Impact Stories from Entrepreneurship Policy Area
Fellow initiative hosts U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission to raise awareness of State exchange programs
Fellow(s): Janatu Veronica Sesay (Sierra Leone, 2022)
Country: Sierra Leone
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow initiative hosts U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission to raise awareness of State exchange programs
STEM Girls Initiative Sierra Leone, a program of which fellow Janatu Veronica Sesay (Sierra Leone, 2022) is founder and CEO, recently hosted U.S. Embassy Freetown Deputy Chief of Mission Stephanie A. Bunce during an event held to raise awareness of exchange programs offered by the U.S. Department of State. Held at Njala University, the STEM Girls Initiative event was attended by hundreds of staff and students, to whom the U.S Embassy representatives provided insights and encouragement on eligibility and application for these programs and how to become part of a community of impact. Fellows from these programs, including TechWomen, Fulbright and YALI, also contributed to the program, sharing their exchange experiences and the positive impacts they’ve since been able to effect on their communities upon returning home. “TechWomen has helped me connect with changemakers across the globe and build lifelong relationships that will lead to collaboration,” and U.S. Public Relations Officer Sarah Van Horne, who was also in attendance at the event. STEM Girls Initiative Sierra Leone was born out of Janatu’s experience as a TechWomen Emerging Leader. It aims to raise awareness among junior and secondary school girls on how to find career paths in STEM, aligning with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal three (SDG3).
Report Date...: 04/10/2023
Fellow named AI Global Ambassador by SwissCognitive
Fellow(s): Reema Diab (Jordan, 2019)
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow named AI Global Ambassador by SwissCognitive
Fellow Reema Diab (Jordan, 2019) has recently been named an AI Global Ambassador 2023 by SwissCognitive, a world-leading artificial intelligence network that sources experts in the field of AI to facilitate the successful integration of the technology into the modern world. Reema is the founder and CEO of Galaxy Organization For Technology and a senior consultant for Tesla. She recently gave a speech on STEM skills for the job market at Al Hussein Technical University in Jordan, joined a panel for Swiss Cognitive entitled, “Redefining Business Performance with Generative AI,” and next week will deliver a keynote address for Women in AI USA focused on Generative AI Strategy for Boards and C Suites. Her recent TedX PSUT Talk on the future of jobs will soon be available for viewing.
Read More »
Report Date...: 4/3/2023
Fellow launches DigiWomen Camp with USAID Future Growth Initiative
Fellow(s): Merjen Saparmyradova (Turkmenistan, 2019)
Country: Turkmenistan
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow launches DigiWomen Camp with USAID Future Growth Initiative
Fellow Merjen Saparmyradova (Turkmenistan, 2019), founder and director of Sanly Bilim Educational Center in Turkmenistan, has recently launched DigiWomen Camp in partnership with USAID’s Future Growth Initiative. This four-month program provides access to spaces and training in IT and software development for women and girls over the age of 16. The nearly 100 participants to-date, upon successful fulfillment of the program, will earn a completion certificate and have developed a portfolio and/or finished product to kick-start their own IT business. DigWomen Camp is the first program of its kind in Turkmenistan. It aims to augment the qualifications of women and girls as a pipeline towards heightening their presence in the virtual and in-person IT job market in the country. “The first step towards increasing women’s and girls’ access to technology and digital spaces,” Merjen explained in a recent post, “is to promote digital education and actively support and encourage girls’ participation in related subjects.” Sanly Bilim Educational Center first began working with USAID projects in November of 2022, and in December partnered with the USAID Youth Development Project to host their six-month TechYouth Bootcamp, which provides tech training for youths aged 18 to 25 in the areas of web and mobile application development, user interface and experience (UI/UX), graphic design, and IT and system administration. In that same month, Merjen won the Alumni of the Year in Women’s Empowerment Award during the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat’s first ever New Year’s Alumni Gala.
