Paying Forward

User-specific platform empowering women with skills for entrepreneurship. It provides women with mentorship,workshops, and immerses them in the future-focused fields of smart cities and sustainability

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Inspiration

The inspiration for Paying Forward came from my own experience with gender disparity in engineering. As the only female engineer in a structural engineering firm, I saw firsthand the gap in representation, with other women only in non-technical roles. This disparity drove me to create a platform that empowers women with skills for employability and self-employment. My passion for smart cities also stems from seeing the daily struggles women face in informal settlements like Kibera. Working on the president’s affordable housing project in Kibera inspired me further; I saw how urgent sustainable, inclusive solutions are, especially for women.

What it does

Paying Forward is a platform dedicated to empowering women by building their employability and entrepreneurship skills. It connects women with mentors, offers curated workshops, and provides resources on sustainable city planning and SDG 11. For those with startups, it also offers guidance on funding and scaling. With personalized learning pathways powered by machine learning, Paying Forward creates an engaging, supportive environment tailored to each user’s growth and success

How we built it

To build Paying Forward, I created a responsive web page using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The platform integrates RandomForest regression powered by TensorFlow Lite, combined with Google Gemini’s capabilities, to create a personalized experience. With RandomForest regression, I could analyze multiple data points to better tailor learning recommendations to each user. Google Gemini helped optimize the platform’s recommendation engine, refining results based on user interactions. Additionally, the platform includes a city mobility simulator built with JavaScript and Python, allowing users to simulate urban traffic based on green space allocation. This feature, relevant for urban planning, faced challenges in maintaining real-time interactivity.

Challenges we ran into

Implementing these models wasn’t easy; deploying RandomForest with TensorFlow Lite required extensive optimization to avoid latency, as RandomForest models can be computationally heavy. Integrating TensorFlow Lite on the web also presented compatibility issues, which took time and troubleshooting.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I’m also proud of developing a city mobility simulator, something I’d dreamed of building as part of my passion for sustainable urban planning. This simulator was both ambitious and technically challenging, but it now serves as an interactive, educational tool that can inspire users to think about sustainable development. Another major accomplishment was building this entire web platform from scratch. As a university student with limited resources, I taught myself HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, dedicating countless hours to create a site that’s both functional and engaging. Finally, this project gave me a chance to address a personal mission: supporting other women in fields where they’re underrepresented. The mentorship and learning resources on Paying Forward are designed to empower women with technical skills, bridging gaps I’ve seen firsthand in the engineering industry. Bringing this vision to life and knowing it could inspire and equip women for successful, sustainable careers is an accomplishment I’m deeply proud of

What we learned

As a university student balancing coursework, learning these tools and overcoming integration issues was demanding but deeply rewarding. Through these challenges, I gained invaluable skills and strengthened my resolve to drive sustainable, female-led innovation in urban development

What's next for Paying Forward

Next steps for Paying Forward focus on expanding its reach, enhancing functionality, and building meaningful partnerships. I plan to grow the platform’s content by adding more courses and mentors in fields like digital skills and financial literacy, broadening support for women at all stages. Developing a mobile app is also a priority, ensuring accessibility for users in underserved areas who rely on mobile devices.

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