Dila Öner

Dila is a social innovator, storyteller, and technologist who has turned personal adversity into a mission for collective impact. Diagnosed with high eye pressure disease at age 12 and raised in Inebolu, a small town in Turkey, she experienced firsthand the challenges of accessing inclusive education. In response, she founded Jorge, a free audiobook platform and book club serving 90 visually impaired students, and led STEM QUEST through the Young Guru Academy, bringing STEAM workshops to over 500 visually impaired youth across Anatolia. She also interned at WeWalk, a smart cane startup, becoming its youngest team member.

A 2022 Rise Global Winner—selected from over 80,000 applicants—Dila has received international recognition for her work in equity and education. As the captain of her FIRST Robotics Competition team, she has delivered gender equity workshops to over 150 students, and her nonprofit, STEM GIRLS, now collaborates with the United Nations to support Syrian refugee students through mentorship and educational kits, especially following the 2023 Turkey Earthquakes.

Currently studying Psychology and Media at Johns Hopkins University on a full scholarship, Dila explores the intersection of behavioral science, storytelling, and design to build inclusive, human-centered technologies. Her work is defined by a commitment to being a bridge—between disciplines, generations, and between those who build technology and those most affected by it. Whether through books, robots, or policy, Dila believes in transforming personal challenge into systems that create belonging and opportunity for all.