreneurship and private investment that has raised over $30 million to date.
Gjovig holds leadership positions in several cultural, educational and business organizations. This includes being the co-founder of the national educational foundation movement for college fraternities/sororities started at UND in 1977. In 2008, Sir Gjovig was presented with the Knight of the First Class, Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by HM King Harald V of Norway. In 2014, he was presented the national Ronald Reagan Award by CPAC for his 30 years of promoting free enterprise, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Tim O'Keefe
Director, UND School of Entrepreneurship
Dr. Timothy P. O’Keefe, Ph.D., is currently the Director of the University of North Dakota School of Entrepreneurship. Dr. O’Keefe has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry including an University IT professor, an experienced IT consultant, and co-founder of a successful internet services company. Dr. O’Keefe’s research interests include electronic business and commerce, database design and optimization benchmarking, internet business efficacy and assessment, and the relationship between the information systems and records management functions in organizations. Dr. O’Keefe was recently honored with the 2013 Britt Literary Award from ARMA International.