Impact Stories from Entrepreneurship Policy Area
Mentor(s): ELs begin mentorship and action planning in week two
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
After an active week of cultural exchange and professional development workshops, Emerging Leaders were eager to explore all the Bay Area has to offer alongside Cultural Mentors, their cultural ambassadors to the Bay Area. Whether it was a visit to the Academy of Sciences, a tour of Tesla, attending panels with industry leaders at a Bloomberg event or sightseeing around the Painted Ladies, Emerging Leaders and mentors learned about Bay Area culture, and one another, before a busy week ahead. Week two kicked-off with the first meeting of Professional Interest Groups, small groups of Emerging Leaders with common professional interests that are guided by mentors. Through the groups — themed on a variety of fields such as digital media, edtech, green tech, engineering, biotech and health sciences, AI and machine learning and more — Emerging Leaders and their mentors will share learnings from their professional mentorship experience, exchange resources and engage in conversations relevant to their fields of interest. Emerging Leaders also began learning alongside their Professional Mentors, beginning to work on their goals and learning objectives. The week concluded at Action Plan Workshop 1, where Emerging Leaders came together as country teams to lay the groundwork for their social impact projects. With facilitation from Susie Kelleher of YSC Consulting, country teams began to think strategically about their action plan, a project that will address a socioeconomic issue in their home country. By the end of the day, many country teams had laid the groundwork for their project’s mission and goals and had learned more about team strengths, collaboration and how to maximize their impact.
Report Date...: 3/7/2022
In TEDx talk fellow speaks about African innovation
Fellow(s): Sharon Telewa
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2018 fellow Sharon Telewa was a speaker at TEDxKassel, presenting on the “rise and rise” of technology in the African ecosystem. The TEDx event was themed on “New Realities,” exploring the interplay between society and technology. Sharon, an innovation and business development manager, is currently based in Germany. She began her talk speaking about her education, culture and family, using her own story to dispel common stereotypes of Africa and the African people. She then explored her roles at Safaricom, Andela and Kenya Flying Labs, using her career experience to communicate the ways in which the innovation and technology ecosystem in Africa can be better supported: by strengthening education systems, supporting digital transformation in rural areas and investing in African startups. Sharon also introduced Jedimu Elimu Trust, the initiative she founded that supports local schools with STEM resources, builds digital literacy through training and offers economic empowerment opportunities. “I believe that I can make a difference for my home village and for surrounding villages,” Sharon said. “We’re a small organization with big dreams.”
Read More »Report Date...: 3/7/2022
Mentor(s):
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
After spending their first weekend in the Bay Area, Emerging Leaders were hosted by Autodesk on Monday for a virtual Impact Design Workshop. There, they were brought through an introduction to design thinking by Autodesk’s JoAnna Cook: “As you’re innovating, you can always correct,” JoAnna reminded them. “We don’t get it right the first time in all cases. What you can do is not lose your passion to follow up and listen.” After learning about the cornerstones of the design thinking process – intentionally identifying a problem, starting with the end user, iterating on ideas and maximizing collaboration and alignment – Emerging Leaders were led through a stakeholder mapping exercise, drawing out all stakeholders at their workplaces or businesses. In breakout rooms led by Autodesk facilitators, Emerging Leaders applied the method of abstraction laddering to the underrepresentation of women in STEM, discussing together how to reframe problems to create solutions. Week one concluded at the Leadership Workshop with two sessions on advancing women leaders and understanding individual and team strengths. Shannon Bayer of Linkage led the morning session, presenting on Advancing Women in Leadership. “Now more than ever, women are a part of the solution,” she said. “We need to look at how we can influence the change that considers us in the structure moving forward.” Samantha Raniere, TechWomen Impact Coach and principal at Raniere Consulting, led the afternoon session on leveraging individual and team strengths. “We can acquire any skill. Nothing holds us back from doing that,” she said.
