Impact Stories from Professional Growth Policy Area
Fellows organize hackathon for COVID-19 innovation
Fellow(s): Josephine Ndambuki and Chepkemoi Magdaline
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2013, 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
Recently, fellows Josephine Ndambuki (2013) and Chepkemoi Magdaline (2019) helped organize and execute The Great COVID-19 Innovation Challenge, an international hackathon that challenged individuals, startups and organizations to apply innovative tech solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. The hackathon was hosted by Konza Technopolis, Josephine’s employer, as well as the Association of Countrywide Hubs, of which Chepkemoi’s company, EldoHub, is a member.
Over the course of 72 hours, the hackathon brought together 316 innovator communities from 47 countries to harness the power of technology and demonstrate how partnerships can solve leading challenges. Each hackathon group was tasked with addressing one of three challenges — Kenya’s health systems, food systems or economy — and finding ways to leverage technology for change. Submissions were judged by a distinguished group of panelists, including the British High Commissioner to Kenya, and three winning teams were chosen. “We congratulate our outstanding teams,” Josephine wrote. “We look forward to working further to make these homegrown brands.”
Report Date...: 6/15/20
Fellow leads session on IT security at global conference
Fellow(s): Ameni Channoufi
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Growth
This week, 2014 fellow Ameni Channoufi was a featured speaker at the Women Tech Global Conference 2020, a virtual conference that connected over 100,000 women, minorities and allies in tech from 181 countries. The three-day event featured over 200 speakers who shared their expertise on panels, technical workshops and networking sessions. Ameni, a Public Key Infrastructure and IT consultant, led a session titled “Securing T Identities in IoT.”
In her talk, Ameni gave best practices for securing personal identification and passport information in Internet of Things applications such as home automation systems. She also spoke about protecting sensitive information as smart cities increasingly use IoT to collect data and improve transportation systems, power plants, hospitals and other community services.
Report Date...: 6/15/20
Mentor(s): Eileen Brewer (mentor)
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
Recently, TechWomen mentor Eileen Brewer led a webinar for CareeHer, an online community where women entrepreneurs can network, share knowledge and find mentorship. In her session, Eileen discussed the difference between a personal and professional brand, focusing on the soft skills and emotional intelligence required for success in the workplace and beyond.
Throughout her talk, Eileen stressed the importance of learning skills, life skills and literacy skills when interacting with others. She also shared best practices for communication and collaboration, giving tips on maintaining an open and inviting tone that encourages a culture of knowledge-sharing: “The more we share, the smarter everyone gets, and we all rise up together,” she said. She concluded the session with advice on optimizing social networking platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, reminding the audience to be consistent, positive and intentional with their messaging.
Report Date...: 6/15/20
Fellows present at TEDxPolytechOran
Fellow(s): Fatima Zohra Benhamida and Salma Bekkouche
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2017, 2018
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth
This week, fellows of Algeria Fatima Zohra Benhamida (2017) and Salma Bekkouche (2018) were featured presenters at TEDxPolytechOran, a virtual TEDx event that invited community leaders to share their expertise with the Algerian community.
Fatima, an assistant professor of computer science and board member of the TechWomen/TechGirls Club Algeria, delivered a talk on public speaking. She began by sharing her own story, speaking about the fear and anxiety that often accompanies presenting in front of large groups. She then gave the audience five steps to successful public speaking, beginning with detecting the “symptoms” – assessing body language, voice, shyness and other potential barriers. She encouraged the audience to work through a fear of public speaking by mastering their subject, talking to strangers and dedicating themselves to continuous improvement.
Salma, an IT engineer and blogger who runs Salma Share, presented on her journey as a successful blogger. “I love writing, but I had a big fear to expose my ideas to the public. I felt the fear of being criticized by others,” she said. Despite her fears, Salma has developed her blog and has grown her audience through sharing career tips, posting about academic and exchange opportunities and interviewing inspiring people in technology.
Report Date...: 6/8/20
Mentor(s): Laleh Coté (mentor)
Company: Berkeley Lab
Mentor Type: Cultural
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth
This month, TechWomen mentor Laleh Coté was awarded funding to study how virtual mentoring will affect the mentor-mentee relationship within STEM fields. Laleh, a Cultural Mentor, is a STEM education specialist at Berkeley Lab. She will be the principal investigator for the study, supported by two co-principal investigators.
Her project, “Virtual Mentoring: Impacts of COVID-19 on the next generation of the scientific workforce,” is one of eight projects addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that received grant support from the Innovative Genomics Institute. “Considering the impact of mentor-mentee relationships on student learning and career success, it is critical that we understand what is happening now with ‘virtual mentoring,’” she writes. Together, Laleh and her team hope to find community best practices that will support the growth and retention of students entering science fields.