Read More »Report Date...: 3/27/2023
Fellow delivers keynote at innovation center launch
Fellow(s): Fellow Sebay Bintu Koroma, née Momoh (Sierra Leone, 2018)
Country: Sierra Leone
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow delivers keynote at innovation center launch
Fellow Sebay Bintu Koroma, née Momoh (Sierra Leone, 2018) recently delivered the keynote address for the official launch of Kamara Yokie Innovation Center (KYIC), the first youth-owned and youth-led innovation center of its kind in Sierra Leone. The center aims to leverage modern entrepreneurial leadership and STEM education principles to unlock the potential of youths, with support and resources including free computers and robotics tools. “In an age shaped by technological advances,” Sebay recapped in a recent post, “it is imperative that young people have the know-how to create and operate technology and science-based solutions, as it is critical to their advancement…and will strengthen their agency in terms of decision-making over their health, financial and career choices.” Sebay is a petroleum engineer for Petroleum Directorate Sierra Leone.
Read More »Report Date...: 3/27/2023
Fellow shares inspirational journey on BBC Sounds Podcast
Fellow(s): Baratang Miya (South Africa, 2015)
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow shares inspirational journey on BBC Sounds Podcast
Fellow Baratang Miya (South Africa, 2015) was recently featured as a guest on BBC Sounds Podcast “Women leading the tech revolution in Africa” episode, where she discussed her journey into tech, the power of teaching women and girls how to code and the sociocultural, infrastructural and policy changes needed to make that possible. “Walking into a board room with men [who] judge you and tone you down,” she confided,” really made me cry at some points… [and] I feel like it’s what keeps women behind. I used to be very emotional about that. I’m not anymore.” When asked how she overcame this struggle, Baratang explained that “the mindset and the policy issues are not going to change unless I become the most powerful and strong woman [and] can withstand the rocks that come my way. …And once I started taking it as it comes and telling myself, I’m going to sit in the boardroom and say, ‘we have to talk about women and girls,’ then I started hearing my voice getting stronger and seeing the change. It became a passion for me. Change is what I do.” Baratang is the founder of Girlhype Coders Academy, which has taught more than 1,000,000 women and girls how to code. She is also the founder of Women Tech Policy Hub (WTPH), which trains leading women in STEM in policy entrepreneurship through fellowship and executive education. Founded in 2022, the fellows of the WTPH include a vast number of women from the TechWomen community, including at least fourteen fellows from Cameroon, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Uzbekistan. Baratang was also named among the 50 People Who Made the Internet a Better Place in 2016 and regularly serves as a technology writer, judge, speaker and advisor in tech competitions and hackathons.
Read More »Report Date...: 3/20/2023
Fellow(s): Zharkyn Chsheglova, Abeer Albashiti, Ichraf Jarray, Kseniia Tysganova and Racha Friji
Country: Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
WomenTechMakers Conference features five fellows
Five 2022 fellows banded together to contribute to the recent WomenTechMakers Conference held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on March 11, International Women’s Day. Zharkyn Chsheglova (Kazkahstan) served as a moderator, while Abeer Albashiti (Jordan), Ichraf Jarray (Tunisia), Kseniia Tysganova (Kyrgyzstan) and Racha Friji (Tunisia) all served as speakers at the event. Themes of the conference included User Interface and Experience (UI/UX), GIS, Mobile, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Web, Decentralized Crypto, Design, Firebase, Cloud, Google Actions, Tech Entrepreneurship, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), Security and Architecture.
Read More »
Report Date...: 3/13/2023
Fellow selected to join Forbes Technology Council
Fellow(s): Oluwatobi (Tobi) Otokiti (Nigeria, 2022)
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
In her role on the Forbes Technology Council, Tobi will serve as a Forbes contributing writer.