Report Date...: 2/28/2022
Fellow discusses Black women entrepreneurs at Embassy event
Fellow(s): Michelle Sesay
Country: Sierra Leone
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
2013 fellow Michelle Sesay served as a panelist at a U.S. Embassy Freetown film screening themed on Black History Month and the upcoming International Women’s Day. The event, a screening of the documentary “She Did That” at Fourah Bay College, featured a discussion on Black women entrepreneurs with women alumni and entrepreneurs of U.S. exchange programs. Michelle is a civil engineer, entrepreneur and YALI fellow. In her panel, attended by aspiring entrepreneurs and university students, Michelle and fellow U.S. exchange program alumni talked about impostor syndrome, lack of funding for female-owned startups and the need for more women in leadership to acknowledge and celebrate their successes. The group also discussed similarities and differences among women entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Sierra Leone, speaking about the need to support Black-owned businesses. “We spoke about superwoman syndrome, where we take it upon ourselves to do everything and not delegate roles to our staff,” said Michelle. “Women generally don’t give themselves credit or acknowledge how far they have come.”
Report Date...: 2/28/2022
Fellow speaks about work-life balance for mothers at live event
Fellow(s): Dalia Shurrab
Country: Palestinian Territories
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
2018 fellow Dalia Shurrab was featured in a Startups without Borders online event, speaking about how to balance motherhood and entrepreneurship. Dalia is the project manager of Mompreneur, a 2020 AEIF-winning project that supports mothers from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with training, workshops and starting their own online businesses. At the Instagram Live event, Dalia spoke about challenges that women in MENA face juggling start-up life and family life and offered solutions to women who are seeking better work-life balance. “Moms should find and create a support system and never feel shy or ashamed to ask for help,” said Dalia. “She does a great job as a mom and she should put herself on top of her priority list to give herself some time to meditate, self-heal and to take care of her mental health.” Dalia also shared freelance platforms and ways to find jobs online, offering tools and tips for women entering or re-entering the workforce.
Read More »Report Date...: 2/28/2022
Mentor(s):
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
108 Emerging Leaders from 20 countries arrived in the U.S. for TechWomen 2022, embarking on five weeks of professional development, mentorship and exchange. In the spring 2022 hybrid program, Emerging Leaders will be guided and supported by nearly 300 Professional Mentors, Cultural Mentors and Impact Coaches and will be learning together in interactive professional development workshops and Professional Interest Groups. After Wednesday’s arrival day, Emerging Leaders gathered online as a group for the first time at the Welcome Orientation, where they learned about essential program information, additional details on their mentorship and other important logistics about the spring program. At Friday’s Cultural Kickoff, Emerging Leaders had the opportunity to share their country’s cultures and engage in cross-cultural dialogue and exchange with their fellow Emerging Leaders and the TechWomen mentor community. The event was presented in an online world café format, where each country group shared about their country and cultures in a fun and creative way during four breakout room sessions. The event also featured five presentations: a language lesson from Cameroon, a traditional dance lesson from Kyrgyzstan, a cooking lesson from Lebanon, a sing-along from Morocco and a lesson in tribe totems from Zimbabwe.
Report Date...: 2/21/2022
Fellows’ TechWomen social impact project hosts STEM event
Fellow(s): Flora Asibe, Ehiaghe Aigiomawu, Olayinka Fagbemiro, Oluwatoyin Adegoke, Happy Amos and Damilola Asaleye
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
During TechWomen 2020-2021 action planning alongside their Impact Coaches, fellows Flora Asibe, Ehiaghe Aigiomawu, Olayinka Fagbemiro, Oluwatoyin Adegoke, Happy Amos and Damilola Asaleye created EduChamps, a social impact project that provides educational supplies like school bags, textbooks, writing materials and sanitary pads for girls, as well as empowerment trainings in recycling, gardening and more. This month, the fellows held an event with 30 girls from the African Church Grammar School, hosting a day of mentorship and skills training. Jennifer Foltz, U.S. consulate deputy public affairs officer, delivered closing remarks to the students. The day featured workshops in upcycling as well as tech talks from fellows on automotive engineering, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and space science. The students also received solar lanterns and educational supplies such as bags, uniforms, textbooks and sanitary pads to encourage them to stay in school. “My favorite moment was answering the questions from the girls on the career paths they could have in the technical industry,” said Damilola. “Thank you to TechWomen for supporting us with a seed grant for the project, an enabling environment, sisterhood, networks and much more.”
