Khan Academy Founder Sal Khan Among Tech for Humanity Inaugural Prize Winners
Sal Khan of Khan Academy was honored by the Computer History Museum with its inaugural Tech for Humanity Prize. The Indian American entrepreneur is seen here speaking onstage during The LA Promise Fund’s “Hello Future” Summit on Oct. 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Rachel Murray/Getty Images for The LA Promise Fund’s “Hello Future” Summit)
India-West Staff Reporter
The Computer History Museum April 28 announced the inaugural Patrick J. McGovern Tech for Humanity Prize winners, with Khan Academy founder Sal Khan among the honorees.
Khan was honored as the Patrick J. McGovern Tech for Humanity Luminary for a lifetime of achievement and his extraordinary impact expanding access to learning worldwide.
Providing free online education to anyone, Khan Academy has reached more than 120 million registered users in 190 countries, CHM said in a news release.
Khan started Khan Academy in 2005 to help his cousins (and soon other people’s cousins). In addition to setting the vision and direction for Khan Academy, the Indian American entrepreneur still makes a lot of videos (although he’s not the only one anymore).
Khan holds three degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard.
“The Patrick J. McGovern Tech for Humanity Prize program is part of CHM’s expanding work in advancing tech in service to humanity,” said Museum CEO Dan’l Lewin in a statement.
“We decode technology for everyone, not only telling stories about the pioneers of our computing past, but also decoding our ever-evolving digital world with the stories of innovators creating new tech solutions today,” Lewin added.
Other winners of the inaugural award were Mercy Nyamewaa Asiedu and Michael Beernstein.
The Patrick J. McGovern Tech for Humanity Prize fosters a global community committed to tech for good, advancing work for social impact, highlighting role models, and inspiring the next generation of innovators, it said.
The awards honor the legacy of visionary business leader and technology publisher Patrick J. McGovern (1937-2014), the founder of global media company IDG, who was a founding board member of CHM’s precursor, The Computer Museum.
“We are thrilled to honor the remarkable legacy of Patrick J. McGovern with these outstanding Tech for Humanity prizewinners,” said Patrick McGovern, chair of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, which supports the prize. “Their innovation, leadership, and accomplishments serve as an inspiration for what is possible when we apply technology for the good of humanity.”
