Development Marketplace 2018: Armenia

Enterprise Incubator Foundation | Geeks Against GBV: Unlocking Potential of New Change Makers and Leveraging ICT Solutions

Project Summary:

This project aims at re-invigorating efforts of key stakeholders in Armenia in combating gender based violence, particularly using specifically designed mobile applications and networks of peer-mentors (GBV and human rights experts, psychologist practitioners, and legal experts) for providing online support to women and protecting them from occurrences of on-line violence, guiding them and providing necessary support in case such violence occurs. Another important output of the project is database that is linked with mobile application and records and categorizes each case of violence. Such a database will provide Project stakeholders a long term perspective with necessary statistical support for policy formulation, design, and implementation of interventions, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment.

To launch an effective introduction and a country wide application of the mentioned instrument, the set of activities will be carried out to launch new institutional dialogue between key stakeholders, build respective capacities of women and human rights organizations, unlock active involvement of engaged Armenian society (IT professionals) in combating gender-based violence, as well as to raise awareness of potential project beneficiaries.

Project Team:

Julia Tumasyan is project manager at Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF), one of the largest tech business incubators and development agencies in the Europe and Central Asia region, operating in Yerevan, Armenia. Established in 2002, EIF is called to support the development of the IT sector in Armenia by creating a productive environment for innovation, technological advancement and company growth. EIF activities are directed towards business development, marketing and promotion, management, start-up creation, assistance to companies in improving professional and business skills, creation of learning partnerships within the industry, and universities.

As Project Manager at EIF, Tumasyan has carried out overall management and coordination of the World Bank-funded project, E-Society and Innovation for Competitiveness (EIC). The EIC project included establishment of the first venture fund in Armenia, the Gyumri Technology Center, the Vanadzor Technology Center, and the IBM Innovative Solutions and Technologies Center; implementation of Innovation Matching Grants, Computer for All, as well as Armenian IT representation in the U.S. programs. Tumasyan, who holds an LLM from Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, is coordinating the "Geeks Against GBV" project.  

Dr. Bagrat Yengibaryan is director of EIF. In his position, Dr. Yengibaryan manages activities of the Armenian-Indian IT Training Center of Excellence, the Gyumri Technology Center, the Vanadzor Technology Center, the Innovative Solutions and Technologies Center, and mLab ECA Regional Lab for Mobile Applications. He also coordinates several acceleration programs in Armenia, including the Innovation Matching Grants Competition, and the Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STEP). He is the co-founder and advisory board member of the first-in-Armenia venture capital fund, Granatus Venture Fund.

Dr. Yengibaryan founded multiple IT enterprises in Armenia and has served as an international IT development expert, advising governments in Moldova, Ukraine, Montenegro, Iran, and Latin America. Dr. Yengibaryan holds an MS in Mathematics from Yerevan State University, an MBA from the American University of Armenia, and a Ph.D. in Mathematic, from the Armenian National Academy of Sciences.