Report Date...: 6/8/20
Fellow selected for Fulbright Program
Fellow(s): Hajra Klair
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth
2018 fellow of Pakistan Hajra Klair was recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship, and will soon travel to the U.S. to begin a PhD in computer science at the University of Oklahoma. Hajra is a software engineer and lecturer at Capital University of Science and Technology in Islamabad.
Hajra, who was mentored at TechWomen host company Druva, will be begin her Fulbright program this fall. “The amazing learning experience I had at TechWomen afforded me the connections for getting great recommendations, and the knowledge I gained helped me tremendously in my application process,” she says. “Having been selected for this scholarship is a matter of great honor and pride for me.”
Report Date...: 6/8/20
Mentor(s): Anar Simpson (mentor) and Erica Lockheimer (mentor)
Company: LinkedIn Learning, Technovation
Mentor Type: Impact, Professional
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
This week, TechWomen mentors Anar Simpson and Erica Lockheimer were featured speakers for the 2020 IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference, a month-long virtual series for women in technology that offers sessions, live panel discussions, virtual networking opportunities and more. Erica, a Professional Mentor, is the vice president of engineering for LinkedIn Learning. Anar, an Impact Coach and TechWomen’s strategic partnership advisor, is also a Global Ambassador for Technovation.
In their session, “Leading in Engineering,” Anar and Erica spoke about how women can optimize their network, step into leadership and support other women along the way. Erica shared both the challenges and highlights from her career, giving tips for other women on career progression and embracing leadership opportunities. They also spoke about TechWomen, reflecting on the relationships created between mentors and Emerging Leaders. “I thought I was the mentor, but I learned so much. I realized I needed to have a global impact perspective, which was so critical,” said Erica. “They’re strong connections. They’re relationships for life.”
Anar concluded their session with a call to action, encouraging participants to expand their network, lean on others and embrace their own journey: “It’s your own unique path,” said Anar. “Be true to yourself.”
Report Date...: 6/1/20
Fellow helps bring transport solution to healthcare workers
Fellow(s): Rogeema Kenny
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth
2015 fellow Rogeema Kenny is a consultant and engagement manager for Pegasys, a Cape Town-based advisory firm that supports development impact in emerging economies and equitable infrastructure across the African continent. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rogeema and her team helped launch Red Dot, a taxi service that transports healthcare workers to and from work amid lockdown restrictions. Each vehicle is affixed with a red sticker, making them easily identifiable to healthcare workers.
A partnership between the minibus taxi industry and the provincial government in the Western Cape, Red Dot has a fleet of 100 taxis that run during 7pm and 5am when public transport is less available. Each taxi is deep cleaned, sanitized and tracked along its journey. Rogeema leads the driver training team, training each Red Dot driver on safety, compliance and best practices. Starting this month, Red Dot will offer its transport services to patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.
Report Date...: 6/1/20
Fellow mentors Technovation team on COVID-19 mobile app
Fellow(s): Layal Zakhour
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Recently, 2015 fellow Layal Zakhour helped lead the Technovation initiative in the United Arab Emirates, serving as club leader for nine teams of girls. Layal currently lives in the UAE, working for GE as a staff software architect.
Although many teams made the decision to postpone their mobile apps until next year due to COVID-19 difficulties, three teams were able to submit their projects. Layal mentored a team of 13 and 14 year old girls, teaching them the Technovation curriculum over weekly online sessions. Together, her team identified leading issues in their community and ultimately created RECOVER-19, a mobile application that connects patients in quarantine with doctors. The app allows patients to send out daily health check reports and communicate with their doctors online, aiming to reduce unnecessary hospital visits and prioritize critical cases. “Any woman can make an impact in her community. I am happy to help young girls become problem solvers in a time of crisis,” said Layal.
Report Date...: 6/1/20
Fellow and mentor collaborate for digital meetup
Fellow(s): Imene Henni Mansour, Maya Bisineer (mentor)
Country: Algeria, United States
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
This month, 2019 fellow Imene Henni Mansour launched Digital Meetup, a weekly virtual series meant to create a bridge between Silicon Valley and the MENA region and feature tech leaders sharing their expertise. Imene is hosting the weekly series in partnership with Innocom, a communications agency where she works as general manager.
In the debut session, Imene invited her TechWomen Professional Mentor Maya Bisineer to speak about tools, strategies and tactics businesses can use to create resiliency during the global pandemic. Maya is an entrepreneur, advisor and the director of product management at GoDaddy. In her session, Maya spoke about the value of long term thinking – focusing on the marathon, not the sprint – and how people in tech can bring a long term perspective to their businesses. She also spoke about how to build a resilient business that can flourish through hardship with an innovative and experimental mindset: “Always train hard and prepare for the unknown,” she advised.
Imene will continue to feature TechWomen mentors and fellows in Digital Meetup, working to share best practices for people in tech around the world. “I started with my mentors because they really encourage me,” she said.
Report Date...: 5/25/20
