Why Reshma Saujani, author of Brave, Not Perfect, is godmother to this spa cruise ship 

Celebrity Apex, the second cruise ship in the Celebrity brand’s industry-changing Edge Series of luxury cruise liners, will be named at an official inaugural ceremony in Southampton, on 30th March by its own godmother. So what does it mean for this new type of spa cruise ship to have a godmother of such esteem?

What a cruise ship’s godmother signifies

Traditionally, the godmother of a cruise ship is intended to be the spiritual embodiment of a vessel, inspiring and protecting the lives of everyone who sails onboard. With its groundbreaking Edge Series ships, Celebrity has been selecting godmothers who are breaking ground in their respective fields for people around the world. 

The first Edge Series godmother, who inaugurated Celebrity Edge in November 2018, was Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Malala Yousafzai, renowned for her advocacy of educational opportunities for girls everywhere. 

For the latest luxury spa ship, the company has chosen Reshma Saujani, an American lawyer and politician, who is also founder and CEO of international non-profit Girls Who Code and author of international bestseller, Brave, Not Perfect.

What you need to know about Reshma Saujani

Since launching in the US in 2012, Reshma Saujani’s Girls Who Code has reached 185,000 girls at nearly every stage of their educational journey. The organisation is on pace to close the gender gap in new entry-level computer science jobs by 2027, with college-aged alumni of Girls Who Code majoring in computer science and related fields at 15 times the national average. 

In 2019, Girls Who Code was named the number one non-profit on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list. In addition to being the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, Reshma Saujani is a lifelong activist who surged onto the political scene as the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress in 2010.Her viral TED talk and international bestseller Brave, Not Perfect have sparked a worldwide conversation about how we’re raising our girls and inspired countless women to fear less, fail more and live better. 

Saujani’s work on behalf of women and girls has earned her broad recognition including: 

• Fortune World’s Greatest Leaders
• Fortune 40 Under 40
• WSJ Magazine Innovator of the Year
• Forbes Most Powerful Women Changing the World
• Fast Company 100 Most Creative People
• Winner of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education

“Reshma is bridging the gap in the historically male-dominated technology industry. She is evolving the image of what a computer programmer looks like and does, inspiring a whole new generation of girls and women to bravely pursue this field. Because she is a game-changing visionary, she is the perfect godmother for a game-changing ship like Celebrity Apex.”

– Celebrity President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.

“Girls Who Code is committed to giving girls more visible role models in computer science and helping them see that this is a field where they can really thrive. “Just as we are on a mission to close the gender gap in tech in our lifetimes, Celebrity Cruises’ is leading the way to create a more diverse future in the maritime industry. It is an honor to have the support of Celebrity Cruises in our work, and to be named as the Godmother for Celebrity Apex.”

Reshma Saujani Saujani