Whitefish, Montana, September 20, 2021 – Despite Challenging Odds…The Journey Continues.
Sokn Engineering, a Woman Owned Company Fostering Innovation for Women in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), proudly recognizes Zara Rutherford and FlyZolo in her continued quest to become the youngest woman at the age of 19 to circumnavigate the globe solo in her high-performance microlight aircraft.
Ms. Rutherford, working her way up the West Coast of the U.S., was scheduled to touch down at the Kalispell International Airport in Montana on September 16, 2021. Unfortunately, due to a technical issue with her plane, California wildfires, and strong Rocky Mountain cross winds, forced Zara to divert to Oregon. Despite the challenges, a large crowd gathered at the Glacier Jet Center to celebrate Ms. Rutherford’s tenacity and courage in her quest to fly around the world solo and to bring awareness to the gender gap of women in STEM fields and aviation. Although Ms. Rutherford was not able to be there in person, the crowd was treated to a Zoom call with Zara. She shared her thoughts about her journey as well as fielded a number of questions from the audience.
Cassie Monaco, Sokn Engineering’s CEO and FlyZolo’s first corporate sponsor, had this to say about Ms. Rutherford. “Zara is very courageous and what she is attempting is very dangerous, 5 continents, 52 countries, and close to 100 days solo in a plane is daunting. We chose to be Zara’s first sponsor because we not only believe in her and wanted to be the wind under her wings, but Zara’s goal aligns perfectly with Sokn’s mission of advancing women in STEM. We are also proud to be in good company with FlyZolo’s other sponsor’s including Virgin, Bose, Shark, and ICDSoft,” said Ms. Monaco.
During the Zoom call, Ms. Rutherford’s positive attitude was evident as she said, “I am thrilled with my journey so far and have had only a few hurdles to overcome including a loss of communication while flying over the North Atlantic, that was very scary.” Ms. Rutherford went on to share her appreciation for Sokn Engineering. “Cassie and Sokn have been great partners in my journey, and I’ll look forward to continuing our relationship.”
Ms. Rutherford’s route has taken her from Belgium through the UK, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the East Coast of the US, the Caribbean, and Latin America. After leaving the continental United States this week, Zara will head north via Alaska to Russia, China, Indonesia, Middle East and then back home to Belgium. She hopes to complete her world voyage in early November. To follow Zara’s journey, go to www.FlyZolo.com.
About Sokn Engineering
Sokn Engineering is a woman owned S.T.E.M. Company that seeks out and develops technology that have commercial viability with a particular focus on promoting women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Sokn’s first product in its portfolio, the HyperFund Engine™, are highly complex proprietary predictive mathematical algorithms for the FinTech industry. Sokn’s HyperFund Engine™ will offers the industry an end-to-end solution applied to commercial applications, the individual consumer, or any organization looking to predict price movements accurately and consistently in the commodities market.
Find out more about Sokn Engineering at www.SoknEngineering.com