Sara Berkai

I spend a lot of time thinking about education and technology. I love skateboarding and tacos. I believe encouraging kids to build = greater self-efficacy (and we all benefit from this).

Formal stuff below:

About

Sara Berkai is a British Eritrean entrepreneur and investor based in New York. Berkai is the founder and CEO of Ambessa, designing DIY kits encouraging kids globally to build, and TAVI, a home for young makers. A first-generation graduate with an MSc in Child Development from the University of Oxford and a first-class BSc from University College London, she has been recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30, AnitaB.org, Innovate UK, The Conduit, CHANEL and the UN's ITU. Berkai has delivered lectures at UC Berkeley, MIT, and the University of Oxford, and serves on the advisory boards of UCL School of Management and SXSW EDU. Berkai also founded the First Venture Award, a grant programme encouraging young students to pursue entrepreneurship.

Ambessa

In 2020, during her master's degree, Berkai founded Ambessa, a social enterprise encouraging children to build and learn science through play. For every DIY kit purchased, one is donated to a displaced child who lacks access to consistent electricity. With over 250 million children currently out of school and 40 million displaced, Ambessa teaches science through hands-on making. Launched via a successful grassroots Kickstarter campaign, Ambessa has been featured in WIRED, The Financial Times, Fast Company, and Disegno. The company won Dezeen's Product of the Year, and its kits are now available in schools and museums globally. Ambessa has donated thousands of kits globally across Europe, Asia and Africa and partners with MIT, University of Oxford and Girl Scouts.

TAVI

TAVI is a platform where young makers can upload, share, and remix projects. TAVI was built upon request from Ambessa customers who wanted a home for everything they made, from software to hardware and to see what and how other kids were building. TAVI enables children to showcase their creations across all platforms and learn from each other in a moderated, ad-free environment.

First Venture

In 2020, Berkai ran a series of social impact workshops across London state schools, called Nobody Gets Fired for Building a Well, based on Clayton Christensen's work. This experience led to the founding of First Venture in 2026, an annual prize encouraging students in London state schools to explore social entrepreneurship.