Tech entrepreneur and humanitarian Sara Wahedi, founder of Afghanistan’s pioneering civic tech start-up Ehtesab, will be a featured speaker at Humanists UK Convention 2025. Her address will focus on using tech to advance the common good, sharing insights from human-centred design in technology – rooted in empathetically considering the psychological and emotional needs of users – in challenging contexts.
Tickets for Humanists UK Convention 2025 are on sale now – and running low.
Born in Kabul and later emigrating to Canada, Wahedi later returned to Afghanistan, working in the Office of the President. Her experiences in Kabul – particularly, attacks from multiple ISIS suicide bombers right outside her house – inspired and drove her commitment to using technology for social impact. In 2018, she founded Ehtesab, a mobile app delivering vital real-time security and service updates to Kabul residents. This countered misinformation and bolstered safety, issuing over 250,000 alerts to date. She also interned with Apple’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning team in Cupertino and Seattle, on projects focused on user-centred design.
Sara’s acclaimed work advocating for ethical tech has earned her recognition as a TIME Next Generation Leader, a BBC 100 Woman, MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. In 2023, she was also recognised as One Young World’s Entrepreneur of the Year.
She also serves on the board of Rukhshana Media, supporting women’s journalism in Afghanistan.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:
‘Sara Wahedi’s work exemplifies the ethos of applying reason and empathy to improve the human condition. Her unwavering advocacy for human-centred design and her resolute commitment to deploying technology to address pressing needs in exceptionally challenging circumstances are truly exemplary. We’re delighted to be hosting Sara at Humanists UK Convention in Sheffield this June.’
Humanists UK Convention 2025 will bring together humanists from across the country for a weekend of science, politics, culture, and comedy. The event will be held at the Octagon Centre in Sheffield from 13–15 June 2025. Sara Wahedi joins a diverse line-up of speakers, including physicist Dr Helen Czerski; journalist Ian Dunt; author of Money, Lies, and God, Katherine Stewart; happiness economist Professor Lord Richard Layard; anthropologist and author of The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World, Professor Harvey Whitehouse; historian and editor of The Free Speech Wars, Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley; philosopher and author of What Is Humanism For?, Professor Richard Norman; Authoritarian Century author Dr Azeem Ibrahim OBE; folklorist and cultural anthropologist Deborah Hyde; AI, Faith & Civil Society Commissioner Professor Kate Devlin; and many more.
Humanists UK Convention 2025 | Sheffield
13 June 2025, 19:00
The Octagon Centre, Clarkston Street, Sheffield, S10 2TQ
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For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson at press@humanists.uk or phone 0203 675 0959.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 130,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.