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Winners’ Blogs – Emily Cummins

by  Women of the Year

July 20, 2012

Winners’ Blogs – Emily Cummins

In 2009, one of the Women of the Year awards was won by Emily Cummins, a young inventor who revolutionised Village Africa with her solar-powered refrigerator. She strives to change the lives of people in the poorer parts of the world with her innovative ideas.

Describe your experience at the Lunch
It was an incredible day. I was able to take my Mum with me as my guest and it was brilliant to share this experience with her. My Mum found it fascinating and we both met lots of people and used the opportunity to network with other women.
I arrived at the Lunch quite early and met with the other winners and we had the chance to sit down and share our stories.
When I was first invited to the Lunch I was really curious and did lots of research into its history and who else had attended in the past. It hadn’t been on my radar before and I thought it was a brilliant event for women.

What did winning the award mean to you?
When I learnt I’d won the award I was speechless. I really didn’t know what to expect on the day and was a little nervous about having to give a speech. As soon as I got there I relaxed, though with all the famous faces in the room I was a little star struck. The Lunch really felt like a big catch up with friends, everyone looked to be having a great time and seemed very comfortable.

Why are award ceremonies like the Women of the Year lunch important?
I think the most important aspect of the Women of the Year lunch is the networking and the opportunity for women to share what they are doing and achieving in their fields. I think that sometimes women can be quite humble and reserved, so the lunch allows them to shout about what they’re doing!

Which women have been inspirations in your life and why?
Although he is not a woman, my main inspiration has been my Granddad – he sparked my initial interest for inventing through the hours we spent in his shed. He helped me to start exploring the world and using creativity to solve problems.
I don’t have one main female role model or inspiration – I prefer to take little bits from lots of people including my friends, my Mum and well-known women. The sheer number of people doing incredible things means that I can take different advice from different women.

What has been your biggest achievement to date and what goals do you have for the future?
Although I am extremely proud of my fridge invention and the difference it has made to many people’s lives, I’m really excited about a new project I’m currently working on. I am very interested in the future of the education system and I am currently working with PV Apps to create educational applications for schools. I want to revolutionise the education system, and believe that technology is a great place to start.