Woman-Owned Tech Start-Up To Provide Free Smartphones For Women Globally, Looks To Close Gender Gap In Mobile Access And Use

NEW YORK - May 4, 2022 - PRLog -- Mobile phones are the most significant means of internet access in rural countries– particularly for women, however women are 28% less likely than men to own a mobile device and 58% likely to have access to mobile internet. Understanding this significant gap, Lauren Hendricks, CEO and Co-Founder of tech start-up KEIPhone, developed a way to provide free smartphones to poor, rural women globally via an innovative advertising-based revenue model. By June 2022, KEIPhone will provide nearly 5,000 smartphones to low-to-mid income women across Uganda and looks to expand into nearby countries in the second half of the year.

As conveyed in the acronym for KEIPhone, the company believes that Knowledge + Empowerment = Impact.

"Reaching rural women with the benefits and opportunities of digitization is critical to address the root causes of poverty in rural areas and rural women are key agents for achieving the transformational economic, environmental, and social changes required for sustainable development," said Lauren Hendricks, CEO of KEIPhone. "Given women's large presence in the agricultural workforce worldwide, empowering them is key not only to the well-being of individuals, families and rural communities, but also to overall economic productivity."

KEIPhone is the first company using revenue generation through lock screen advertising to increase access to devices for the unconnected. KEIPhone is changing the way Africa pays for devices and data, creating a value for a person's time and attention. Since February 2022, KEIPhone already reached over 45,000 smartphone users through app downloads. Company impact includes collaborations with Opportunity Bank, CARE USA, Mandulis Energy and others.

KEIPhone has launched #ConnectingWomenGlobally awareness campaign to amplify the impact stories of women that now have access to a mobile device and internet. The campaign will also call for more awareness and support in ensuring women globally have access to these resources. Affordability is the top barrier to phone ownership, KEIPhone looks to provide upwards of 100,000 free smartphones to more women in African countries over the next two years.

To learn how you can support or for general information about KEIPhone visit https://www.keiphoneglobal.com/ Follow KEIPhone on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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