What is TechWomen?
Impact Stories
Fellow(s): Ayeni Olamide
Country: Nigeria
Region: SSA
Cohort: 2017
Project/Action: Fellow returns to UNEP as a Change Maker
Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Fellow Ayeni Olamide (Nigeria, 2017), founder of circular economy company HOPCYKU, was recently invited to the North America Office of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in Washington, D.C., as a recognized Change Maker in sustainability. The invitation followed her participation as a panelist at the 2025 WWF Plastic Summit, where she spoke alongside policymakers, academics and global sustainability leaders.
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Ayeni’s journey with UNEP began in 2019, when she was awarded a fellowship to attend the 79th UNEP/UNESCO/BMU International Short Course on Resource Efficiency, Circular Economy, and Waste Management in Dresden, Germany—her first formal education in environmental sustainability.
Reflecting on the milestone, Ayeni shared, “Visiting the UNEP Office was a full-circle moment. I got to share our journey, how we started, what we’ve achieved and where we’re headed.”Report Date: 05/05/2025
Fellow(s): Raushan Nurdillayeva
Country: Kazakhstan
Region: SCA
Cohort: 2020-2021
Project/Action: Fellow & Mentors publish international research paper
Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability
Fellow Raushan Nurdillayeva (Kazakhstan, 2020–2021) and LBNL mentors Virginia Altoe and Carolin Sutter-Fella have co-authored a recently-published materials science paper, “Humidity Disrupts Structural and Chiroptical Properties of Chiral 2D Perovskites”. Featured in the ACS Nano journal, the publication is the result of a global research collaboration spanning institutions in the U.S., Kazakhstan, and Europe—including the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where Raushan completed her TechWomen professional mentorship.
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The study explores the effects of humidity on a promising class of materials known as chiral 2D perovskites, which have potential applications in advanced electronics such as spintronics. Their cross-border collaboration included researchers from Akhmet Yassawi University, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Eindhoven University of Technology.
Raushan’s participation was supported by the Bolashak “Internship for 500 Scholars” initiative under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education.Report Date: 05/05/2025
Updates
TechWomen@10 Announcements from Secretary of State Antony Blinken
TechWomen celebrates ten year of impact and innovation at TechWomen@10 on October 20, 2022. During this event, Secretary of State Antony Blinken laid the framework for the decade to come. TechWomen will be expanding in several ways over the next decade to expand the footprint of the program to new regions, connect deeper with the TechGirls program and connect our mentors and fellows in new ways.
TechWomen@10 Celebration
Join us for a very special event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the TechWomen Program, its impact, and honor the dedicated community of individuals who share in its mission of empowering women and girls in STEM around the world. The event will highlight the contributions of our 1200+ mentor community, partner companies, program success stories, and share plans for the future. We will conclude the celebration by announcing this year’s Techwomen Emerging Leader seed grant winners! Many thanks to Juniper Networks for hosting the reception and celebration at their Aspiration Dome.
TechWomen Fall 2022 Pitch Day @ Waymo
Waymo is proud to host TechWomen’s Pitch Day. TechWomen is an exchange initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that empowers, connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in STEM from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. At Pitch Day, groups of Emerging Leaders pitch their action plans for a chance to receive seed grant funding to jump-start implementation of their impact project.
“Mentor or Mentee?” My Techwomen journey from Imposter Syndrome to Empowerment by Natarajan…
Guest post by Natarajan Gayathri TechWomen Mentor, Program Manager at Synopsys, based in the San … [READ MORE...]
More Than Mentorship: How TechWomen Transformed My Leadership Journey by Kristy Bonham…
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Postcards from the Windy City: A Chicago Content Strategist’s TechWomen Mentor Journey by Amy…
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Protected: TechWomen Alumnae Outreach Toolkit…
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Highlights of Central Asia Women in Tech & Science Week, 25-30 March
Startup Mix - April 11, 2019The Girl Who Programs Artificial Intelligence – TechWomen
She is Nomad - November 14, 2018TechWomen winners on using their skills to help Genocide survivors
The New Times - November 14, 2018Kazakh team wins TechWomen seed grant to address domestic violence
Astana Times - November 7, 2018Podcast: Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms Of Discrimination
U.S. Mission Nigeria - March 30, 2018