Maya Gilliss-Chapman
| Maya Gilliss-Chapman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Ratha Rath Cambodia |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation | Chief Executive Officer |
| Organization | Cambodians in Tech |
| Awards | 2016 Miss Cambodian American, 2nd Runner Up |
Maya Gilliss-Chapman (born Ratha Rath) is a Cambodian American social entrepreneur who is currently the Founder and CEO of Cambodians in Tech, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that aims to increase the number of Cambodians in the tech industry through community, education, and inspiration. Maya is recognized in Silicon Valley for her work around ensuring that diversity and inclusion efforts benefit refugees as well as other minority groups.
Gilliss-Chapman is the current Miss Cambodian American, Second Runner Up, and the reigning 2016 Miss Community Service for the Miss Asian American organization.
She has been featured on Cambodia's largest media outlets such as the Khmer Times, Khmerican, KhmerTV and VOA Khmer.
Early life
Maya Gilliss-Chapman was born in the Kandal Province of Cambodia while the Khmer Rouge was in power. Like many Cambodian children during this time period, she was an orphan but was brought to the capital city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The circumstances around her transport from Kandal to Phnom Penh remain unknown. She was brought to the United States of America in 1991.
Education
Maya attended the University of California, Berkeley and graduated with a B.A. in Legal Studies. Her research focused around international criminal law and Cambodian history. In 2012, she was awarded a research fellowship to study the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
Career
After finishing a research fellowship with the Center of Khmer Studies, Maya decided to transition from law into tech. She has held roles at small tech startups in Silicon Valley as well as large tech giants like Trulia.
Cambodians in Tech
Maya founded Cambodians in Tech in 2014 after observing a lack of diversity in the tech industry. She is one of the first Cambodians to pioneer efforts to increase tech opportunities for Cambodians and other refugee communities. In 2016, Cambodians in Tech became a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Since its inception, CiT has grown to have members across the United States as well as in four countries around the world. They are the first to build a bridge between Silicon Valley and Cambodia which kicks off with Hackathon SVtoPP in Phnom Penh. The hackathon gives aspiring Cambodian tech entrepreneurs direct access to successful entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.
Pageantry
In 2016, Maya became the first delegate in seven years to represent Cambodia in the Miss Asian America and Miss Asian Global pageant. She was awarded the merit-based title of Miss Community Service for her work with Cambodians in Tech. She was also crowned as the 2016 2nd Runner Up for Miss Cambodian American. She uses the title to encourage more Cambodian women to be business women and entrepreneurs.
References
- ↑ "INTERVIEW: MAYA GILLISS-CHAPMAN, FOUNDER OF CAMBODIANS IN TECH". Geeksincambodia.com. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
- ↑ "LIVE: ខ្មែរអាមេរិកាំងក្នុងវិស័យបច្ចេកវិទ្យា Connecting Cambodians in Silicon Valley Sophat Soeung VOA talks to Maya Gilliss-Chapman in Palo Alto, CA, talking about Cambodians in Tech". Watch.khmernews.today. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
- ↑ "Maya Gilliss-Chapman | Miss Asian Global & Miss Asian America Pageant". Missasianamerica.com. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
- ↑ "Interview: Maya Gilliss-Chapman, Founder of Cambodians in Tech". Gocambodia.info. 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
- ↑ "The network of Cambodians shaking up the tech industry". Cambodians in Tech. 2016-07-16. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
- ↑ http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31581/hackathon-svtopp-to-kick-off-in-late-november/
- ↑ http://khmer.voanews.com/a/3607494.html
- ↑ http://www.voacambodia.com/a/initivative-seeks-to-build-a-bridge-between-silicon-valley-and-cambodia/3607024.html