Read More »Report Date...: 2/21/2022
Fellow delivers workshop on public speaking for 300 students
Fellow(s): Omnia Tayari
Country: Libya
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2013 fellow Omnia Tayari delivered a webinar on the foundations of public speaking to 300 students from North Africa and the Middle East this month, sharing tips and strategies to help students succeed in their careers. Omnia is the co-founder of BulbulHub Academy of Public Speaking as well as the founder of Oratoriia, an online program that educates and empowers young leaders. The students in attendance are enrolled in a full stack developer course from Edraak, an online course portal established by Queen Rania al Abdallah of Jordan; Omnia has been supporting this credential course as a communications and public speaking instructor. In her workshop, Omnia spoke about why public speaking is essential for career success, sharing tools and simple strategies for overcoming the fear of public speaking. “I was welcomed with great energy,” said Omnia. “The engagement was amazing that I could hardly manage to read the answers when I asked a question. Their insights, honesty and obvious desire to learn and grow was overwhelming.”
Read More »Report Date...: 2/21/2022
Fellow launches Tech Women Club for women in Nigeria
Fellow(s): Stella Uzochukwu-Denis
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
Recently, the American Corner Abuja reached out to 2019 fellow Stella Uzochukwu-Denis with an interest in bringing together women and girls interested in STEM fields for mentorship, networking and support. After strategizing together, Stella and the American Corner officially launched the Tech Women Club, a monthly gathering for women in Abuja that will meet at the American Corner space. Stella is the country director for Odyssey Educational Foundation, an NGO with a mission to equip African children, particularly girls, with STEM skills. Under her leadership, the Tech Women Club will host women and girls who are in STEM fields or interested in pursuing STEM. “The mandate is to demystify technology, especially for those who do not have a tech background,” said Stella. At the club’s first meeting, 10 women gathered to speak about their interest in technology and discuss local opportunities for women and girls. Stella shared an upcoming training she is leading for 25 women on gaming and VR. “This was born out of my TechWomen experience,” she said. “I was mentored at Unity, a video game software development company, and I wouldn’t be thinking about a gaming training for girls and women here in Nigeria without that exposure.” Stella and the American Corner Abuja also collaborated for an International Day of Women and Girls in Science event this week, introducing attendees to innovative ways to teach STEM education and sharing scholarships for young students.
Report Date...: 2/7/2022
Fellow(s): Thulile Khanyile, Dana Abdel Khalek, Aziza Haidarova
Country: Lebanon, South Africa, Tajikistan
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
TechWomen 2022 Emerging Leaders have been invited to share their perspectives and experiences with the TechWomen community in Emerging Leader Voices, a guest blog post series where incoming Emerging Leaders write about their struggles, achievements and journeys to TechWomen. Thulile Khanyile of South Africa, a non-profit founder, lecturer, microbiologist and podcaster, kicked off the series with Impact through biology, entrepreneurship and podcasting: the journey of a multipotentialite. Thulile writes about her passion for fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship through empowering women and youth: “The combination of giving light to new ideas and connecting science to the people is the goal I work tirelessly to fulfill,” she writes. In her post, Hope is not to believe change is coming, but to work towards it, Dana Abdel Khalek of Lebanon writes about the difficulties she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and her choice to turn her struggles into growth opportunities. Dana founded GenZ, a startup that addresses youth unemployment in Lebanon through offering training in e-commerce, data analysis and more. “GenZ is committed to reaching everyone in need of those skills,” she writes. Aziza Haidarova of Tajikistan writes about her journey to TechWomen in her post, Setting global goals with TechWomen. “For a long time, I hesitated whether to apply or not,” writes Aziza. “Participation in this program will be a great experience for me, both in my career and in my personal capacity. I will discover a new world for myself.” TechWomen will soon conclude the series with two additional posts from Emerging Leaders representing Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Read More »Report Date...: 1/31/2022
