Joumana Rahime

Social entrepreneur

Joumana Rahime is a founder and technology advocate focused on preparing the next generation for a rapidly changing world. As the Founder and Executive Director of Potentia360, she designs programs that introduce high-school girls to AI, innovation, and future-driven careers. Her work centers on helping students understand how technology is reshaping every industry and giving them the tools to participate, lead, and thrive within that transformation. Shaped by her own experiences learning to navigate tech-driven spaces, Joumana believes that early exposure, practical skill-building, and strong mentors can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. Through initiatives like Inspire360 Industry Days, the Potentia Leadership Summit, and AI enrichment projects, she brings companies, professionals, and students together to spark curiosity, expand opportunity, and cultivate purpose-driven leadership. Her guiding belief is simple: when young people get the right support and experience at the right time, they don’t just prepare for the future, they help shape it.

1. Preparing youth for the future of work 2. The impact of AI on daily life 3. Leadership development for teens 4. Industry exposure and real-world learning

Young people should not have to wait until college or beyond to understand the world they’re inheriting. With the right exposure and guidance early on, they can become confident problem-solvers who shape the future rather than simply adapt to it.

Designing equitable pathways into emerging technologies, Empowering young women to lead in a tech-driven world, Mobilizing community ecosystems to prepare future leaders

I’ve always been a technologist. I studied technology, built my career in technology, and believed deeply in its ability to expand what’s possible. When my kids were in middle school, I wanted them to grow up with the same confidence around innovation that shaped my own career. So I started searching for programs, clubs, and learning opportunities that would help them understand the world being built around them. But our community offered very few. So I did what parents often do when the path doesn’t exist: I built one. What began as simple workshops in coding and hands-on tech soon led me deeper into conversations about the future, automation, and the skills young people would need. And that’s when I experienced the moment that changed everything. I brought home a humanoid robot named NAO, excited to explore what the future might look like for my students. When I sat in front of the robot to test its facial recognition, it didn’t register me. I moved closer. Nothing. I tried again. Still nothing. But when my husband stepped in, NAO recognized him instantly and even greeted him back. That single moment, being “invisible” to a machine designed to interact with humans, shifted something in me. It wasn’t just a glitch. It was a glimpse of a future being built with gaps, blind spots, and unintended consequences. And I couldn’t shake the question: If technology can fail to see some of us today, what else will it fail to see tomorrow? That moment redirected everything. I began studying AI, emerging technologies, and the systems shaping their development. I saw how fast the world was changing and how unprepared many young people were, not because they lacked ability, but because they were never invited to understand the technologies shaping their lives. So I built Potentia360, a place where high-school girls can step inside real industries, meet leaders, build skills, understand AI, and see themselves in the future they are stepping into. A place where curiosity turns into capability. Capability into leadership. Leadership into lifelong confidence. My mission is simple: If the future is being written by technology, then young people deserve a pen in their hand, not a script to follow. That’s my story. And that is why I do this work.

1.Turning complex ideas into simple, engaging learning experiences. 2. Spotting potential in people long before they see it in themselves. 3. Seeing the big picture and the small details at the same time.