Impact Stories from Professional Growth Policy Area
Fellow named Francophone Representative for AfriLabs board
Fellow(s): Crescence Elodie
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
This week it was announced that 2018 fellow Crescence Elodie was elected as a board member for AfriLabs, and will serve as their Francophone reprensentative for the next two years. With over 300 centers across 50 African Countries, AfriLabs has a mission to support innovation and entrepreneurship through policy advocacy, capacity building and more.
Crescence is the founder of EN Group, a platform that focuses on digital and community development through technology, as well as the founder of WETECH, Cameroon’s first women-focused innovation center that supports and trains women with tech and entrepreneurship skills. Over the next two years, Crescence will be responsible for engaging AfriLabs’ French-speaking tech community, amplifying the French-speaking tech ecosystem and strengthing the capacity of innovation centers, accelerators, hack labs and more in French-speaking areas. “I will be in charge of bringing the French-speaking community to the top, defending its interests and attract opportunities,” said Crescence. “It’s an honor and a big responsibility.”
Report Date...: 11/1/21
Fellow speaks about career and TechWomen on podcast
Fellow(s): Salma Bekkouche
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week 2018 fellow Salma Bekkouche was a featured guest on the Gusra podcast, a show that invites thought leaders in the MENA region to speak about their career journeys, experiences and passions. Salma is a recruiter and blogger whose platform, Salma Share, aims to empower Algerian youth through offering best practices and career advice. Her website and YouTube channel offer tips on applying to international programs abroad and invites guest bloggers to share their international education experiences.
In the podcast interview, Salma spoke about the value of volunteering with local clubs and organizations, sharing that her experience with Algeria’s TechWomen/TechGirls Club helped her transition from IT to HR. She reflected on her TechWomen mentorship at Twitter, where she learned the importance of personal branding on social media: “I had the chance to connect with experts from around the world in one place,” she said.
Report Date...: 11/1/21
Fellow’s company selected by WeRaise to close funding gap
Fellow(s): Ayesha Mumtaz Khan
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
Two years ago, 2019 fellow Ayesha Mumtaz Khan co-founded Hop Orbits, an e-commerce platform that aims to democratize access to technology, create jobs and contribute to remote business opportunities. Hop Orbits debuted their Hop Orbits Marketplace in April 2021, successfully bringing in 3,000 orders in its first month. However, women founders in Pakistan – like in many parts of the globe – face challenges in securing capital from investors, only raising 3% of the startup ecosystem’s total funding over the last five years. Ayesha applied for WeRaise, a World Bank Group program that addresses the funding barriers that women-led startups in Pakistan face, and was recently selected for their competitive training program. Implemented by startup accelerator Invest2Innovate, the two-year initiative aims to support and train women-led Pakistani companies that are actively seeking seed investment.
During the program, Ayesha and her team will receive investor-readiness training, hands-on guidance from seasoned coaches, legal services and access to a network of potential investors. “I’ve learned to think from perspective of the investor. Understanding the investor’s perspective is really important for founders especially if s/he wants to raise funding and collaborate with investors,” Ayesha said. “We have high hopes for our platform.” To continue her career growth, Ayesha also began a post-graduate project management program at John Moores University with support from their International Achievement Award scholarship.
Report Date...: 10/25/21
At Girls STEAM Camp fellow shares advice and inspiration
Fellow(s): Houda Chakiri
Country: Morocco
Cohort: 2012
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2012 fellow Houda Chakiri spoke to over 100 secondary school students in Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire and the United States at last month’s WiSci Morocco Girls STEAM Camp, a two-week virtual program that offered girls interactive STEM workshops, leadership training and mentorship opportunities. Houda, an assistant professor of computer science, was joined by other international women leaders for the Women In STEAM panel, sharing their diverse experiences as women in leadership.
During the panel, the moderator encouraged the panelists to remember their experiences when they were the same age as the girls. Houda offered her perspective, sharing the barriers she faced as a girl and emphasizing that girls continue to face challenges when pursuing STEM fields. She reminded the girls, however, that setbacks can serve as fuel for achievement: “Don’t be afraid of failure – it can be a real push to strive for success,” she said.
Report Date...: 10/25/21
At Capstone fellows set goals for the future
Fellow(s): 2020-2021 Fellows
Country:
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
This month, the TechWomen community convened for the Capstone, a culminating event that brought together 2020-2021 fellows, mentors and Peer Advisors for four days of goal setting, skills workshops, elevator pitch practice and action planning. With a mission to facilitate both past reflection and future thinking, the Capstone provided TechWomen’s newest cohort of fellows the opportunity to share, brainstorm and strategize in a small group setting.
TechWomen’s latest blog post outlines each day of the Capstone, highlighting lightning talks, trainings and the lessons learned in group discussions and pitch practice sessions. At the start of each day, select 2020-2021 fellows served as conversation catalysts, opening the session with reflections from their TechWomen experience and lessons learned as women in STEM. In her talk, Fatmata Kamara of Sierra Leone spoke about self-belief, emphasizing the importance of perseverance in the face of setbacks: “Failing is not the worst thing that could happen,” she told the fellows. “The worst thing is not maximizing your potential. Speak up your mind, even if your voice shakes.”
Report Date...: 10/25/21
Fellow discusses gender equality and education with Dalai Lama
Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2015 fellow Faten Khalfallah was invited to speak with the Dalai Lama in an event hosted by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) that brought together changemakers committed to gender equality and education for all. Faten is the founder of First Skills Club, a STEM education initiative that introduces Tunisia’s youth to technologies such as mobile apps, robotics, electronics, design and 3D printing. She is also a USIP Generation Change fellow, selected to participate in their 2016 cohort of dedicated peacebuilders addressing leading challenges. During the program, Faten was trained in conflict management, leadership development and more.
