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Pluralsight LIVE 2018: Announcing Malala Yousafzai on the Mainstage

May 8, 2018
 Pluralsight LIVE 2018: Announcing Malala Yousafzai on the mainstage

 

As the youngest Nobel Prize laureate to date and renowned female education activist, many of you know the story of Malala Yousafzai. She refused to be silent and risked her life for something that’s fundamentally important to us all: equal opportunity and the right to receive an education.

Since the age of 10, and even in the face of a Taliban attack on her life, Malala has continued to fight for the educational rights of girls and children around the world. And I’m proud to announce Malala will join us on stage at Pluralsight LIVE 2018 to share her passion for education and global access to fair and equal opportunities — something we also believe in strongly at Pluralsight.

Like Malala, many girls share a similar story. They’re denied a fundamental human right: education. More than 130 million girls are left without access to secondary education. Growing up in the northern Pakistan, Malala was born at a disadvantage simply because of her gender. Malala’s father Ziauddin, an educator, was determined to give his daughter the same opportunities as any boy. Like her father, Malala shared a love for learning and was fortunate to spend her childhood playing outside and venturing to new worlds in the books she read.

About a decade after Malala’s birth, war and violence disrupted her home and soon her school. In 2007, the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley where Malala and her family lived. In addition to banning things like playing music and TV, in late 2008, they issued a ban on girls going to school. It was then that Malala began to publicly campaign for the right to receive an education. And she hasn’t stopped since.

I’m thrilled to hear Malala’s story firsthand on stage at Pluralsight LIVE to share her courage and commitment to inclusive education. Last year at our inaugural LIVE event, this was one of our big themes. We heard from many leaders in this space. Hadi Partovi, the founder of Code.org and the Hour of Code movement, spoke openly about the lack of diversity in tech and how he’s set out to change that. Former U.S. Secretary of Education and Pluralsight board member Arne Duncan called attention to the communities and geographies “locked out” of opportunity. And we heard former First Lady Michelle Obama speak about her passion for children, education and the power of bringing more diversity to leadership roles. Welcoming Malala to LIVE 2018 will continue to build upon sharing what we can do as individuals and companies to create a more inclusive world.

Another big moment for us at LIVE 2017 was joining the Pledge 1% movement through Pluralsight One — our commitment to driving significant, lasting social impact by equipping people and nonprofits with the technology skills they need to create better lives and a better future for us all. We know that talent exists everywhere, in all parts of the globe. But, unfortunately, opportunity is not as pervasive. And it should be.

Much like the Malala Fund, which is dedicated to promoting education for girls throughout the world, we believe people, regardless of gender, race, religion, geography and socioeconomic status, should have access to quality education and technology. These unlock freedom, equality and opportunity.

On stage last year, I said “the next Sheryl Sandberg or Elon Musk — the next changemaker — is out there and could come from anywhere.” Malala is one of these people, and I’m so grateful she was encouraged from a young age to get an education and has chosen to continue to fight for it and pave the way for others. Welcome, Malala. We can’t wait to see what you’ll accomplish next.

I hope you’ll join us at Pluralsight LIVE 2018 to see Malala and other visionaries.


About Pluralsight

 Pluralsight provides the only learning platform dedicated to accelerating the technology skills and capabilities of today’s tech workforce. Thousands of companies, government organizations and individuals around the world rely on Pluralsight Skills to support critical technology skill development in areas that are crucial to innovation including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, software development, and machine learning. Pluralsight Skills provides highly curated content developed by vetted technology experts, industry leading skill assessments, and hands on, immersive learning experiences designed to help individuals skill-up faster. The company is headquartered in Draper, Utah with worldwide offices in India, Ireland, and Australia. For more information, visit pluralsight.com.