Impact Stories from Professional Growth Policy Area
Fellow featured in leading business school periodical
Fellow(s): Diana Nassar
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth
Last week, 2016 fellow of Jordan Diana Nassar was featured in Poets and Quants, the leading website for business school news, analysis and rankings. Diana, a student at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, spoke about her experiences and personal growth as a student at Stanford.
When asked about her defining moment and its impact on her life, Diana mentioned the TechWomen program, sharing how meeting Silicon Valley leaders and mentors inspired her as a leader. She also highlighted her participation in Stanford’s Women in Management, a group that meets to speak about gender issues that women face in the workplace. “I have always wanted to drive change and to leave a positive impact on people’s lives,” she said.
Report Date...: 6/10/19
Fellow accepted into bioscience accelerator program
Fellow(s): Dr. Tiisetso Lephoto
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth
This month, 2016 fellow of South Africa Dr. Tiisetso Lephoto was accepted into FemBioBiz, an accelerator program with a mission to support, connect and empower ambitious women entrepreneurs in agri-food, biowaste and health sectors.
Tiisetso, who has a PhD in microbiology and biotechnology, recently launched Nematech, a biotech startup that will supply farmers with biopesticides and other eco-friendly products to control problematic pests. She was one of 12 women selected for the program and will soon begin a bootcamp followed by a pitching competition to investors. Tiisetso has received multiple accolades and awards for her research, including the Excellence in Science Engagement award from the National Research Foundation.
Report Date...: 6/10/19
Fellows attend GES2019 in The Hague
Fellow(s): Aia Abdul-Haj, Majd Hemiemat, Lucy Wanjiku, Bisma Hayat
Country: Jordan, Kenya, Pakistan
Cohort: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
This week, TechWomen fellows from multiple countries and cohorts convened at the 2019 Global Entrepreneurship Summit held in The Hague. The annual summit, co-hosted in 2019 by the U.S. and Dutch governments, brought together global leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers for three days of plenaries, forums and keynotes. With a theme of “The Future Now,” this year’s summit offered programming themed on health, water, food/agriculture, women’s empowerment, industries of the future and more.
Fellows of Jordan Aia Abul-Haj (2018) and Majd Hemiemat (2014), 2016 fellow of Kenya Lucy Wanjiku and 2017 fellow of Pakistan Bisma Hayat were part of a group of 2,000 individuals selected out of 5,500 applications to attend this year’s summit. Applicants were selected for presenting innovative and new solutions within their fields and for demonstrating a scalable business that is attractive to potential investors.
Aia received a fully funded invitation after applying on behalf of her startup, SOLVillion, a company that specializes in engineering solutions in construction, water, sanitation and renewable energy. The fellows – engineers, company founders, consultants and business development managers – had the opportunity to network, share industry best practices and learn about new technologies are shaping future advancement.
Report Date...: 6/3/19
Fellow organizes Nairobi’s first UxP conference
Fellow(s): Maureen Macharia
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
Last week, 2018 fellow Maureen Macharia hosted UxP Nairobi, the city’s first design and product conference. The inaugural event was conceived to bring together design leaders, creatives and entrepreneurs to learn about new tools and share best practices in innovation. Through breakout sessions on brand strategy, machine learning, fintech and more, attendees shared ideas and drew inspiration from across multiple industries.
Maureen is the founder of Spindle Design, a UX and product design studio that brings together cross-functional teams to design and develop technology products. “We had a great turnout, an engaged audience, and amazing speakers and sessions,” she said.
Report Date...: 6/3/19
Fellow delivers inspirational talks throughout the West Bank
Fellow(s): Dalia Shurrab
Country: Palestinian Territories
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Last month, 2018 fellow of Gaza Dalia Shurrab traveled to the West Bank, partnering with community leaders and NGO Shagaf MENA to organize speaking events where she shared her life experiences and about overcoming professional challenges.
In one talk in Jenin City, Dalia spoke about not allowing difficult circumstances to impede passion and perseverance. “Everyone in the world faces challenges,” said Dalia, “but life will honor those who insist on changing their reality. Living under hard situations is not an excuse to give up dreams.” At Hosh Jalsa, a local design hub and workshop space in Birzeit, Dalia spoke about the hurdles she’s faced as a woman in tech. There, she chronicled her path to leading communications for the first tech hub in Gaza, Gaza Sky Geeks, as well as traveling to the U.S. for the TechWomen program. “I never thought that participating in a program like TechWomen would change my life in a way that shows the best of me,” she said.