Fellow Oluwatobi (Tobi) Otokiti (Nigeria, 2022), founder of Product Dive, has recently been selected for the Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for global CIOs, CTOs, and tech executives. Through a competitive committee selection process, Forbes Councils assembles accomplished leaders from various fields into a community that offers opportunities for professional growth and enables members to have a more significant influence on the business world. As a part of this role, Tobi will offer her perspective as a product management professional, serving as a contributing writer for Forbes articles such as this recent collaborative write-up on wearable technology. “I’m glad to expand my network to share, learn and give back to the global tech community as an experienced product manager,” Tobi shared in a recent post. “Technology is constantly changing with a growing trend in AI, ChatGPT, Web3, Cloud and more.”
Read More »Report Date...: 3/5/2023
Fellow recognized as trailblazer in Egyptian geology
Fellow(s): Sara Fakhry Elokda (Egypt, 2022)
Country: Egypt
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Sarah speaks on eXtra news TV about her journey to becoming one of Egypt’s earliest female well-site geologists at a rig site.
Fellow Sara Fakhry Elokda (Egypt, 2022) has recently gained media recognition on several news platforms for her distinction as one of the first female field geologists in Egypt. In recent weeks, she has been interviewed by Egypt’s eXtra news, DMC TV, Oil News and the Women of Egypt Network. Through these outlets, she has shared the inspirational story of becoming one of the first women in her country to serve as a well-site geologist and how this led her to apply and be selected as an Emerging Leader for TechWomen. She also shares her opportunity to speak in Washington D.C. on a panel discussion during a luncheon addressed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Since returning to Egypt, Sarah has been active in spreading the message of her experience with TechWomen to encourage other women to apply for the program.
Read More »
Report Date...: 3/5/2023
Mentors collaborate for women entrepreneurs
Fellow(s): Mentor Rekha Pai
Country:
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Mentors collaborate for women entrepreneurs.
On Feb 8, mentor Rekha Pai led a pre-summit workshop for the ECA’s Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in 11 countries in East Asia and the Pacific, with the support of seven other TechWomen mentors — Julia Lovin, Jill Finlayson, Shachi Patel, Sandra Chen, Mohna Dhomse, Sarasija Parthasarthy and Meg Gordon. Together these mentors facilitated two breakout sessions designed to help attendees clarify target markets and customer segments, and craft unique value proposition statements and competitive positioning. Participants expressed deep appreciation for how these activities helped them develop key decisions about their business models. The event and workshop were supported by the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and included participants from Brunei, Fiji, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam. Rekha is the founder of a non-profit women’s accelerator, Launch-HER, which gives women entrepreneurs from emerging markets access to free curriculum, resources, community and funding networks made of impact investors and impact VC funds.
Read More »Report Date...: 2/20/2023
Fellow invited to join WEF Network of Global Future Councils
Fellow(s): Lindiwe Matlali (2017)
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow invited to join WEF Network of Global Future Councils
Fellow Lindiwe Matlali (South Africa, 2017), founder of Africa Teen Geeks (ATG), has recently accepted an opportunity to join the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Network of Global Future Councils, a multistakeholder insight network that mobilizes experts from various fields and regions to generate deep understanding of frontier topics, such as AI and sustainable development, and explore their effects on other global, regional and industry-specific challenges. Lindiwe will serve on the Global Future Council on the Future of Cyber Security for the 2023-2024 term. Lindiwe has been involved with the WEF since 2020, when she won the Social Innovator Award from the Schwab Foundation. Following that, Lindiwe became a contributing writer, speaker and partner with the WEF. Most recently, at this January’s WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Lindiwe made notable appearances at the stakeholder dialogue “Inspiring Innovation: How to Create the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs” and the press conference “Trailblazing Entrepreneurs Attacking the World’s Biggest Problems.” Present on both panels was John Dutton, Head of UpLink, an innovation division of the WEF, which has recently partnered with Lindiwe’s ATG to launch an innovation and networking accelerator designed to bring African youths into the WEF ecosystem. “Talent alone is not enough,” Lindiwe posited at the press conference. “Most of us are here because we had talent and social capital. We were in front of people who saw [our] talent and were able to support [us].” Her contributions to the event garnered a mention in the WEF’s Outcomes from the 2023 Annual Meeting report (p. 22).
Read More »
Report Date...: 2/13/2023
