Impact Stories from Professional Development Policy Area

Mentor(s): Patricia Flores

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development

Mentor Patricia Flores was recently honored in Negocios Now’s 40 Latinos Under 40 Chicago list for her extensive professional and service record. She is recognized for having launched Guías, a platform connecting customers to lifestyle coaches founded in 2021 which is noted for its emphasis on transparency, customer reviews and data analytics. She has also earned two grants and secured the rank of finalist for the Female Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition powered by TechRise and Chicago Innovation. She also serves on the Chicago Board of Latinas in Tech as Partner Lead, expanding awareness and access to professional development resources for members of the Latina community. Moreover, she is recognized for her service as a TechWomen mentor with the inaugural 2023 Chicago cohort, as well as a delegate on the spring 2024 journey to Cameroon, where she co-led STEM workshops, talks and networking events.

Report Date...: 04/01/2024

wins Zuri Award for youth service

Fellow(s): Asha Panyako

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow Asha Panyako (Kenya, 2022) was recently recognized by Zuri Awards for the work of her organization, CodeYetu, which teaches coding skills to children from underserved communities. Since its inception over five years ago, CodeYetu has grown to include over 6 schools spanning 4 countries, with over 200 school children enrolled, and more than 20 volunteers supporting coding classes five days a week. “This recognition is not just for me but for our students who are ever ready to learn, our amazing volunteers, [the] institutions that host us, our biggest supporters, Alphathesis, and everyone who always cheers us on,” Asha, the founder and program leader, shared in a recent post. “I see how much we all push ourselves and I can never be grateful enough.”

Report Date...: 04/01/2024

Fellow launches Beyond Boundaries 1.0 conference in London

Fellow(s): Oluwatobi Otokiti

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow Oluwatobi Otokiti (Nigeria, 2022), founder of product managers community ProductDive, launched the inaugural Beyond Boundaries 1.0 conference in London, England on March 9th, 2024. With a focus on empowering African immigrants in technology, the conference aimed to enrich the knowledge base of the target community and advance the careers of product managers exploring new frontiers in their field by providing intimate access to U.K. industry leaders, information, resources and opportunities. With support from leading tech companies with a shared mission, Beyond Boundaries targeted professionals ranging from novices to experienced product managers. The event featured panel discussions, networking sessions and workshops, such as the curriculum vitae clinic, all designed to inspire attendees to excel in the tech sector and contribute meaningfully to the global economy. The conference also showcased success stories of African product tech leaders from Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya who have overcome barriers to achieve remarkable success, their stories serving to inspire attendees to dream big and aim high, and to their potential to excel and significantly contribute to the U.K. economy as tech innovators and leaders. “This conference is a testament to our ongoing pursuit to equip and help product managers including Africans to succeed in their tech careers,” Oluwatobi shared in a recent post. “And we’ve only just started.”

Report Date...: 3/25/2024

Fellow speaks at Green Climate Fund event in Namibia

Fellow(s): Mahitab Elramal

Country: Egypt

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development

Fellow Mahitab Elramal (Egypt, 2022) recently represented Egypt at the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Dialogue with Africa in Windhoek, Namibia. As a representative of the GCF National Designated Authority at the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, Mahitab served as a keynote speaker of a panel discussion, during which she to discussed the role of the updated GCF Strategic Plan in achieving Egypt’s climate ambitions and national program priorities. She also addressed potential challenges and ways to foster GCF engagement in Egyptian climate finance in coming years. “It was an excellent [opportunity] to meet with National Designated Authorities from Africa, accredited entities, and other GCF partners from all-over the globe,” Mahitab shared in a post. “The dialogue offered new modalities to access GCF finance and advance programs at the national and regional levels.”

Report Date...: 03/25/2024

Fellow delivers remarks at pre-UN Summit of the Future

Fellow(s): Sabina Nforba

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development

On behalf of the African Union Chairperson’s Youth Envoy, Ms. Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, fellow Sabina Nforba (Cameroon, 2020-2021) delivered remarks in Abuja, Nigeria at the opening ceremony of “The Africa We Want and the United Nations We Need: A Regional Dialogue for the Summit of the Future,” which took place March 4 to 6. Organized primarily by the Savannah Center for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, the event sought to unite leading policy makers, researchers, and advocates in discussion on African perspectives and innovation priorities for consideration leading up to the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024. “We look forward to taking the conversation further to guarantee the equal participation of Africans on global platforms,” Sabina shared in a recent post.

