Atherton Award winner 2024
Congratulations to Alisa (Year 7) who has been awarded the Atherton Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurial Achievement.
Alisa won with her “Find It” app, reuniting students with lost property, powered by Near Field Communication technology. Alisa tested NFC and also took a Python course to create a business model. She won start-up capital and mentoring sessions.
Awards founder Amber Atherton said:
Congratulations to Alisa and to everyone who entered. Putney High girls have entrepreneurial spirit in bucket loads and I can’t wait to watch, and maybe one day invest, in the incredible businesses they might build!
Amber is a serial entrepreneur whose Y Combinator-backed startup was acquired by Discord. She authored The Rise of Virtual Communities (Apress, 2023) and recently became a partner at Patron VC, with investments in companies like TikTok, YouTube, and Duolingo.
Through the Atherton Award, she aims to inspire the next generation of women in entrepreneurship and STEM. Open to students aged 11+, the award encourages projects from coding courses to business startups. The winner receives a trophy, £500, and a mentoring session with Amber or a relevant expert. The goal is to promote more young women in the UK entering STEM and entrepreneurship.