Waldo Waldman
"The Wingman" | Lt. Col. (ret.), U.S. Air Force | Decorated F-16 Combat Pilot, 65 Missions | NSA Speaker Hall of Fame | NYT & WSJ Bestselling Author
Marita Cheng
Founder & CEO of Aubot | Founder of Robogals | Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech | Member of the Order of Australia
Named one of the World's Top 50 Women in Tech by Forbes, Marita Cheng is a pioneering robotics entrepreneur who builds technology to empower people with disabilities and inspire girls into STEM. As founder and CEO of Aubot and creator of Robogals, she brings a unique blend of technical expertise and social mission to the stage, equipping audiences with strategies for innovation, inclusion, and impact.
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Marita Cheng biography
Speaker Marita Cheng is one of the world’s foremost advocates for using robotics and artificial intelligence to create a more inclusive society. Named one of the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech by Forbes and recognized as the youngest Member of the Order of Australia, Marita has built a remarkable career at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and social impact. She is the founder and CEO of Aubot, a robotics company whose flagship Teleport robot enables children undergoing cancer treatment to attend school from hospital, helps people with disabilities participate in the workplace, and allows elderly individuals to stay socially connected. Museums, coworking spaces, and security organizations have also adopted Aubot’s telepresence technology, while the company conducts ongoing research in robotic arms, virtual reality, and autonomous navigation.
Before founding Aubot, Marita noticed the stark gender imbalance in her engineering classes at the University of Melbourne and responded by creating Robogals, a global nonprofit that has introduced over 100,000 young women across more than a dozen countries to engineering and robotics through hands-on workshops. The organization has earned international recognition, including the Change Agent Award for women in tech and the Global Engineering Deans Council Diversity Award. Her selection as the 2012 Young Australian of the Year cemented her reputation as a generational leader in STEM advocacy.
From Lab Innovation to Real-World Impact
Marita co-founded Aipoly, an artificial intelligence application that helps visually impaired people identify objects in real time using convolutional neural networks. The app has been downloaded over 500,000 times and is available in multiple languages. She has also expanded her focus to education, developing a coding curriculum designed to take students aged nine to eighteen to university-level computer science proficiency and launching the National Computer Science Workshop for Australian students. A graduate of Singularity University’s flagship program, Marita serves on several advisory boards, including the Clinton Health Access Initiative’s Tech Advisory Board and the Victorian State Innovation Expert Panel.
As a speaker, Marita Cheng inspires audiences with actionable insights on robotics, artificial intelligence, women in STEM, and the entrepreneurial mindset needed to turn bold ideas into global impact. She is a sought-after innovation speaker who draws on her experience building multiple ventures from the ground up to deliver engaging, thought-provoking keynotes.
Marita Cheng Speaking Videos
Marita Cheng - If the blind could see
Marita Cheng - We Need to Teach Our Kids to be Makers
Marita Cheng Keynote Topics
Learn how Marita Cheng went from a small-town upbringing in government housing to becoming one of Forbes' Top 50 Women in Tech and the youngest Member of the Order of Australia. In this keynote, Marita shares the story of founding Aubot, whose Teleport robot helps children with cancer attend school from hospital, enables people with disabilities to participate in the workplace, and keeps elderly individuals socially connected. She explores how artificial intelligence and robotics are converging to create solutions that improve everyday lives, and offers practical frameworks for organizations looking to harness technology for both commercial success and social good.
As the founding CEO of Robogals, Marita led thousands of volunteers across the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and New Zealand to teach over 100,000 girls robotics. Achieving this required motivating and coordinating distributed teams entirely through digital tools. In this keynote, Marita shares the leadership strategies she developed to build community, maintain accountability, and inspire action across borders and time zones—lessons that apply to any organization managing remote or hybrid workforces.
From teaching thousands of girls how to build robots to helping the visually impaired navigate their surroundings to creating telepresence robots for people with disabilities, Marita Cheng has repeatedly turned ideas into ventures with global impact. In this keynote, she reveals the methodology behind her entrepreneurial success, drawing on concepts like three-month goals, accountability partnerships, and pushing beyond comfort zones. Audiences leave with a practical playbook for moving from concept to execution in any industry.
Marita Cheng founded Robogals after noticing she was one of only a handful of women in her engineering class. What started as a campus initiative has grown into a global movement reaching over 100,000 girls across more than a dozen countries. In this keynote, Marita shares evidence-based strategies for encouraging girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She addresses the systemic barriers that keep women underrepresented in tech and offers actionable steps organizations can take to build more diverse and innovative teams.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Marita Cheng
Why Marita Cheng?
Marita Cheng brings a rare combination of technical brilliance, entrepreneurial success, and social purpose to the stage. As the founder of three technology ventures—Aubot, Aipoly, and Robogals—she has directly impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, from children with cancer attending school via telepresence robots to visually impaired users navigating the world through AI. Recognized by Forbes as one of the World's Top 50 Women in Tech and honored as the youngest Member of the Order of Australia, Marita delivers keynotes that are equal parts inspiring and practical. She equips audiences with frameworks for innovation, team leadership, and building technology that serves humanity. Book Marita Cheng through Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring a world-class robotics and AI thought leader to your next event.
What are Marita Cheng's main achievements in robotics and AI?
Marita Cheng is the founder and CEO of Aubot, a robotics company whose Teleport robot allows children with cancer to attend school remotely, enables people with disabilities to participate in the workplace, and helps elderly individuals stay connected. She also co-founded Aipoly, an AI application that helps visually impaired people identify objects in real time, which has been downloaded over 500,000 times. Beyond her companies, Marita founded Robogals, a global nonprofit that has introduced over 100,000 young women to engineering and robotics across more than a dozen countries.
What topics does Marita Cheng speak about?
Marita Cheng delivers keynotes on artificial intelligence, robotics, entrepreneurship, women in STEM, remote team leadership, and technology for social impact. Her talks draw on her experience founding Aubot, Aipoly, and Robogals, offering audiences practical strategies for innovation and inclusive leadership. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to learn more about Marita Cheng's keynote topics and availability for your event.
What is Robogals and how did Marita Cheng start it?
Robogals is a global nonprofit founded by Marita Cheng while studying engineering at the University of Melbourne. Noticing the very low number of women in her classes, Marita organized fellow students to visit schools and teach girls robotics through hands-on workshops. The initiative has grown into an international movement active in over a dozen countries, reaching more than 100,000 young women. Robogals has been recognized with the Change Agent Award for women in tech, the Global Engineering Deans Council Diversity Award, and the YouthActionNet International Youth Foundation Fellowship.
How to book Marita Cheng as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Marita Cheng as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Marita Cheng's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Marita Cheng or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Marita Cheng speaking fee?
Marita Cheng speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Marita Cheng to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Marita Cheng.
How can I contact Marita Cheng?
We only work with Marita Cheng on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Marita Cheng and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Marita Cheng speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Marita Cheng for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Marita Cheng for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Marita Cheng is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Marita Cheng for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