Report Date...: 3/11/2026

Fellows speak at “Be Woman” Central Asian Forum

Fellow(s): Darika Aldasheva, Zharkyn Chsheglova

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellows Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) and Zharkyn Chsheglova (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) both recently served as guest speakers at the at the first Central Asian Women’s Forum: Be Woman, held on March 5 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Convening experts in many fields, including business, government, media and education, Be Woman provided a platform for women to share and inspire growth-minded engagement in the economy, business and culture of Central Asia and beyond. Darika and Zharkyn spoke on the panel discussion, “Women in IT: the path to a digital future.” “Despite our diverse backgrounds, ” Zharkyn shared, “we empowered each other for success and forged a resilient network — a force that is both invisible and profoundly influential.”

Report Date...: 3/11/2024

Fellow(s): Aseel Honein

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2013

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow Aseel Honein (Lebanon, 2013) recently attended PCA’s “Tomorrow’s Technology from Lebanon to Qatar” delegation in Doha on January 28 to 29, and the Step Conference in Dubai Internet City, UAE on February 21 to 22, to showcase her educational tech creation, Architecture in a Box. A development of professional training and innovation center Parallel Studio, which she founded in 2010, Architecture in a Box sparks curiosity and creativity in children by providing enlivening STEAM-focused programs and educational games that teach them to build smart cities. “As a Design Thinking Trainer,” Aseel shared in a recent post, “I’ve learned that before we can innovate, we must first master the essentials — communication, team building and negotiations. These are the pillars of radical collaboration, the fertile ground where innovation takes root.

Report Date...: 3/4/24

Fellow publishes article on conservation & green skills

Fellow(s): Zebo Isakova

Country: Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2019

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development

Fellow Zebo Isakova (Uzbekistan, 2019), as Project Manager for the Saiga Conservation Alliance, recently published the article, “Saiga Day: Role and Importance in the Development of Green Skills.” Saiga Day is a spring festival marking nature’s lifecycle and serves to unite communities across the animal’s natural range in Central Asia and Russia. As the article explains, Saiga Day “acts as a key factor in the formation of sustainable habits …[examining] green skills, such as conserving biodiversity, environmental education, promoting sustainable lifestyles and creating social connections through participation in environmental activities.”

Report Date...: 3/04/2024

Mentor(s): Paria Rajai

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development

Paria recently co-authored an article on building an intersectional approach to talent management for the Harvard Business Review.

Mentor Paria Rajai, founder of inclusive workplace strategy firm ModelExpand, recently co-authored the article, “How to Build an Intersectional Approach to Talent Management,” for the Harvard Business Review. The article offers an intersectional perspective on the process of talent management, providing real-life applications for applying knowledge into practice, including tried and true examples from some of the world’s leading organizations. “Those of us in the trenches of organizational work understand the indelible importance of inclusive principles in shaping effective talent acquisition and retention strategies for today’s workforce,” Paria expressed in a recent post.

Report Date...: 02/19/2024

Fellow launches e-waste-to-STEM kits at university in Algeria

Fellow(s): Ahlem Benazzouz

Country: Algeria

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow launches e-waste-to-STEM kits at university in Algeria 

Inspired by her TechWomen program mentors and learnings, fellow Ahlem Benazzouz (Algeria, 2022) has introduced, EcoBioMedTechMakers, an electronic waste upcycling innovation project to her students and colleagues at the University of Science and Technology Mohamed Boudiaf in Oran, Algeria, where she works as a research assistant professor while earning her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.

The project emerged from a dual commitment to sustainable technology development and the promotion of women in STEM, Ahlem shares. She integrates physical computing into her curriculum using micro:bit technology introduced by mentors Kathy Giori and Meg Gordon. Components are salvaged from e-waste, such as circuit boards, resistors, capacitors and LEDs to create STEM education kits. The kits are instrumental in designing experiments that teach electronics and coding concepts. Moreover, she is actively encouraging students to embark on sustainable projects and startups, considering both environmental and socioeconomic impacts to generate lasting positive outcomes.

“The results have been promising, with increased enthusiasm and participation from our female students,” Ahlem shared in recent communications. “The real-world applications of physical computing and coding have bridged the gap between theory and practice, fostering creativity, critical thinking and practical skills development.” Ahlem further shares that she is collaborating with a team of research professors to elevate the project to the next level. “Techwomen is really the beginning of a new journey.”

Report Date...: 02/12/2024

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