Report Date...: 6/3/19
Fellows featured as leading innovators in tech
Fellow(s): Sondos Samara, Afnan Ali
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2011, 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2018 fellow Sondos Samara and 2011 fellow Afnan Ali were recently recognized as innovators in Jordan by Global Innovation Path, an initiative that educates, advises and amplifies leaders in emerging countries.
With a mission to raise awareness about diverse innovators piloting new technologies, Global Innovation Path selects leaders in the fields of tech, health and evolving education. Sondos is the founder of SanadyMe, an interactive online platform where medical patients can share their experiences, find support and learn about research and the latest medical technologies in a safe environment. In her video feature, Sondos explained the mission of SanadyMe, highlighting their goal of creating a database for medical providers and pharmaceutical companies that can improve drug development and better address patient needs in the MENA region.
Afnan is the founder of Eureka Tech Academy, a program that specializes in educating children on engineering, invention and transforming ideas into products and services. In her feature, she spoke about founding and scaling her initiative, stressing the importance of educating the next generation: “If we want to make a revolution in technology, we should start by educating kids,” she said.
Report Date...: 5/27/19
Fellow shares keynote address at tech conference
Fellow(s): Sylvia Mukasa
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
2014 fellow Sylvia Mukasa was a featured keynote speaker at this month’s East Africa Com, an annual event that brings together more than 700 technology leaders from throughout the African continent.
Sylvia is the founder and CEO of GlobalX Investments/Innovation Labs and also serves as the Kenya chapter lead of Women in Tech Africa. In her keynote, “Ensuring an Inclusive Journey Towards Africa 4.0,” Sylvia spoke about the opportunity to make the Fourth Industrial Revolution both human-centered and inclusive. “This is a call to action,” says Sylvia. “It is a vision for developing technologies in ways that foster a more empowering, collaborative and sustainable foundation for social and economic development built around shared values of the common good and human dignity.”
Report Date...: 5/27/19
Fellows collaborate to bring a day of learning to rural students
Fellow(s): Irina Mun, Valeriya Tyo
Country: Kazakhstan
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth
Recently, 2018 fellows Irina Mun and Valeriya Tyo worked together to bring 32 construction students from rural Kazakhstan to Astana for a day of learning. Irina, a lecturer for the construction department at Karaganda State Industrial University, wanted to expose her students to new technologies and innovations in construction. Valeriya is the head of BI technology at BeInTech, an affiliate of the BI Group, the largest construction company in Kazakhstan.
Together, the fellows organized a field trip to the BI Group for a day of professional development. Through panels with section managers, sessions on design thinking and presentations on new technologies in construction, the students learned about the possibilities in Kazakhstan’s construction industry. In one Q&A session, Irina’s students learned from managers about female representation at the company and how women manage work and family.
“All of my students are from rural areas and don’t have a lot of opportunities to get good positions,” Irina shared. “Since our day in Astana, some of my students have started to learn English. Most of them began to use design thinking in their everyday life. Valeriya and her team showed them that everything is possible if you aspire to it.”
Report Date...: 5/20/19
Fellow shares professional insights in AnitaB.org webinar
Fellow(s): Peace Asukwo
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
Last week, 2013 fellow of Nigeria Peace Asukwo collaborated with AnitaB.org to host a “TechTalk” on career development for women in tech. The webinar was hosted by Systers, an AnitaB.org online community for women in computer science to network, share skills and support one another in their careers.
The TechTalk was attended by women from the United States, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Peace, a software developer at IBM, shared five insights into early career development for women in technology fields. Through her five lessons – have a passion for technology, believe in yourself, join peer groups, volunteer and always seek new learning opportunities – Peace hoped to motivate women to set ambitious goals and foster a community of peers and mentors. She encouraged the women to “learn and unlearn” and to pursue opportunities that will expand their skillset and develop their worldview.
Report Date...: 5/20/19
Fellow presents at international climate action conference
Fellow(s): Patu Ndango Fen
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth
This week, 2017 fellow Patu Ndango Fen presented at the 2019 International Conference on Climate Action, held in Heidelberg, Germany. Organized by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the conference convened government officials, UN representatives and the scientific community to discuss ways to improve collaboration and coordination for international sustainable development.
Patu is the founder and managing director or of Closed-Loop System Ventures Foundation, a waste management social enterprise that turns organic plant and animals waste into organic fertilizer. In her workshop, “Energizing Cities,” Patu and conference participants discussed policies that can support local renewable energy implementation. Using case studies from her work, Patu presented on developing innovative ways of managing waste in Cameroon, introducing the challenges, opportunities and future plans for innovative waste management systems.
Report Date...: 5/20/19