During the event, Faten was invited to share a brief story with the Dalai Lama based on her experience as an educator and mentor. She spoke about a 13 year-old student she mentored during her early years of teaching, helping him gain access to an IT lab when he was unable to complete his assignments at home. “He is now 24 years old, and he messages me to share thoughts or ideas with me. From teacher to pupil relation, it became a friendship,” Faten said. She then had an opportunity to ask the Dalai Lama one question, inviting him to share a time when he felt compassion from one of his mentors. The Dalai Lama told Faten about a teacher who saw his potential and always held him to a higher standard. “It’s important that teachers always give hope to students,” he said. “It’s important that they encourage them, and give them great potential.”
Report Date...: 10/18/21
On podcast fellow shares her work inspiring girls in aviation
Fellow(s): Refilwe Ledwaba
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2019 fellow Refilwe Ledwaba was featured on the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls podcast, speaking about her barrier-breaking aviation career and her commitment to empowering girls with STEM skills. The podcast, based on the bestselling series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, explores the lives of inspiring women and encourages its young listeners to pursue their curiosity and interests.
Refilwe, South Africa’s first black female helicopter pilot, is the founder of the Girls Fly Programme in Africa (GFPA) Foundation, a non-profit organization empowering young women to go into STEM. Through their programs, GPFA provides girls access to aviation and space workshops, STEM programs and mentorship opportunities. In the episode, Refilwe speaks about growing up in apartheid South Africa without any role models in aviation that looked like her. On her first-ever flight, Refilwe saw that one of the pilots was a woman. “That day changed the course of my life forever,” she said. “It ignited my curiosity about the industry.” She joined the airline as a cabin attendant, working her way up to eventually become a helicopter, plane and fixed-wing pilot and leader in aviation. “I’ve always done things that are against the norm,” she said. “And that makes me a rebel girl.”
Report Date...: 10/18/21
Mentor(s): Mercedes Soria
Company: Knightscope
Mentor Type: Impact
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
Last week, TechWomen mentor Mercedes Soria was named one of Robohub’s top 50 women in robotics to know, highlighted for her achievements in the field. The list, now in its ninth year, is published on Ada Lovelace Day to amplify women in the field of robotics around the globe and to inspire women and girls in STEM. “We publish this list because the lack of visibility of women in robotics leads to the unconscious perception that women aren’t making newsworthy contributions,” the article says.
Mercedes is the executive vice president of software engineering and chief intelligence officer at Knightscope, a company that designs and builds autonomous security robots. She is also a 2017 Grace Hopper Leadership ABIE Award winner, recognized for being a leader for women in technology. In addition to serving as a TechWomen Impact Coach, Mercedes is a member of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ U.S. Speaker Program and a regular technology contributor to Forbes publications.
Report Date...: 10/18/21
Fellows share expertise at Women in Tech Week
Fellow(s): Nomso Kana, Sylvia Mukasa, Sophie Ngassa
Country: Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa
Cohort: 2013, 2014
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
2013 fellow of South Africa Nomso Kana, 2014 fellow of Cameroon Sophie Ngassa and 2014 fellow of Kenya Sylvia Mukasa were featured speakers at Women in Tech Week, a series of events bringing together women leaders on the African continent. The week was hosted by Women in Tech Africa, an initiative that supports African women in 30 countries by amplifying their work, creating mentorship opportunities and investing in the next generation of women leaders.
Sylvia, the Kenya chapter lead for Women in Tech Africa, is the CEO of GlobalX Investments Ltd and GlobalX Innovation Labs. She was joined by Nomso, a green tech entrepreneur and governor for the Nuclear Energy Foundation, in a conversation themed on Artificial Intelligence and bringing more women into the field. Together the panel discussed how AI – which will contribute $15.7 trillion to the global GDP by 2030 – can be more inclusive of women leaders, researchers and innovators. Sylvia had an opportunity to speak about GlobalX’s Inclusive AI initiative, her program that encourages more women to enter the field of AI.
Sophie, a digital rights advocate and World Pulse Ambassador, was a featured panelist in a conversation on women influencers in technology. In her session, Sophie and other technology leaders spoke about the rise of women leaders in technology, and how women can contribute to measurable and meaningful change in their fields.
Report Date...: 10/11/21
Fellow featured as a gender champion at UNDP conference
Fellow(s): Zulaika Shamshieva
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2019 fellow Zulaika Shamshieva was spotlighted as a gender champion at a recent conference on gender and STEM hosted by UNDP Kyrgyzstan and UNDP Belarus. The event invited policy makers, gender specialists and UNDP experts to share their practices on promoting women in STEM fields.
Zulaika, a high school chemistry teacher, was named a role model for women in Kyrgyzstan and invited to attend the online event. UNDP also shared her story on their social media channels, highlighting her work and commitment to empowering the next generation of STEM leaders. When asked about her advice for other women in STEM, Zulaika said, “Believe in yourself. Be bold. Your first step is half of your success. After that, you will start enjoying your journey in STEM.” At the conference, she had an opportunity to hear best practices from leaders in STEM, gaining valuable takeaways for her work as an educator. “The conference was inspiring, and I learned about projects that I can do here for my village students,” she said.
Report Date...: 10/11/21
