Digitunity’s Co-Founder Dr. Yvette Marrin Honored with Leadership Award at the 2024 Women in Innovation (WIN) Awards in New York City

Dr. Yvette Marrin, co-founder of Digitunity, accepts the 2024 WIN Award in the Leaders category.

At this year's Women In Innovation Awards, held on October 25th in New York City, Digitunity co-founder Dr. Yvette Marrin was named the 2024 Leaders Award winner. This honor highlights Dr. Marrin’s extraordinary contributions to digital equity and her steadfast commitment to ensuring that technology is accessible to those who need it most. This recognition is significant as Digitunity celebrates its 40th anniversary - a milestone year honoring four decades of pioneering work to make computer ownership possible for everyone.

The WIN Awards, an annual celebration of visionary women who are shaping the future of innovation, is hosted by the non-profit organization Women in Innovation. Founded in 2016 to address gender disparities in the innovation sector, WIN provides a community and platform for women innovators to gain the influence and resources needed to drive meaningful change. WIN’s mission is to break down barriers for women in innovation by offering action-oriented programming and tools to build a world where women lead and define the future of innovation. 

Dr. Marrin’s nearly four decades of leadership in digital inclusion have redefined how reused technology can empower underserved communities. Her vision began in 1981 in Yonkers, New York, where, as an intern working with children with multiple disabilities, she recognized the transformative potential of technology. Driven to provide her students with tools for greater learning and engagement, Dr. Marrin raised funds to bring a computer into her classroom - an early step that sparked her pioneering work in technology reuse and digital equity. This dedication ultimately led to Digitunity, a national nonprofit devoted to making computer ownership possible for all who need it. 

Digitunity’s model of sustainable device ecosystems has set a standard in digital equity, inspiring other organizations to adopt similar approaches and amplifying the impact of technology reuse nationwide. By facilitating the donation of refurbished computers from businesses and individuals, Digitunity ensures that these devices are distributed through a network of 1,600 nonprofit refurbishers and partners. To date, Digitunity has facilitated the donation of over 465,000 technology items, creating opportunities for education, employment, telehealth, and community engagement.

“It was an incredible honor to meet Dr. Marrin in person at our Awards ceremony in NYC,” said Amanda Ramos, CEO of WIN. “After the announcement, she boldly took the stage and reminded us how important it was to dream big, to imagine possibilities, and to keep up our lifelong drive to innovate. The room full of women was so moved to learn of her legacy as a tech advocacy pioneer. We were humbled to award her leadership in powerfully walking the talk of inclusive innovation.” 

For more information on Digitunity’s mission to make computer ownership possible for all, visit Digitunity.org. Through promoting technology reuse and fostering community-driven deployment networks, Digitunity engages communities to create pathways to digital inclusion and expands opportunities for underserved populations. 

About Digitunity 
Digitunity is a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding computer ownership and advancing digital equity, ensuring that everyone who needs a computer has one. For nearly 40 years, Digitunity has been promoting technology reuse and fostering community-driven deployment networks to reach underserved populations. Through a robust national network of practitioners and partnerships, Digitunity generates and distributes donated computers to organizations serving individuals in need and provides expert guidance to states, cities, and coalitions on strategies to address the ongoing computer needs of communities affected by the digital divide. Learn more at Digitunity.org. 

Source: Digitunity