Why a million women, and why now.
AI is the biggest shift in creative and knowledge work in a generation. 1MW exists to make sure women help design it — not get designed out of it.
The gap is about to get wider.
Every creative and knowledge job is being rewritten by AI. The people fluent in it will lead the next decade of design. Today, women are under-represented in both design and AI — and without action, that gap compounds in the AI era.
1MW closes it at the root: with literacy that's free and reaches everyone, skills that lead to real work, mentors who make the path visible, and careers that put women in the rooms where products — and the AI inside them — get designed.
We are an initiative of the UMO Design Foundation, building on 22 years of design education and a community that already spans India and beyond.
How the change happens.
A simple chain from what we put in to the impact we're accountable for — the spine of every grant we write.
Inputs
Curriculum, mentors, chapters, a digital platform, partners and funding.
→Activities
The four-step Pathway: literacy, skills, mentorship, careers.
→Outputs
Women reached, skilled, mentored and placed — counted and verified.
→Outcomes
Women entering and advancing in design and AI careers; real economic mobility.
→Impact
A more inclusive design-and-AI economy. A million women by 2030.
The honest path to a million.
We don't pretend in-person classes scale to a million. They don't. The reach comes from a free digital course; the depth comes from cohorts, mentors and careers.
lives touched over 22 years of UMO design education — the track record the million is built on.
of the million reached through free, self-paced digital literacy — the only mechanism proven to scale to seven figures.
blended cost over five years to reach a million — not the $45M a naive per-head figure implies.
The people behind the mission.
A credible board opens doors — to funders, press and partners. We're assembling a founding board and advisory council; these are the seats we're filling.
Kaladhar Bapu
Founder · UMO DesignFounder of UMO Design Foundation and the UXINDIA conference; two decades advancing design in India and globally.
Board Chair
Seat openA respected leader to chair governance and unlock high-level networks.
AI / Technology Leader
Seat openA senior voice from AI or big tech to guide the AI-literacy mission and open doors.
CSR / Philanthropy Leader
Seat openSomeone who can champion 1MW inside corporate CSR and foundation circles.
Are you — or do you know — the right person for a seat? team@umo.design
How we're built to deliver.
A lean founding team of ~20, organised around the work — scaling as the mission grows.
Executive Director
Strategy · fundraising · partnerships · board
Programs & Curriculum
- Design & AI literacy
- Skilling tracks
- Content partnerships
- Scholarships
Community & Chapters
- Campus & city chapters
- Mentorship network
- Events: WSummit
- Volunteers
Partnerships & Funding
- Corporate & CSR
- Foundations & grants
- Individual giving
- Careers / placements
Platform & Tech
- Learning platform
- The public counter
- Localization / languages
- Data & security
Marketing & Comms
- Brand & website
- Press & storytelling
- Social & campaigns
Ops, Finance & Compliance
- Finance & CSR compliance
- India entity / FCRA
- Impact measurement (M&E)
- HR & admin
See the full team-structure & board-recruitment strategy in the companion brief.
Our incredible mentors.
Our mentors and instructors aren't just experts but passionate advocates for women in design. They believe in lifting others and are dedicated to helping you thrive. With their guidance, you are not just learning but becoming part of something bigger.
Help put a million women in the room.
Back the mission as a partner, a donor, or a board member who can open the doors a movement needs.
