What is TechWomen?
TechWomen empowers, connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East by providing them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities.
Through mentorship and exchange, TechWomen strengthens participants’ professional capacity, increases mutual understanding between key networks of professionals, and expands girls’ interest in STEM careers by exposing them to female role models.
Impact Stories
Fellow(s): Sabine El Kahi, Rebecca Biswas
Country: Lebanon, United States
Region: MENA, US
Cohort: 2014
Project/Action: Fellow and mentor collaborate to acquire laptops for students
Company: Juniper Networks
Mentorship Type: Professional
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Youth Engagement
The relationship built between fellow Sabine El Kahi and her Professional Mentor Rebecca Biswas of Juniper Networks didn’t end after TechWomen 2014. Sabine and Rebecca kept in touch, regularly talking on the phone and sharing professional updates including news about Kids Genius, Sabine’s organization that spreads maker culture to young students through hands-on activities and courses at their two centers in Lebanon.
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After training staff at a local NGO on starting a Kids Genius makerspace, Sabine learned they had no working computers. She shared the situation on one of her phone calls with Rebecca, who offered to see if her company could help. A few weeks later, multiple departments at Juniper Networks had become involved, and together the group was able to organize the shipment of 18 laptops to the students in Lebanon. “I didn’t know the level of impact that this project could have,” says Sabine. “Now, the students are learning basic skills on the computer, and soon I will train and help the instructors on teaching them coding. I will never miss a chance to maintain those TechWomen connections and create new impact projects together.”Report Date: 2/11/19
Fellow(s): Ainura Sagyn
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Region: SCA
Cohort: 2017
Project/Action: Fellow awarded international scholarship for women leaders
Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth
2017 fellow of Kyrgyzstan Ainura Sagyn was recently awarded the Toptal Scholarship for Women, a $10,000 prize to accelerate the careers and initiatives of female CEOs and founders. Ainura’s startup, WasteToWealth, aims to reduce litter and encourage re-use through an online platform where Bishkek citizens can sell recyclable waste. Alongside a Toptal mentor and machine learning expert, Ainura hopes to create an online feature that will help recognize specific plastics for more efficient recycling.
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Ainura will use a portion of her Toptal funding to buy laptops for Technovation Coding Caravan, her project that will visit villages in rural Kyrgyzstan to put on four-day coding seminars for girls. She will also use the money to enroll in programming and machine learning courses from Udacity’s School of AI. With any remaining funding, Ainura hopes to travel to the 2019 Grace Hopper Celebration, which she has dreamed about attending for many years.Report Date: 2/11/19
Updates
@TechWomen: Thanks to fellow @LindiweEM for the reminder that the relationships built during TechWomen often go beyond the prog… https://t.co/bMiL3kI9Bx
(about 10 hours ago)
@TechWomen: Congratulations to #techwomen17 fellow of #Kenya @chao_mbogho on her promotion to Dean of Science and Technology at… https://t.co/KpE68Q5cYu
(about 22 hours ago)
@TechWomen: "Now it’s time to get OK with seeking help for yourself - that’s the key to making networking work." Read more on t… https://t.co/V2qJael9JP
(about 1 day ago)
@TechWomen: @KaiSabine of Lebanon & her mentor, Rebecca Biswas of @JuniperNetworks, have kept in close touch since TechWomen 20… https://t.co/X1BDSpdJWa
(about 1 day ago)

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