Asia Sharif is a multi-award winning Software engineer, DE&I Advocate, founder and mentor. Despite facing unimaginable hardships—including growing up in poverty, spending time in foster care, and battling Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma the last 3 years, Asia has dedicated her life to creating opportunities for women and people from underrepresented and low social backgrounds, proving that adversity does not define a person, but how they rise above it does.

Her journey into technology was far from traditional. Coming from a non-technical background, she taught herself to code while balancing homelessness and the challenges of being from an underrepresented community. She quickly realised the stark lack of diversity in tech, especially for women and people of colour, and made it her mission to change that. In just a few years, Asia became a multi award winning engineer, inspired thousands with her story and she has mentored over 100 women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, helping them secure roles in some of the world’s top organisations.

Beyond mentoring, Asia has become a leading voice for diversity and inclusion in STEM, delivering keynotes, workshops, and training sessions to inspire and educate. She has hosted workshops on mindset, imposter syndrome, and confidence-building, helping people overcome self-doubt and believe in their potential. She has even extended her impact to the education sector, recently leading a workshop for teachers across the UK, equipping them with the knowledge to better support neurodivergent students and those from low-income backgrounds. Her work has helped reshape the way educators approach diversity, ensuring that the next generation of students receives the encouragement and support they need to thrive.

While fighting cancer, enduring countless rounds of chemotherapy, relapses, and hospital stays, Asia never stopped advocating for others. Instead of stepping back, she stepped forward, continuing to uplift those who need it most. Even in the most challenging moments of her treatment, she was delivering keynote speeches, supporting mentees, and leading diversity initiatives. Her ability to keep giving, even while facing personal hardship, is nothing short of extraordinary.

One of her most personal and urgent missions has been advocating for stem cell donor registration among ethnic minority communities. As a Somali and Moroccan woman, Asia has struggled to find a stem cell match due to the lack of diversity in donor registries. But instead of simply accepting this devastating reality, she has used her voice to raise awareness and drive change. She has worked with DKMS and Anthony Nolan, hosting stem cell donor drives to encourage people of colour to register and save lives—not just for herself, but for countless others facing the same barriers.

On top of all of this, Asia is the founder of ChainVerse, a tech startup designed to revolutionise communication for incarcerated individuals and their families. She believes in using technology as a force for social good, breaking barriers and ensuring marginalised communities are not left behind. Although, due to health Asia has had to pause ChainVerse, I am confident she will continue once she is regained her strength.

Asia’s story is one of strength, compassion, and an unbreakable will to make a difference. She does not just inspire—she actively creates change. Despite every obstacle, she chooses to fight—not just for herself but for others who feel unseen and unheard. She is a role model for resilience, hope, and unwavering dedication to lifting others up, even when carrying the weight of her own battles. Asia is an inspiration for the tech industry.